Tres Leches with Italian Meringue

Ingredients

• 450 g eggs (For the sponge cake)
• 270 g sugar (For the sponge cake)
• 270 g flour (Sift with the baking powder and salt)
• 8 g baking powder (Sift with the flour and salt)
• salt (A pinch)
• 4 egg whites (Approximately 95–100 g; for the Italian meringue)
• 240 g sugar (For the Italian meringue syrup)
• 70 g water (For the Italian meringue syrup)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare a 35 × 23 cm baking mold by greasing and lining it as appropriate. Preheat a 3D convection oven to 170°C (340°F).

2. 2

   Place the 450 g of eggs in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until they are pale and have tripled in volume.

3. 3

   With the mixer running, gradually add the 270 g of sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture remains light and aerated.

4. 4

   Sift the flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt together so the dry ingredients are evenly distributed and free of lumps.

5. 5

   Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Gently fold them in by hand, working carefully to avoid deflating the batter.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into the prepared 35 × 23 cm mold and spread it evenly.

7. 7

   Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. 8

   For the Italian meringue, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and begin whipping until they form soft peaks.

9. 9

   While the egg whites are whipping, combine the 240 g sugar and 70 g water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the syrup reaches 117°C (243°F), checking with a candy thermometer.

10. 10

    With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot syrup into the softly whipped egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Pour carefully to prevent splashing.

11. 11

    Continue beating until the meringue is glossy and has cooled to room temperature.

12. 12

    Once the cake has cooled sufficiently, finish it with the Italian meringue. The source does not provide instructions for soaking the sponge with a three-milk mixture.

Notes

The source calls this tres leches but lists no evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, or other soaking mixture. Do not consider the recipe complete as a traditional tres leches cake without that component. The cake yields one 35 × 23 cm mold.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• Latin American
• baked
• meringue
• family-style
• vegetarian