Tiramisu (which literally translates as ‘pick me up’) is one of Italy’s most famous desserts. Traditional tiramisu recipes include alternate layers of savoiardi lady fingers soaked in coffee and liqueur, and a sweet egg, sugar and mascarpone cream, finished with a dusting of cocoa. More modern recipes lighten the mascarpone layer by adding whipped cream and/or whisked egg whites.

What is tres leches cake?

Tres leches cake is a light sponge cake soaked in a delicious sweet milk mixture (‘tres leches’ literally translates as ‘three milks’). It is popular in Mexico (where it comes from), Latin America and the United States. It is similar to an angel food cake due to the whisked egg whites, but is then soaked in a mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk and dairy milk which gives it a super moist, pudding-like consistency. Often it's finished with a layer of whipped cream and, sometimes, a dusting of cinnamon and fresh strawberries.

What is condensed milk?

Condensed milk is cow's milk which has had about 60% of the water removed and some sugar added (condensed milk and ‘sweetened’ condensed milk are used interchangeably as they are normally all sweetened). It comes in a tin and has a thick texture and sweet flavour.

What can I do with the leftover condensed milk?

I know it can be annoying when you have half a tin of anything left, but condensed milk is so versatile and used in lots of delicious recipes. Personally, I love using it to make condensed milk flapjacks, brigadeiros (like Brazilian chocolate truffles) or a simple no-churn ice cream (one of the most ingenious recipes out). I have found that freezing condensed milk in Tupperware works well - it never freezes completely solid due to the sugar content but it lasts for longer than if it were in the fridge!

Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Inspired by the famous Mexican Tres Leches Cake and the iconic Italian Tiramisu, this Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake really is not to be missed...

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: Serves 6-8
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the sponge:
4 large eggs, separated
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml full-fat milk
170g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

For the coffee soak:
2 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 4 tbsp boiling water, left to cool
200ml condensed milk
30ml double cream
Splash of liqueur, optional (see Ingredients and FAQs)

For the topping:
200ml double cream
30g icing sugar, sieved
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
Cocoa powder, to dust

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Grease and line a 23cm (9-inch) square tin with non-stick baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk for about 3-4 minutes or until you have soft peaks. Gradually add half (75g) of the sugar a spoonful at a time, whilst continuing to whisk. This should take about 2 minutes. Once all the sugar has been added and the meringue has formed stiff peaks, set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining 75g of the sugar and vanilla extract for about 2-3 minutes until pale and thickened. Add the milk and whisk for about 30 seconds to combine.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Slowly and gently fold in the meringue a little at a time - you need the mix to keep in as much air as possible.
Pour into the lined tin and tap gently on the work surface a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for about 35 minutes - or until the sponge is lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the coffee soak: whisk together the coffee, condensed milk, cream and liqueur, if using. Set aside.
Use a skewer to make lots of holes across the surface of the still-slightly-warm sponge. Pour over half of the coffee soak. Wait for it to be absorbed before pouring over the remaining mixture. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - ideally overnight.
When ready to serve, prepare the topping: whisk the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft peaks. Fold in the mascarpone.
Remove the cake from the tin and set onto a flat plate.
Using a palette knife or the back of a spoon, spread on top of the chilled cake. Dust liberally with cocoa powder.
Serve straight away or chill until ready to serve.

Notes

If you want to make this recipe alcohol-free, simply omit the liqueur. It will still taste absolutely delicious.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/tiramisu-tres-leches/