Caramel Macchiato Tres Leches Cake | CBC Life (2024)

CBC Life

· Posted: Oct 24, 2019 10:40 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 24, 2019

Tres leches cake is a traditional Mexican dessert made of a vanilla cake that is baked, cooled and then soaked with three (tres) milks (leches): evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. The result is a custardy, creamy, irresistible dessert. This version fancies up the milk with coffee liqueur and caramel, turning it into a frappuccino lover’s dream cake!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 10 eggs, separated
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ⅔ cup 2% milk
• ¼ cup instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsp milk, hot

Cake soaking liquid:

• 2 cans (354 mL each) evaporated milk
• 2 cans (350 mL each) sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup 35% cream
• ½ cup coffee liqueur

Caramel:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup cake soak mixture
• 2 tbsp 35% cream

Whipped topping:

• 1 tsp (½ pkg) gelatin powder
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups 35% cream
• ¼ cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Garnish:

• Coffee beans (optional)

Preparation

Heat oven 350F degrees. Grease and line a half sheet pan (18x12-inch) with parchment, overhanging long sides of pan.

Cake:

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) whisk the egg yolks with 1 ½ cups sugar until pale yellow. Add the vanilla and milk.

Mix the hot milk and coffee together in small bowl until coffee is dissolved. Stir into yolk mixture.

Fold the yolk mixture gently into flour mixture until it just comes together into a smooth batter.

Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) until soft peaks form. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar gradually until stiff peaks. Fold ⅓of the egg whites gently into yolk batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.

Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back we touched, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out on rack and removing parchment. Cool completely.

Cake soaking liquid:

Stir together the ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve ¼ cup for caramel.

Caramel:

Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil mixture is deep golden, brushing the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush if sugar appears on sides of pan to prevent crystallization.

Stir 2 tbsp cream into the ¼ cup reserved cake soaking liquid. Stir immediately into caramelized sugar. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Transfer the cooled cake onto a rimmed baking sheet and poke surface all over with a fork. Stir ¼ cup of cooled caramel into the cake soaking liquid. Pour over the cake; let sit for 30 minutes to absorb.

Whipped topping:

Sprinkle the gelatin over water in a small saucepan, let stand for 3 minutes. Warm over low heat until gelatin is melted. Set aside to cool.

Whip the cream and sugar on stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks. Drizzle in the gelatin. Whip until stiff peaks. Add the vanilla. Transfer ⅓ of cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

To assemble:

Cut the cake in half lengthwise. Level top and trim edges. Place one half on serving platter and pipe whipped topping border around the cake, about ½-inch from the edge. Gently spread half of the caramel within the whipped topping border. Place other half of cake on top. Spread top with ½ of remaining whipped topping to within 1-inch of the edge. Place the remaining topping in another piping bag fitted with a decorative tip of your choice. Drizzle the remaining caramel over the cake. Pipe a decorative border around the edge with remaining whipped topping and decorate with coffee beans, if desired.

Yield: Makes 10 servings (1 cake)