Easy Puerto Rican Coquito Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Love Tres Leches cake and want to give it a twist? Neve rtried it? Either way, this easy Puerto Rican Coquito Tres Leches Cake recipe has a beautiful flavor that will simply melt in your mouth.
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer or hand mixer
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 9x13 inch baking pan
- 1 Wire rack for cooling
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup multipurpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/8 cup light Puerto Rican rum optional
Milk Syrup
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Coconut whipped cream
- 16 oz store-bought whipped topping OR
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp light puerto rican rum optional
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes or fruit of preference optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites into two different large mixing bowls.
- In a large bowl, whip the whites for a minute or two, until soft peaks form. Then add 1/3 cup of sugar and continue mixing at high speed until it has stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whip the yolks and 2/3 cup of sugar until it looks pale yellow. Add vanilla extract, whole milk, and rum (if using)then mix for another minute.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into the egg yolk mixture and fold the dry ingredients with a spatula until well blended. Do not overmix(mix too long) but ensure there are no lumps.
- Carefully add egg yolk mixture to the whites and fold them (instead of mixing) to preserve the fluff you already achieved. That will create a perfectly sponge-y texture in your cake!
- Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by greasing it lightly.
- Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish and place it in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick or skewer.
- Once the sponge cake is done, allow it to cool for about an hour on a wire rack.
- When the cake is almost cooled, make the milk mixture to soak your cake in. Mix evaporated milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, ground cinnamon, and rum (if using). Set aside.
- Poke holes on the cake with a fork or toothpicks and pour mixture over cooled cake.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for about 4-6 hours (or overnight) so the cake absorbs the moisture and flavor.
- When you are almost ready to serve, make the whipped topping. With a mixer, blend the heavy cream, coconut cream and cinnamon until peaks form. If you are using store-bought topping, you can simply add cinnamon or use as-is.
- Toast the coconut flakes in a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Flip them constantly so they do not burn. Once they turn golden brown, remove them from the heat. Otherwise, you can slice the fruit you chose to top your cake with.
- Spread the whipped topping across the top of the cake, then sprinkle coconut flakes or place fruit on top of it.
- Cut in squares and serve.
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Notes
If you would rather make a non-coconut version, replace the coconut milk with heavy cream. You can also omit the ground cinnamon from the mixture and topping. Use 1 ½ cup of heavy cream and add a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar instead of coconut cream.
The last topping layer is completely optional. I like to use toasted coconut to add a slight crunch. However, feel free to use whatever fruits you like. You can slice some berries, use cherries, or simply stick to the whipped topping.
Tres Leches cake lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Its components do not necessarily go bad right after but the whipped topping sinks and runs, and it is not as enjoyable to eat at that point.