Tres Leches Cake From Peru

Preheat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F. Flour and butter a glass baking tray ( refractory glass pan), preferably square or rectangular.

In the bowl of the electric mixer, place the egg yolks, milk, and teaspoon of vanilla essence. Beat at high speed for a couple of minutes. Then gradually add the sugar. Lastly, add the sifted flour with the baking powder.

In a different bowl, place the whites of the eggs and beat at max speed until they are almost snowy.

Add the egg whites until the cake mixture stiffens. Mix with an whisk. Try not to go more than 8 turns with the whisk. The idea is that this cake is very fluffy so that it can absorb milk.

Take the cake to the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. When the top of the cake is golden brown, try inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out dry, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.

When the cake is cold, don’t remove it. Put holes in the entire surface of the cake with a (hard) straw or stick.

Place the evaporated milk, cream, and condensed milk in the blender. Mix for a few minutes until the content is homogeneous.

Pour the contents of the milk blend onto the cake making sure the mixture covers it completely. Don't worry, the sponge cake will absorb the liquid.

Let the cake stand in the fridge for about 6 to 8 hours.

For this dessert, prepare the amount of meringue that suits your taste. The calculation is simple: Weigh the egg whites first. The amount of sugar should be double that of the whites. Cover the sugar minimally with water once it is placed in the pot.

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs until stiff.

Before the syrup starts to form in balls on a fork (see below), add it very gently, like a thread to the egg. Do not stop beating until all the syrup is integrated.

Remove the tres leches cake from the fridge. Place the meringue in a pastry bag and decorate the cake with “spikes”.

Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top.