Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Tres Leches Cake
Perfectly soaked tres leches cake, flavoured with gingerbread spices and topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients
For the egg white mixture:
- 4 large egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
For the egg yolk mixture:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tablespoon (200 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, *see Note 1 below
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, full-fat recommended
For the milk mixture:
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) evaporated milk, full-fat
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) sweetened condensed milk
For the whipped cream:
- 2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) whipping cream, 35% b.f.
Instructions
- This cake can be baked in an 8-inch springform pan with at least 3" high sides or in a 9-inch springform pan. Lightly grease the pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Tip! I find that eggs separate best when they are cold, but egg whites whip up better when they are at room temperature. If you have the time, allow the egg whites to sit for 20-30 minutes before whipping.
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Start by separating the eggs. Place the yolks into a large bowl and set aside. Place the egg whites into a perfectly clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a medium bowl and an electric mixer). Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Ensure that there is absolutely no yolk in the egg whites or they won't whip up well.
- Tip! To test if the egg whites are whipped enough, stop the mixer and see if the whites hold soft peaks in the bowl. If the top is flat, keep whisking. You can see what they should look like when done in the step-by-step photos above this Recipe Card.
- Turn the mixer on to speed 4 (on a Kitchenaid mixer) and whisk the egg whites for about 3 minutes until they are very foamy (like a bubble bath!). With the mixer running at speed 4, begin adding the brown sugar a spoonful at a time, until all the brown sugar is added. Increase the mixer to speed 5 for about a minute or so, then notch it up to speed 6 for minute. Notch the mixer up again one notch and continue whisking the egg whites until they are thick and glossy, about 3-4 minutes more. The egg whites should hold soft peaks in the bowl when you stop the mixer. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside for now.
- Tip! When it comes to adding some of the egg whites to loosen the batter, use a BIG spoonful (such as a serving spoon from your utensil drawer, not a soup spoon). You'll want to add around a cup-ish. The first additional of egg whites should be stirred in and not folded in. You want the batter to be loose enough to easily fold together with the remaining egg whites.
- To the bowl with the egg yolks, add the 1/4 cup of brown sugar and the vanilla. Use a hand whisk to whisk them together until lightened in colour and foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon and milk and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the mixture together. It will be quite stiff. Add a big spoonful of the egg whites to the batter (see tip above!) and stir it in to loosen the batter (no need to fold this addition in). Add the remaining egg whites to the bowl and now use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the batter until well combined. Don't over-mix or you will remove too much air from the egg whites. The batter won't be completely smooth, but should be evenly mixed.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and level the top.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes for a 9-inch springform pan or about 40 minutes for an 8-inch pan. Watch closely near the end of baking and test with a cake tester when it looks close to done. The tester should come out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cake, then remove the outer ring. Carefully run a knife under and around the cake to loosen it from the parchment paper, then carefully invert the cake onto a rimmed cake plate. You'll need a rim on the cake plate to catch the liquid running off the cake when you add the milk mixture. Allow the cake to cool for another 10 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the milk mixture by stirring together the evaporated milk and the sweetened condensed milk in a large measuring cup. **Don't forget to set aside 2 Tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk to mix with the whipped cream later. I like to spoon it into a plastic bag and pop it into the fridge.
- Using a wooden skewer poke lots of holes in the top of the cake, poking right through the cake. Pour some of the milk mixture over the top of the cake and let stand until it is absorbed. Don't let the milk mixture pool in the centre of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to spread it towards the outside as it soaks in. Add more of the milk mixture and leave until that is absorbed. Repeat until all of the milk mixture has been absorbed. This could take an hour. Once all the milk has been absorbed, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, add the whipping cream to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with an electric mixer). Whip on high speed, adding the 2 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk as it beats. Whip the cream until fairly stiff so it holds its shape on top of the cake.
- Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and spread to cover. Garnish with a dusting of ground ginger if you like.
- Serve cold. Store the cake in the refrigerator where it will keep for 2-3 days.
Notes
Note 1: The base spicing is present, but not forward. If you'd like it a bit more spice-forward, round the spoons slightly when measuring.
I highly recommend reading the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe. You'll find ingredient notes, more tips and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 136mg, Potassium: 397mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 390IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 274mg, Iron: 2mg
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