Bakery-Style Tres Leches Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Dulce de Leche

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A tall, feather-light separated-egg sponge baked in an 8-inch square pan, then fed three additions of a condensed-evaporated-cream soak so it drinks up every drop without turning to pudding. Overnight in the fridge it sets into something between cake and custard, finished with softly whipped cinnamon cream, a dulce de leche drizzle and toasted almonds — the version you'd get in a good Mexican pastelería, made with one bowl of egg whites and no special equipment.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g), divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for the pan

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch fine salt

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, very cold
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp sour cream or mascarpone, cold
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dulce de leche
• 1 tbsp whole milk, for thinning the dulce de leche
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan at least 2 inches deep (glass or metal, not springform — it has to hold liquid). Do not line with parchment; the sponge should grip the sides as it rises.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, thick and doubled in volume. Beat in the milk and vanilla.
3. In a separate clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the 4 egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase to medium-high and rain in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time, whipping until the whites hold glossy medium peaks that curl slightly at the tip, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not whip to dry, stiff peaks.
4. Sift the flour mixture over the yolk base in two additions, folding gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Add one-third of the whites and stir them in to loosen the batter, then fold in the remaining whites in two additions, stopping the moment the batter is uniform and airy.
5. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake on the middle rack for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is golden, springs back when pressed, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven before 25 minutes.
6. Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges to release the sides and let it cool completely in the pan, at least 45 minutes more. The cake will settle slightly — that is what you want.
7. Make the soak: whisk the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a pitcher until completely smooth. You'll have about 3 cups.
8. Poke the cooled cake all over with a bamboo skewer or thin fork — roughly 60 to 70 holes, going all the way to the bottom, right up to the corners.
9. Slowly spoon about one-third of the soak over the surface, concentrating on the edges and corners where cake shrinks away from the pan. Wait 10 minutes for it to disappear, then add another third and wait 10 minutes more. Add as much of the remaining soak as the cake will take without standing in more than a thin film of liquid; refrigerate any leftover soak.
10. Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, so the milk works its way evenly through the crumb and the cake firms up enough to slice.
11. Just before serving, whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar, sour cream, cinnamon and vanilla on medium-high speed until it holds soft-to-medium peaks, 2 to 3 minutes — stop while it still looks silky. Spread in thick swoops over the chilled cake.
12. Stir the dulce de leche with the tablespoon of milk until pourable and drizzle it over the cream in thin lines. Scatter with toasted sliced almonds and dust lightly with cinnamon. Cut into 9 squares with a hot, wiped knife and spoon a little reserved soak around each serving.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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