Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Milky Way

Ingrid and I have baked up some more cupcakes together from Martha's Cupcakes! This time it was her choice and she chose Tres Leches Cupcakes-- a sponge [cup]cake baked into foil liners (that's important!) that is doused in a sweet mixture of three milks, then topped with sweetened whipped cream with a dusting of cinnamon.

I made these to take to my mother's house for dinner. No surprise there as she loves tres leches cake! I really liked the milk mixture- a combination of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. I also subbed a little flavored creamer for the heavy cream for a subtle flavor. It was really quite tasty.

The hardest part was waiting for the cake to absorb the milk mixture. It took about an hour to get all the milk absorbed into the cake. You have to brush the cake with the milk mixture until it's all gone. It's a little sticky and messy but nothing that's not easily cleaned up. Once I was done with the cupcakes, I placed them on paper plates lined with waxed paper to keep them from sticking.

I was surprised by how sturdy the cupcakes actually were. I thought for sure they'd get soggy and fall apart after a day, but they didn't. In the cookbook, it says that these should be eaten within a day of making them, but we ate ours for 3 days. They were just as good on day 3 as they were on the first day and not at all soggy.

Tres Leches Cupcakes from Martha's Cupcakes

For the cake:

  • 6 large eggs. separated, room temp.
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

For the milk mixture:

  • 1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

For the whipped cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream, very cold
  • 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ground cinnamon, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper lined foil liners.

In the electric or stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the baking soda and salt, until you get soft peaks. Turn mixture on low but keep beating and add the egg yolks, one by one, then add the sugar. Beat til completely combined.

Turn off the mixer and add fold in melted butter, with a spatula until incorporated. Add the flour in four additions, folding carefully just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each halfway. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through until golden brown. immediately poke the cakes with a skewer, making several holes.

In a bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, the evaporated milk and the cream until well blended. With the cupcakes still in their tins, brush milk mixture over the cupcakes, repeating until all the liquid has been used. Allow cupcakes to fully absorb mixture. Once cool top with sweetened whipped cream.

Make the whipped cream: Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whisk until combined.

Distribute dollops of the cream on the tops of the cupcakes and sprinkle cinnamon to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Make about 20 cupcakes.

Head on over to 3 B's to see Ingrid's cupcakes!

36 comments:

  1. Oh yum! I've always wanted to try tres leches cake!

    I'll have to test out this recipe for sure :)

    Great pictures by the way!

    Ashley

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  2. oh pretty! I love the milk combo with flavored milk such a great idea.

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  3. Your photos make me drool!!! Especially the last one with the bite taken out of the cupcake. I wish I had been the one to take that bite. :o)
    elle

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  4. Oh they sound wonderful and quite indulgant!

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  5. Looks Delicious. These cupcakes are gorgeous.....

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  6. These look really good and very smart to think to put in flavored creamers...I bet it did taste yummy!

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  7. Ok, you convinced me! I have to try these!

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  8. Yum, YOURS look delish and sound like the cupcakes/cake I was hoping for when I picked these.

    Lovely photos Miss Monica! Btw, what kind of camera do you use to get such stellar photos? LOL!
    ~ingrid

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  9. I was going to say I ownder about the sogginess, but so glad they didn't. They sound like a toothache for sure, so sweet and creamy.

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  10. Oh my these look heavenly! Beautiful pictures

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  11. these look wonderful! did you bake them in both a traditional white liner and a foil liner?

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  12. I love the idea of Tres Leches Cake as cupcakes. What yummy little bites!

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  13. Tres Leches Cake is my absolute favorite kind of cake. I am definitely trying these out! (Why do I still not have Martha's cupcake book??? Sigh...)

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  14. Beautiful, I love that the topping is whip cream not frosting yum :)

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  15. Your cupcakes look so tasty. I glad to know that they weren't soggy.
    Mimi

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  16. One of my very favorite cakes! I've never had it though in cupcake form and that is really a great idea! They look beautiful Monica!

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  17. You have far more patience than I do, as a baker. That's why you're so good at it! Great choice from Ingrid. The first time I tried Tres Leches cake, I liked it. Monica, you make anything look delicious. These would have disappeared in one day in our home, for sure!

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  18. Wow what an idea! I would love to try it, I love everything with condensed milk! :)

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  19. Dawn- They were not too sweet at all. Definitely less sweet than a traditional frosted cupcake.

    Garner- I used the foil liners from Reynolds. They come with a white liner already in them. You need this so the paper liner doesn't get soggy and soak through. The rigidity of the foil keeps it sturdy and leak proof.

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  20. Look and sound wonderful. The extra cinnamon always send it over the top for me. So pretty.

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  21. I've always wanted to make a tres leches cake and these looks delicious!! I'd love to gobble one up :D

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  22. I love tres leches!!! It's about birthday season around here, too...so plans are already in motion for a big version :D Delish!

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  23. My husband put me on the tres leches a few years ago. I've never made it as cupcakes. I know these would go over so well at a party! Your blog is impressive!

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  24. Fabulous cupcakes!! Love them!

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  25. Those are beautiful...I love the cinnamon on top!

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  26. Gorgeous, sister!

    Question.. do ya like these better than your moms tres leche cake?? Im still aiming to try one.

    Award for ya on my blog:)

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  27. Popped in from Ingrid's to check out the cupcakes! I'm a fellow Texan baker! :)

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  28. These look absolutely fabulous and like they should be in a bakery window!

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  29. The cupcake looks so light and airy and delicious.

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  30. these totally look like they're worth the messy-ness!!
    -Mini Baker

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  31. Spectacular! I like your idea of adding the creamer. So brushing on the milk is the secret, eh? I'll have to remember that. These are beautiful and tasty!

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  32. I think I've put on 10 pounds just looking at your fabulous blog of goodies. The tres leches cupcakes look so delicious. I want to try these. Thanks for sharing. ~ Sarah

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  33. What did you use to top the cupcakes with. I like the swirl design

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Thank you for your supportive comments. I appreciate each and every one of them!