claudia sandoval's legendary tres leches birthday cake

8/16/2019 Claudia Sandoval's Legendary Tres Leches Birthday Cake

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Foreword by Graham Elliot

claudia’s

cocina A TA STEOF M E XICO W IN N E R O F

S E A S O N 6

O N F O X

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“Queremos pastel, pastel, pastel! (We want cake, cake, cake!)” I grew up hearing this chant, which was always followed by the

typical Mexican birthday song “Las Mañanitas” and a pretty awesomehomemade cake.

Although this cake was a family tradition when I was growing up, itwas not my favorite treat. I felt that the bakers got a bit overzealouswith the milk soak, to the point that the bread became a dripping,goopy, unappetizing mess.

I was absolutely thrilled when I had the opportunity to make thiscake for the judges during the celebration of the 100th episode ofMasterChef ! This was my chance to make this traditional cake as I’dalways imagined it—and, of course, to make it MasterChef -worthy!I set out to create a pastel tres leches recipe that was rened but stillpacked the punch of the amazing avors I grew up with. When youeat it, I hope you’ll do the chant and think of me!

PASTEL TRES LECHES

makes 1 (8-inch/20-cm) three-layer cake

F O R T H E C A K E :

4½ cups (585 g) cake our,plus more for the pans

3½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt (seeNotes)

1½ cups (3 sticks/340 g)unsalted butter, softened

{ Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

MAKE THE CAKE:

{ Butter and line three 8 x 2-inch (20 x 5-cm) round cake pans with

parchment paper and dust them with cake our, tapping out the

excess. In a large bowl, sift together the our, baking powder, and salt.

{ In another large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, gran-

ulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed. Using a rubberspatula, scrape the inside edges of the bowl and continue to beat with

the mixer until the mixture is light and uffy, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce

the mixer speed to low and mix in the eggs one at a time until well

incorporated, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the oil and mix until well

(recipe continues on page 184)(ingredients continue onpage 184)

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tres leches birthday cake (page 181)


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2¾ cups (550 g) granulatedsugar

¼ cup (55 g) packed lightbrown sugar

6 large eggs

⅔ cup (165 ml) grapeseed oil

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

F O R T H E F R O S T I N G :

8 ounces (225 g) creamcheese, softened

1½ cups (3 sticks/340 g)unsalted butter, softened

2 pounds (910 g)confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

F O R T H E T R E S L E C H E S

SOAK:

1 cup (240 ml) sweetenedcondensed milk

¾ cup (180 ml) evaporatedmilk

¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk

F O R T H E F I L L I N G :

2 ripe bananas, sliced ¼ inch(6 mm) thick1 pound (455 g) freshstrawberries, hulled and sliced¼ inch (6 mm) thick (seeNotes)

blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the

milk (add the vanilla with the rst milk addition), starting and ending

with the dry ingredients, mixing only until the ingredients are incor-

porated before adding the next addition and scraping down the bowl

between additions as needed. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat

the batter for 4 minutes, or until it is uffy and well aerated.

{ Divide the batter among the three pans and level the batter smooth

using a small, offset metal spatula. Remove any extra air bubbles

by tapping the baking pans hard on a countertop three or four times.

Bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans and the

centers are soft but rm to touch, about 35 minutes. Set the cakes on

a wire rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Run a small, offset

metal spatula or knife around the inside edges of the pans and invert

the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely; peel off the parchment.

When cooled, cut the dome off of each cake so you have three even

cake layers.

MAKE THE FROSTING:

{ In a large bowl with a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter

at medium speed until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and

incorporate the confectioners’ sugar in ½-cup (65-g) increments. Turn

the mixer off and add the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat

for 1 minute, or until combined, then increase the mixer speed to

medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and uffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

MAKE THE TRES LECHES SOAK:

{ In a medium bowl, whisk all three milks together and refrigerateuntil ready to use.

BUILD THE CAKE:

{ Place the rst layer of cake onto a cake stand cut-side up. Pierce it

evenly across the top with the tines of a fork, making plenty of room

for the milk soak to penetrate. Using a pastry brush, apply one-third of

the milk soak, making sure the cake absorbs it all. The cake should be

moist but not dripping with liquid.

{Spread one-third of the frosting on top of the rst cake layer. Using

half of the strawberry and banana slices, arrange a single layer of

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alternating slices, setting the fruit close together. Add the second

cake layer, pierce it, and brush another third of the milk soak over it.

Top with another third of the cream cheese frosting and the remain-

ing strawberry and banana slices. Add the nal cake layer cut-side

down, pierce it, and brush it with the remaining milk soak. Add a very

thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake with some of

the remaining frosting (this is called a crumb coat; it traps any loose

crumbs from the top of the cake and allows the nal frosting to go onsmoothly and cleanly without picking up any crumbs). Refrigerate the

cake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, then use the remaining frosting

to frost and decorate the top and sides of the cake.

notes This recipe calls for a higher amount of salt than most cake recipes; Idid this to balance out the sweet milk soak and frosting.

If your strawberries are too tart or not avorful enough, sprinkle themwith 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and set them aside to macerate forup to 5 minutes before arranging them on the cake.

You can decorate your cake any way you l ike. When I was on the show, Iadded two drops of yellow food coloring to half of the decorating frost-ing to create a different color pattern on the cake and to write Feliz 100 (Happy 100). Adding edible owers is another way to make your tresleches cake a memorable one.

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claudia sandoval's legendary tres leches birthday cake

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