Tres Leches Con Pina Recipe
A delicious cake sweetened with 3 milks and topped with roasted pineapple. This is one you can't pass up!
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Ingredients
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Sponge Cake
Tres Leches Mixture
Roasted Pineapple Topping
Whipped Topping
Finishing & Optional Garnish
Method
Sponge Cake
- 1
Prepare oven and pan
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan lightly and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- 2
Dry ingredients
In a medium bowl whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
- 3
Beat eggs and sugar
In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer fitted with whisk) beat 5 room-temperature eggs on medium-high speed until light, thick, and tripled in volume, about 6–8 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar and continue beating until glossy and the ribbon stage is reached, about 2–3 more minutes. Beat in 1 tbsp vanilla extract.
- 4
- 5
Bake
Pour batter into prepared 9x13 pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake—the cake should be slightly springy.
- 6
Cool and poke
Remove the cake from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. While still warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon or a skewer to poke evenly spaced holes all over the cake (about 1/2–1 inch apart) so the milk mixture can absorb.
Roasted Pineapple Topping
- 7
Preheat broiler or oven
While cake bakes, position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat broiler to high (or set oven to 425°F / 220°C for roasting). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil or use nonstick spray.
- 8
Prepare pineapple
Toss 3 cups fresh pineapple slices with 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tbsp lime juice until evenly coated. Spread pineapple in a single layer on the prepared sheet.
- 9
Roast or broil pineapple
Roast in the oven at 425°F for 12–15 minutes, flipping once, until golden and caramelized at the edges. If using broiler, broil 6–8 minutes, carefully watching and flipping once, until caramelized. Remove from oven and reserve any pan juices; allow to cool slightly. Measure out about 1/4 cup of the pan juices (or use canned pineapple juice) to incorporate into the tres leches mixture.
Tres Leches Mixture
- 10
Combine milks
In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup whole milk (or half-and-half), and 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from roasting or canned) until smooth and homogenous.
- 11
Pour over cake
With the cake still in the pan and holes poked, slowly pour the tres leches mixture evenly over the warm cake. Start with half the mixture, allow it to absorb for 5 minutes, then pour the remaining liquid. Use a spatula to gently spread so liquid covers the surface. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the cake to soak thoroughly and become moist and dense.
Whipped Topping
- 12
Chill equipment
About 20 minutes before finishing, chill a mixing bowl and whisk or beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the cream whip better.
- 13
Whip cream
Beat 1.5 cups cold heavy cream with 3 tbsp powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Taste and add up to 1 additional tablespoon powdered sugar if you prefer sweeter topping. Beat to stiff peaks if you want a firmer piped finish, but stop before it becomes grainy.
- 14
Top the cake
When the cake has soaked and is fully chilled, remove plastic wrap. Spread whipped cream evenly over the top of the soaked cake using an offset spatula or pipe with a star tip for a decorative finish.
Assembly & Garnish
- 15
Arrange pineapple
Arrange the roasted pineapple slices over the whipped topping. If any pineapple pieces are large, chop into bite-sized pieces. Spoon any reserved pan juices lightly over the pineapple (do not oversaturate the whipped topping).
- 16
Add optional garnishes
Sprinkle 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes over the top if using and tuck a few fresh mint leaves for color. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes to let flavors marry.
- 17
Serve
Slice into squares (a 9x13 pan yields about 12 generous servings). Serve chilled. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.