Chocolate Tres Leches Cake with Coffee and Caramel Icing
A favourite throughout Latin America, this cake gets its name from the three types of milk used, which soak into it after baking. Rich and dense but not overly sweet, it’s best served well chilled.
INGREDIENTS
10 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups caster sugar
3 cups plain flour
4 tablespoons of good quality baking coco
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon each baking powder and ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
210 grams butter, melted and cooled
THREE MILKS
375ml can evaporated milk
375-gram can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk or cream
Icing
250 grams cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar
8 tablespoons ready-to-use caramel (I used Highlander brand)
300 grams mascarpone
4 tablespoons of instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons of hot water
METHOD
EQUIPMENT: 2 x 20cm cake tins, greased and bases lined with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a stand mixer until very pale, thick and light in texture.
Combine the flour, coco, salt, baking powder and spices, sift over the top of the egg mixture and fold through using a large metal spoon. Pour in the butter and fold everything together until the butter has been combined and there are no pockets of flour in the batter.
Pour into the 2 prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes.
THREE MILKS: Stir everything together in a large jug.
Using a skewer, poke lots of holes all over the top of the warm cake to break the crust. Slowly and evenly, pour the milk mixture over the top, letting it sink in before adding more. It may look like too much liquid, but the cake will absorb it on standing. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, but overnight is best.
ICING: Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until light and smooth. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and beat in the with the caramel into the cream cheese and icing sugar mixture then very gently stir in the mascarpone until just combined. Chill for at least 3 hours before using.
TO ASSEMBLE: Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with half of the filling. Repeat with the remaining cake. Dust with coco and serve.
