Mango Tres Leches Cake is tangy, fruity, rich and decadent. All the feels, all the tradition, but with a new twist of tropical fruit included.
Traditional with a twist
You may have guessed that I love traditional dishes. I love the old stories, the legendary recipes, the strong memories from childhood. But every now and then, you gotta spice things up a bit with innovation. That is why I love this dessert.
Mango Tres Leches Cake requires a basic sponge cake. Why? Well, to soak up all of the beautiful creamy milk that you will pour on top. Make sense, right? Sponge cakes have a tendency to dry out quickly. But they were made to absorb, so you gotta make one fresh for this recipe. Sorry, no store-bought short cuts.
Sponge cake is perfect for Mango Tres Leches
Some people use regular box cake mixes for Tres Leches cakes, but I don’t recommend it. You want a cake, not a soup. Because of the egg whites whipped into the cake batter, the texture of sponge cake is more resilient for soaking.
I also recommend making stabilized whipped cream which is very easy. A little gelatin helps the whipped cream hold its shape so you can pipe it on top. Fresh, natural whipped cream can get a little runny. I really loved the texture of this whipped cream paired with the rich creaminess of the tres leches milks.
I also like saving a little bit of the blended milks to pour over the top of each serving of cake. I never can ladle up all that I want from the shallow cake plate. Just pour over the amount of milk that you think your cake can absorb then pass the rest at the table so everyone can serve themselves.
Of course, you can switch fruits if you like. Strawberries or pineapple, even bananas would be good on top of this cake. Or mix the fruits is you like. Heck, you mixed three different types of milk, so mixed fruit is totally appropriate.
PrintMango Tres Leches Cake is a delectable and rich
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cake:
2 ¼ cups cake flour, sifted (288g)
1 ½ cups sugar (300g)
1 tbsp. baking powder (12g)
1 tsp. salt (4g)
½ cup vegetable oil (120ml)
5 egg yolks
¾ cup water (180ml)
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest (6g)
8 egg whites
½ tsp. cream of tartar (2g)
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (3.5g)
1 tbsp. cold water (15ml)
1 cup heavy cream (240ml)
¼ cup powdered sugar (32g)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (5ml)
Milk:
14oz can condensed milk (414ml)
5oz can evaporated milk (150ml)
5oz heavy cream (150ml)
Topping:
2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and sliced (about 2lbs/1kg)
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
To make the cake:
Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ (23cm x 33cm) with parchment paper and grease the interior sides. Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and make a large well in the center of the mixture. Pour in the vegetable oil, egg yolks, water and lemon zest. Beat the mixture together using an electric hand mixer until the batter is very smooth, about 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar. Using clean, dry mixer blades, beat the egg whites until stiff, about 4 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake flour batter. Pour the combined batters into the prepared baking pan. Place the pan in the heated oven and bake for 1 hour. (I recommend making the cake one day in advance of serving.)
To make the stabilized whipped cream:
Chill the mixing bowl for your electric mixer in the freezer in advance for best results.
Stir together the gelatin and water in a microwaveable glass measuring cup or small glass bowl. Allow the gelatin to dissolve for 5 minutes at room temperature. Place the mixture in the microwave for 5-7 seconds until it liquifies. Set aside. This mixture should not be hot.
Remove the mixer bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy cream and whip in your electric mixer until thickened. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
Pour in the liquid gelatin in a thin stream (if the gelatin has thickened again, heat again for a few seconds in the microwave, just until liquid) and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The stabilized whipped cream is now ready for use. This can be prepared in a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator covered.
To make the milk:
Combine the condensed milk with the evaporated milk and heavy cream. Beat lightly to combine well.
Assemble the cake by placing it on a cake plate that has depth to hold the soaking milk. Pour the milk over the cake. Pipe over the stabilized whipped cream and garnish with berries and mint leaves. Serve immediately.
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