Tres Leches (Three Milk) Cake

I think that tres leches cake is seriously the best cake in the whole entire world. I recently made a tres leches cake for a neighborhood holiday party and I was shocked at how many people at the party had never heard of or tried this amazing cake.

So, what is tres leches cake? Tres leches means three milk in Spanish for those of you who are linguistically challenged (like me). A tres leches cake is sort of like an angel food cake, but once it is cooled it is pierced all over with a fork and then soaked with three different kinds of milks. But, it isn't soaked with skim milk, 1% milk and 2 % milk like I joked with my neighbor - it is soaked with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, AND heavy whipping cream. Um, yum. Then you let the "milks" absorb into the cake and then after that, the cake is topped with a sweet layer of whipped cream. Who wants some tres leches cake (everyone raises their hands now - unless you are lactose intolerant).

I was introduced to tres leches cake when I was growing up because my mom would make it from time to time (but not often enough). I had never made one before though. While returning from our trip to the British Virgin Islands, we had a layover in Miami. We had dinner at this authentic Cuban restaurant and for dessert we ordered the tres leches cake. Greg had said he had never tried it before, and he fell in love with it. That inspired me to make it for the holiday party - and then since it was pretty much devoured I decided to make it again to serve for dessert with our dinner guests. My friend's 5-year old daughter was saying goodbye to us and she said "thank you again for the yummiest most deliciousest cake in the whole entire world." Adorable. I made the tres leches cake today to have for dessert after dinner tonight at my parents' house - I am also making baked chicken taquitos and corn pudding for my birthday dinner! I think you will also love this cake as much as me and everyone else. Enjoy!

Recipe for Tres Leches (Three Milk) Cake

INGREDIENTS:
For the cake
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 tsp. of salt
5 eggs (they will be separated into yolks and whites)
1 cup of granulated sugar (divided - you will use 3/4 cup with the yolks and then 1/4 cup for the whites)
1/3 cup of 2% milk or whole milk
1 1/4 tsp. of pure vanilla extract

For the three milks

1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 12.5 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

For the whipped cream topping
1 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. of almond extract (optional)

Maraschino cherries, strawberries, or raspberries for topping each piece

DIRECTIONS:
For the cake:
Butter a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with unsalted butter or spray it with cooking oil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into  largish bowl and mix to incorporate.

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two separate medium-sized bowls. Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the egg yolks and mix with an electric hand mixer set on high speed for about 45 - 55 seconds, or until the yolks are pale yellow in color. Add in the milk and the vanilla extract and stir well. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until it is well combined.

Use the electric hand mixer set on high speed to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form (about 35 - 45 seconds). Continue beating the whites on high speed and pour in the 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff (about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes). Add the egg white mixture to the batter and fold in very gently until it is just combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly.

Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until you prick it with a toothpick or fork and it comes out clean.

Place cake pan on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled, pierce the surface of the cake ALL over with a fork, making sure you don't poke all the way through the cake.

For the three milk mixture
Combine the condensed milk, heavy whipping cram, and evaporated milk into a 4-cup liquid measuring cup and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture all over the cake, making sure to get a lot around the edges of the cake too.

Cover the cake and place in the fridge to allow it to absorb the milk mixture. I think it's best to allow it to absorb for at least 2 hours before adding on the whipped topping and serving.

Before serving, make the whipped topping.

For the whipped topping
Before making the whipped topping, place a metal bowl and the attachment for the electric hand mixer into the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes. Then put the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and almond extract into the chilled metal bowl. Use the chilled beater on the electric hand mixer set on high speed and beat until the cream turns thick, about 1 1/2  to 2 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to evenly top the cake. Put cake back into the fridge until ready to serve. Then cut into squares and top each piece with a maraschino cherry, strawberry, or raspberry (or whatever else you desire). Enjoy!

Store cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Makes approximately 16 - 20 servings, depending on how big you make the slices!

