I believe there are two kinds of dessert people: the first, love chocolate and desserts loaded with dark and rich flavours and add-ons like fruit and candy bits; the second, are the kind that love simpler flavours and love nothing more than butter, cream, eggs and sugar — the simpler the better. I am definitely in the second group of people. While chocolate is delicious, I tend to be able to stop myself after one or two bites (although that depends on the day – ha!) and I am not the type to get chocolate mousse for dessert. With desserts like pastries (plain, no chocolate or fruit) or egg-heavy desserts and simple ingredients, however, I cannot control myself — I can devour them in one sitting and go back for more later! I’m the kind of person that can eat the pie crust without the fruit…heh.

So naturally, while I was browsing through my Martha Stewart cupcake book again, I came across the Tres Leches cupcake recipe and had to make them — tons of eggs, cream and butter? Yes ma’am! Right up this alley!

Tres leches means “three milks” in Spanish, so naturally, there must be three kinds of milk to make this cake: evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Check it out (and, yes, that is authentic Mickey Mouse whisk that I bought on my bachelorette party trip to Disneyland…and yes, you read that correctly):


The cake itself is a sponge cake made from a lot of eggs, butter, flour, milk and vanilla — so simple, and when the cake is baking the whole house smells like a pancake factory (or that’s what the Hubby said). I die for this smell because to me, the more eggs, the better the cake.



So golden brown and perfect!

After the cake portion is baked, you have to poke a bunch of little holes into it so that the milk mixture can absorb once it’s layered on. I used a cake tester stick and I would suggest using that or a skewer so that the holes are not too large, and then I used a brush to brush the milk mixture onto the cake…

…and watch it absorb into the cake!

Note: You’re supposed to brush the milk mixture onto the cakes until all of the milk is used up — but there is a loooooot of milk, and I kind of got lazy and resorted to pouring small amounts onto the cake instead of using the brush. And even then, I only ended up using just more than half of the milk mixture! Yeesh.

Once the cake has had time to absorb the milk (about 30 minutes or so), you can dollop on a healthy amount of whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon for extra flavour. I absolutely love fresh whipped cream and use more than probably what is socially acceptable…(and more than is shown in these photos!)

The milk kind of oozes out a little bit when you cut into the cake — absolutely wonderful!

Overall, this recipe is quite easy but you must have a lot of patience to keep brushing on the milk. The flavours or so simple, yet decadent, and although they’re rich, these cupcakes don’t leave a heavy feeling in your tummy like the Oreo cheesecake cupcakes!

Tres Leches Cupcakes (from Martha Stewart)

Makes 18 to 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
6 large eggs, seperated into yolks and whites
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 c of white sugar
1/2 c of butter, melted and cooled
1 c of all-purpose flour
3/4 c of evaporated milk
1/2 c of heavy cream
3/4 c of sweetened condensed milk
Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, for garnish (whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup icing sugar and some vanilla until thick)

1) Preheat the oven to 325F
2) Line muffin pans with paper-lined tinfoil cups (they’re with the regular paper cups at the grocery store)
3) Sift flour and set aside
4) With an electric mixer, over medium speed, beat the egg whites, baking soda and salt until soft peaks form
5) Lower the speed of the mixer and add the egg yolks and sugar. Continue mixing until smooth.
6) Add the butter, folding it in using a spatula. Then, mix in the flour in three or four batches — mix by hand, carefully, until the mixture is well blended
7) Pour the batter into the paper-lined muffin pans, filling them about halfway or only a little more than halfway
8 ) Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown

Meanwhile, stir together the three milks with a whisk. After the cupcakes are baked, immediately start poking holes into them with a skewer and brush the milk on the cakes until the milk is all used up. Let sit for 30 minutes and dollop whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Voila! Yumma, yumma.