The History of Tres Leche
"Tres leches" cake or "pastel de tres leches" (Spanish for "three-milk cake") is so named because it is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, topped off with a cloud or film of vanilla whipped cream or meringue. Extremely popular in Latin America, it has also gained popularity beyond the region as well.
Beginnings
The origin of tres leches is debatable. Most historians credit Nicaragua with coming up with the cake. Others are willing to give the credit to Mexico since it had recipes similar to that of tres leches. What virtually all historians surmise, however, is that the recipe originated somewhere in Latin America---as a promotional campaign by a canned-milk manufacturing company to boost its sales. This might have happened towards the end of the nineteenth century or at the beginning of the twentieth century, as canned condensed and evaporated milk first became available in the 1850s to 1870s. Tres leches cake is particularly popular in Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
Main Ingredients
The three essential ingredients for making tres leches are evaporated milk, condensed milk, and either whole milk or heavy cream. They are combined to make a mixture for the cake to be soaked in, giving it its moist texture without making it mushy. Of course, one would also need eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and, yes, more milk to make the cake itself.
Baking Variations
A fourth kind of milk---or in some cases, carjeta, which is a Mexican confection of thickened syrup made of sweetened caramelized milk---can be used to transform tres leches to a "cuatro leches" cake ("four-milk" cake). Other ingredients that can be used include chocolate and various fruit and nuts.
Regional Variations
In some parts of Central America, the cake is soaked in a mixture of water, rum or brandy, and sugar to create a "pastel borracho" ("drunken cake"). In the Caribbean, cream of coconut is occasionally substituted for condensed milk.
Popularity Beyond Latin America
Tres leches cake is now known beyond the Latin American region. For instance, Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bell introduced a tres leches ice cream in 2003. Today, tres leches can be found on restaurant menus, and various recipes for the cake can be found and exchanged online.
Tags: tres leches, leches cake, cake soaked, Tres leches cake, condensed milk, evaporated milk, History Tres
