Tres Leches Cake

This AMAZING tres leches cake has been one of my favorites since the first time I ever tried it! It is a very moist cake and becomes more flavorful as it is stored in the fridge. It is a classic Nicaraguan cake soaked with three kinds of leches - "milks", cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and whipping cream. I know, sounds yum, right? The milks soak through the cake and the cake becomes very moist and sweet. Another great thing about this cake is the fruit topping and the toasted coconut!! It is just perfect!! My husband fell in love with this cake when I made it for the first time when we were dating. Ever since then, he always talks about how great the cake is. He convinced me to make it for the feast on Mother's day (Well, actually he volunteered to make it since it was Mother's day, but he was already making all kinds of food for the feast so I decided to be nice and make the cake). Everyone at the feast loved it!! You've got to try it if you haven't had it. This is one of those desserts that you MUST try before you die! :)

You might only want to use strawberries and kiwis, that's fine, I just wanted the variety, plus, the blueberries and raspberries were on sale!!

Can you see how moist the cake is?? It's sweet and delicious!!

My favorite part - topping the cake with lots and lots of fruit and toasted coconut flakes!!

Fabulous Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients: (If you're making the cake for a large group of people, double the recipe)

4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Tres Leches Sauce: recipe follows
Sweetened whipped cream: recipe follows
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted**
Strawberries (sliced), kiwi fruit (sliced), blueberries, raspberries for topping

**To toast coconut, bake uncovered in ungreased baking pan in 350 degrees F oven 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Tres Leches Sauce-
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup canned cream of coconut (not coconut milk - you will find it at an alcohol aisle)
1 tablespoon vanilla

-In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients until well blended.

Sweetened Whipped Cream-
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

-In chilled small bowl, beat all ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

Direction:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of 11*7-inch glass baking dish with shortening or spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs wit electric mixer on high speed until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar; beat on high speed about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour on wire rack.

Make Tres Leches Sauce. Poke top of cake all over with toothpick or fork. Slowly pour sauce over cake, allowing it to soak in. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (I recommend overnight) until most of the sauce is absorbed. Serve cake topped with Sweetened Whipped Cream, coconut, and fruit. (I layered the sweetened whipped cream on top of the cake, then topped it with coconut and fruit.)

Note: Refrigerate it, tightly covered, for up to three days.

Adapted from Betty Crocker