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Peanut Butter and Pretzel Truffles

Are you still trying to think of little treats you can give out to friends during this holiday season? The other day I posted a really easy holiday baking idea, and that was the Pretzel Rolo Turtles. These peanut butter and pretzel truffles are also pretty easy to make and they are absolutely divine. If you like the sweet and salty combination or have friends that do, I suggest you make these truffles today (or tomorrow or the next day). I think that they are probably best with a dark chocolate coating, but you can try them with milk chocolate too. I topped the truffles with a little bit of coarse sea salt and coarse sugar, which added a super nice touch. I made a batch last Sunday when my friend came over for some holiday baking, but they went quickly, so I'm making some more today. I'm also making some more of the Pretzel Rolo Turtles and these yummy chocolate pretzel treats (that have a Hershey kiss and M & M). I hope you are enjoying the holidays as much as I am! I am super happy this holiday season because I just finished another two grad courses and I am off work for 12 days! Life can't get much better than that - but it gets even better when there is a peanut butter and pretzel truffle in my hand. Yum!

Recipe for Peanut Butter and Pretzel Truffles (Makes about 50)

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 ounce jar of creamy peanut butter
4 cups of crushed salted pretzels (about 6 - 7 cups of whole pretzels)
4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/4 cups of confectioners (powdered) sugar
12 - 16 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate (I used Baker's brand)
Coarse sea salt and/or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
To crush up the pretzels, place them into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until they are at the size you want. You can make the pretzel pieces chunky or fine, just don't turn them into a powder! Then measure out the crushed pretzels into four cups, if you need more, add more whole pretzels to the food processor and pulse.

Scoop the peanut butter into a large bowl. Add in the pretzels, unsalted butter, and powdered sugar. Use an electric hand mixer set on medium speed to briefly blend the ingredients, then use a large spoon to mix well until ingredients are combined and well incorporated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop up batter and form into 1-inch balls with your hands. Place each ball on the baking sheet. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Break the chocolate into small pieces (start with 12 ounces of chocolate - if you use it all, then you can melt the remaining 4 ounces) and place in the top pan of a double boiler. Prepare the bottom pan of the double boiler with water and set over medium high heat until steam starts to rise. Then place the pan with the chocolate on top and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Turn the heat off. Take the peanut butter pretzel balls out of the freezer. Drop one ball into the chocolate and use a spoon to coat. Place back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the sea salt or sugar. Continue until all balls are coated with the chocolate. Place in the fridge to harden for about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe source: Annie's Eats

Pretzel Rolo Turtles (A pretzel, Rolo & toasted pecan)

Please visit my new website, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the recipe for Pretzel Rolo Turtles!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

There are not many vegetables that I don't like, but one vegetable that I have had an aversion to for most of my life is broccoli. My husband has always tried to get me to eat it because of all the health benefits, but I always refuse. For some reason now that I am pregnant I have been wanting to eat broccoli for the first time in my life. Over the summer, I made a broccoli salad a couple times and loved it. While in BVI, I ate all of the broccoli off of Greg's plate that was served with his Mahi Mahi. At the store the other day while grabbing produce, on an impulse I bought...you guessed it...broccoli! I also bought some brussels sprouts, which is crazy, because I have detested them since I was  child! So, with the broccoli I made this broccoli cheddar soup. Greg likes chunky soup so I left it chunky, but you can use an immersion blender to smooth it out if you want. This soup is pretty delicious and it is super easy to make. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

I also made a delicious dish with those brussels sprouts - recipe to come soon!

Recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS:
For the soup
2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 cup of diced yellow onion
1 cup of thinly sliced carrots (cut on the round) and then cut into halves
3 1/2 cups of small broccoli florets
3 cups of chicken broth OR vegetable broth (to make it vegetarian-friendly)
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
A pinch or two of ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce
4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups of whole or 2% milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
2 cups of medium or sharp cheddar cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:
For the soup
Melt the 2 Tbsp. of butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add in the diced onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add in the carrots and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. Add in the broccoli florets, broth, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low while you make the cheese sauce.

For the cheese sauce
Melt the 4 Tbsp. of butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly until the flour is golden brown in color. Whisk in the milk and cream and cook until it thickens and bubbles (about 5 minutes). Then whisk in the cheddar cheese and stir until it is fully melted. Remove the saucepan and add the cheese sauce into the soup. Stir well. Allow the soup to simmer until it is completely warmed through and the broccoli is tender. Ladle into bowls and top each bowl with a little salt and pepper and a dollop of sour cream (if desired). Serve with a side of french bread.

*I left the soup chunky. If you prefer smoother, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.*

Recipe Adapted from: Annie's Eats

Makes about 6 servings