The Best Trileçe (Turkish Milk Cake)
This Turkish Caramel Tres Leches is a showstopper of a dessert! A light cake is soaked in a three milk mixture then topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce, it's divine!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 5 large eggs (yolk and whites separated)
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups sugar ((268 g) divided)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk (79 ml)
- 1 2/3 cups flour (240 g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar (200 g)
- 1/3 cup butter (80 g)
- 120 ml whipping/heavy cream
- 3/4 cup whole milk (177 ml)
- 300 ml sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 354 ml evaporated milk (1 can)
- 400 ml whipping/heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Start by preheating the oven to 350F.
- 2
Using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium to high speed in a clean large bowl, until it starts to foam up. Add in the lemon juice and continue beating. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat for an additional 2 minutes until medium peaks are formed.
- 3
In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and the remaining 1 cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the milk and mix to combine.
- 4
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg yolk mixture and with a whisk, lightly whisk until no more flour clumps can be seen, being careful not to over mix as this build up the gluten in the flour and creates a tough cake.
- 5
Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and mix to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the egg whites and fold with a spatula until the batter is fully combined and no white streaks can be seen.
- 6
Pour the cake batter into a 9 by 13 inch ungreased glass pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- 7
In a small saucepan, add the sugar and melt over medium to medium high heat for a maximum of 5 minutes. As the sugar starts to melt, take a spatula or wooden spoon and push the sugar from the middle to the outer edges, bringing the melted outer edges in. This helps to allow the sugar to melt evenly. The sugar will melt and turn golden.
- 8
Take the pan off the heat and add the butter, whisking continuously to combine. Bring the pan back on the heat and add the whipping cream. Be careful as the mixture may splatter. It will look like the caramel is seizing and separating but continue mixing and it will come back together. Boil for 1 minute then set aside in a glass jar to cool to room temperature.
- 9
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, mix together the milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
- 10
After the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, poke the cake with a fork all over the surface to create tiny holes for the soaking mixture to soak into.
- 11
Pour over the milk mixture. It may seem like a lot but it will continue to soak into the cake as it rests. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or until serving.
- 12
Before serving the cake, whip the whipping cream with the sugar in a large bowl to form soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the cake and level with a spatula to form a flat surface.
- 13
Slowly and carefully drizzle the cooled caramel sauce over the cream layer and spread or swirl with a toothpick. Serve immediately.