Fiesta Time: Tropical Tres Leche

I have heard of Tres Leche cake, but have never ordered it at a restaurant. A few months ago I tried a recipe that I found on a blog that was a shortcut version using a cake mix. It was not very good. So you might wonder why I was anxious to make this for our fiesta. I took J-bird to a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point for her birthday and we tried this delicious treat. It does not take long to make even though you are making the cake from scratch. It does need time for the milk to soak in and will last for several days in the refrigerator.

My favorite quote from my husband "This is as good as any dessert you have ever made"

Cake

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1 c. white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9 x 13 pan. (I use the pam spray with flour in it). Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream butter or margarine and the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture a little at a time; mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

Tres Leche

1 1/2 c. whole milk (in the class she used cream--I used the fat free half and half that was in my fridge)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)

Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

Topping

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 c. white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of the cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy! Top with fruit or let guests top their own.

Fruit cut up such as: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, mandarin oranges, toasted coconut