Tres Leches Cake

Moist, tender cake is topped with a rum-flavored sauce, then garnished with whipped cream, coconut and nuts. ...MORE+ LESS-

Bake-Off® Contest 34, 1990

La Mesa, California

Cake

box (1 lb 2.25 oz) yellow cake mix with pudding

cup water

1/3

cup vegetable oil

eggs

cup whipping cream

1/3

cup rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract plus 1/3 cup water

can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

can (12 oz) evaporated milk

cup whipping cream

1/3

cup coconut chips, toasted

1/3

cup chopped macadamia nuts

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1

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
2

Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix sauce ingredients. Using long-tined fork, pierce hot cake in baking dish every 1 to 2 inches. Slowly pour sauce mixture over cake. Refrigerate cake at least 3 hours to chill. (Cake will absorb most of sauce mixture.)
3

Before serving, in small bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Spread over cold cake. Sprinkle with coconut and macadamia nuts. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

To toast coconut, spread on cookie sheet; bake in 350°F oven 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown.
Tres Leches Cake is a classic Nicaraguan cake soaked with three forms of leches, or “milks.” It is a very moist cake and becomes more flavorful as it's stored. Refrigerate it tightly covered up to 3 days.