Tres Leches Cake (Mexican Milk Cake)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs ((large))

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 tin sweetened condensed milk 

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Crushed pistachios (to garnish, optional)

Tres Leches Cake Base:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and butter a square cake tin. Set up three mixing bowls.

In a large bowl, sift together flour,baking powder, and salt. Separate egg whites and yolks into the other two bowls.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed, until yolks are a pale yellow (2 minutes). Stir in 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute). With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff but not dry (1 minute)

Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and combine gently with a spatula.

Gently fold in egg white mixture with the spatula until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Milk Syrup:

In a large a bowl, combine 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

Pour 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream and 2 Tbsp sugar into a large chilled mixing bowl and beat on high speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until thick, whipped and spreadable. Spread over the cake with any design then decorate with pistachios if desired.