Overnight Tres Leches Sheet Cake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A Tex-Mex diner classic done the make-ahead way: a tall, springy separated-egg sponge with just enough structure to drink up three milks without turning to mush. It soaks overnight in the fridge, so all you do before serving is whip cream, swoop it on, and dust with cinnamon. One 9x13 pan feeds a crowd for less than the price of two restaurant slices.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• butter or nonstick spray, for the pan

• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 tbsp dark rum or 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for dusting
• 12 maraschino cherries or fresh strawberries (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan (do not line it with parchment — you want the milk to reach the bottom crumb). Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the 5 egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, thick, and falling from the beater in a ribbon. Beat in the whole milk, oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the flour mixture to the yolk base and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain, about 20 seconds. The batter will be thick — that thickness is what keeps the cake from collapsing later.
4. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the 5 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy, then stream in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Increase to high and whip to firm, glossy peaks that hold their shape but are not dry or clumpy, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions with a large spatula, cutting down the middle and sweeping around the bowl. Stop as soon as the batter is uniform — a few small white streaks are better than a deflated batter.
6. Scrape into the prepared pan, spread level, and bake on the center rack for 26 to 32 minutes, until the top is golden, springs back when pressed, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not underbake; a fully set crumb holds the milk.
7. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then poke it all over with a bamboo skewer or fork — about 60 to 70 holes, going straight down to the bottom of the pan. Let cool completely, at least another 40 minutes.
8. Whisk the soak: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of salt, and the rum or almond extract if using. It should measure roughly 3 cups.
9. Slowly spoon the soak over the cooled cake in three passes, letting each pass disappear before adding the next and paying extra attention to the edges and corners, which absorb more slowly. Some liquid will pool at the sides — that is correct.
10. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Overnight is ideal: the crumb evens out and any pooled milk gets fully absorbed.
11. Within an hour of serving, whip the 1 1/2 cups cold cream with the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to medium-stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread over the chilled cake in soft swoops.
12. Dust with cinnamon through a small sieve, cut into 12 squares with a thin knife wiped clean between cuts, and top each square with a cherry or a sliced strawberry. Serve cold.
13. Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 3 days; the topping softens but the cake only gets better on day two.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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