Recipe: Chuy’s Tres Leches Cake

This amazing Tres Leches Cake recipe from Chuy’s Tex-Mex in North Little Rock is for those who enjoy a bit more of a challenge. Note: Before getting started, make sure you have ingredients for the cake, cream fraiche and the plate presentation.

Cake

INGREDIENTS

Eggs – 12 ea

Salt – ¼ tablespoon

Sugar – 3 cups

Flour – 3 cups

Baking Powder – 1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon

Vanilla – 1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon

Whole Milk – 1 ½ cups

Margarine – 1 ½ tablespoons

Evaporated Milk – 3 (three) 12 oz. cans

Condensed Milk – 1 ½ (one and one-half) 14 oz. cans

Heavy Cream – 3 cups

Vanilla – 1 tablespoon

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Crack open the eggs and separate the whites from yolks. Hold whites in the fridge for later.
3. Add the sugar to the yolks and beat with the hand mixer until smooth.
4. Add flour, baking powder, vanilla and milk and mix well.
5. In a new bowl whip the egg whites and salt until they form peaks.
6. With a rubber spatula GENTLY fold egg whites into cake batter.
7. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with the margarine.
8. Pour cake batter in prepared pan and bake at 350° for approximately 30 min. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake and seeing if it comes out clean.
9. After taking cake out of the oven, poke holes every 1” with a straw or make small slits with a butter knife throughout the cake.
10. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
11. Pour the milk mixture over the cake.
12. Cut cake into 12 pieces and cool.

 

Cream Fraiche (pronounced Fresh)

INGREDIENTS

Heavy Cream – 4 cups (1 quart)

Buttermilk – ½ cup

Sugar – 1 ½ cups

Vanilla – 2 tablespoons

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Whip with hand mixer or in stand mixer for 30 seconds.

 

Plate Presentation

INGREDIENTS

Strawberries – Washed, capped and sliced

Caramel sauce

Once the cake has cooled, apply to the top of the cake and garnish with caramel and strawberries.

 

Chuy’s Tex-Mex is located at 5105 Warden Road in North Little Rock and is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.  and Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call (501) 771-2440, visit their website or find them on Chef Shuttle.