cake: cajeta tres leches

I have a bit of a funny story about this cake.

My mom’s absolute favorite cake of all time is Tres Leches, and I’ve been making them for her for years. For this past Mother’s Day, I figured I would try and change up the usual tres leches and add a little more love into the process.

I tried to think of flavors I knew my mom would like, and it was a little tough at first. Tres leches has such a pure flavor that if you add in the wrong ingredient, it could go downhill pretty quickly. I do my best to be mindful and intentional when I am adding in an ingredient a dessert typically doesn’t call for, because it’s almost like inviting a guest into your house. You want that guest to be respectful, and to blend with the vibe of the gathering. Or maybe you want the guest to be the life of the party, while still playing well with the others.

I eventually settled on goat milk caramel (known as cajeta) for my mom’s cake BECAUSE I specifically remember her telling me she liked cajeta. This ingredient is also pretty common for tres leches cakes, so I ended up not branching out too crazy like I had anticipated.

Anyway, when I presented the cajeta tres leches to her on the morning of Mother’s Day, I mentioned how I recalled her love for cajeta and based the flavor of the cake around it. She then let me know she doesn’t, in fact, love cajeta…lol.

But she admired and enjoyed the cake regardless, and so did I. This cake was an honest and delicious mistake, and I am so happy my lack of memory led me to it.

PREPARING THE CAJETA

My go-to recipe for Cajeta can be found at Serious Eats. This recipe is very easy to follow, and comes together in a little under an hour. I recommend cooking the cajeta until it’s dark amber and quite thick, with a consistency almost like honey, but please refer to the recipe for details on cooking the caramel down to your desired consistency.

Can I sub cajeta with dulce de leche?

The short answer is yes, yes you can. Absolutely. The cake will end up on the sweeter side, since dulce de leche is made with cow’s milk and lacks the tanginess that goat milk provides. If you’re making the dulce de leche from scratch (or using the goodness from the can), punch up the salt a bit. Lean more towards a salted dulce de leche to counteract the sweetness.

PS I can guarantee you right now, the BEST tres leches cake you’ll ever make is one made using a kitchen scale!!!

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CAJETA TRES LECHES RECIPE

Makes: 1 8 or 9” Cake | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Chill Time: 6 hours

INGREDIENTS

Sponge Cake

• 135 grams all purpose flour (1 cup; spooned and leveled)

• ½ tsp. baking powder

• 150 grams cane sugar (¾ cup)

• 5 eggs, large - about 250 grams

• 30 ml whole milk (about 2 tablespoons)

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Cajeta Milk Soak

• 250 ml cajeta (a little more than 8 ounces)

• 355 ml evaporated milk or coconut milk (14 ounces)

• 240 ml whole milk (8 ounces)

Chantilly Cream

• 335 ml heavy cream (12 ounces)

• 226 grams cold mascarpone cheese (optional but why skip???; also, 8 ounces)

• 45 grams confectioners’ sugar (about 4 tablespoons)

• pure vanilla extract

Garnish

• Cajeta (I typically reserve 150 ml, about 5 ounces)

• Cinnamon (optional)

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INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Sponge

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8 or 9” baking pan with parchment, but do not grease the pan.

2. To a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

3. Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if mixing by electric hand mixer.

4. Whip the eggs on high speed using a whisk attachment until the mixture becomes pale, fluffy and ribbons gently off the whisk. This process should take about 7-10 minutes.

5. Add in the milk and mix on low until just incorporated, about 15 seconds.

6. Detach the stand mixer bowl and add half the flour into the whipped eggs.

7. Using a whisk, fold in the flour gently until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour, continuously folding until no traces of flour remain.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared 8 or 9” cake pan. Tap the pan gently on a countertop surface, and run a palette knife through the batter to relieve any lingering air bubbles.

9. Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake is ready when it’s golden brown, and bounces back when pressed slightly.

10. As you remove the cake, immediately (and safely) invert it onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely.

Prepare the Milk Soak

1. To a bowl or pitcher, combine the cajeta, evaporated milk (or coconut milk) and whole milk.

2. Whisk together well until fully combined, ensuring all the cajeta has been thoroughly mixed in.

3. If your cajeta is on the firmer side, heat it up for about 15 seconds until it’s a runnier and more viscous consistency.

4. Set the milk mixture aside while preparing the cake for soaking.

Soak the Cake

1. To remove the cake from the pan, run a butter knife gently along the perimeter of the pan to detach the sponge cake from the sides (you may have to go around twice to loosen it up).

2. Invert the cake gently onto a clean surface. Remove the parchment paper.

3. Clean and dry the cake pan.

4. Wrap the sponge cake in plastic wrap (optional). Place the cake back into the clean cake pan, seam-side up. Open the plastic wrap seams to expose the cake and poke the entire surface of the sponge with a fork.

   1. If you plan to serve the cake from the baking pan, skip the plastic wrap step and proceed with the forking (heheh).

5. Using a ladle, pour the milk mixture over the poked cake. Pour all around the edges of the cake as well to ensure it’s all evenly soaked. You don’t have to use a ladle, I just think it provides a little extra control so you can soak into those sneaky corners.

1. Wrap the top of the cake in plastic wrap, covering it securely, and place it in the fridge to soak for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Prepare the Chantilly Cream

1. To a large and cold bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cold mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract.

2. Mix the ingredients together on high speed until soft, whipped peaks have formed.

3. Give the cream a taste test, and add salt or more vanilla extract as needed.

Assemble the Cake

1. Open the plastic wrap seams and invert the cake from the cake pan onto a serving dish. Remove the plastic wrap.

2. Frost the cake liberally with the chantilly cream, covering the top and sides. You will have enough frosting remaining for piping.

3. I like to dollop little swirls onto the cake, and then use the back of a small spoon to create small pockets in the swirls for the cajeta to sit in.

4. Warm the cajeta if needed, and spoon it gently into the little crevices of frosting if you’d like - this is your cake! Do what you please. :)

Dust the cake with cinnamon (optional) and enjoy! The cake is best served the day you assemble it, however the cake will keep covered in the fridge for 3 days.

Thanks for reading, and thank you so much for your support! It makes this home baker smile lots. :)

Channey <3