If there’s a dessert that I’m absolutely obsessed with, it’s got to be milk cakes. That rich creaminess sensation always gets me head over heels and I could never get enough of it! Ever since, I was determined to explore different milk cake recipes and make my own. And here I am with this Easy Vanilla Milk Cake recipe which has become one of my go-to desserts to make when I have guests coming over.
What is Milk Cake
Milk cake, also known as Tres Leches, is a fluffy sponge cake that is soaked in three types of milk: whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. It is believed to originate from Mexico and is a very popular dessert in Latin America. The concept has spread across other countries as well. Most notably, the Balkans & Turkish have their own version known as trileces. Instead of a whipped cream topping, trilece is typically topped with caramel.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Milk Cake Recipe
One thing you definitely do not want is an overly dense cake. As you will be soaking the cake in a sweet milk mixture, the liquid addition will cause the cake to become denser in texture and even soggy. I remember having a milk cake for dessert at Jamavar restaurant and, despite enjoying the flavour, the cake was far too dense in texture to enjoy it. So yeah, dense milk cake is not ideal.
How can we solve that? The answer is to incorporate more air in the cake recipe to make it more fluffy! This recipe will guarantee you a super fluffy & airy cake. When soaked in the sweet milk mixture, the texture would be just right, even after sitting for a couple of days. Instead of following the regular method for making sponge cakes, this recipe splits up the eggs into yolks and whites. You will whisk the whites till stiffened (i.e. incorporating lots of air) and fold them into the cake batter. This will then add more airiness to the cake and prevent it from getting too dense when milk is added. Yes, you will need two mixing bowls for this, but it’d be absolutely worth it when you get to taste the milk cake!
How to Make Milk Cake at Home
Ingredients You Need
- Eggs – with yolks & whites separated
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Whole Milk
- Butter
- Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
- Double Cream
- Sprinkles (optional) – for decoration
Recipe Tips & Notes
- When incorporating whipped egg whites into the cake batter, do it in batches – ideally about a third each time – to help lighten the batter and allow the whipped egg whites to combine with the mixture quicker.
- It is very important that you fold, not stir, the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Stirring will cause the batter to overmix, releasing all the air that you have incorporated earlier through whipping the egg whites. Overmixing during this stage will cause the cake the deflate.
- After poking holes & pouring milk over the cake, allow it to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or even overnight. This “resting period” allows the cake to fully soak up and absorb the delicious milk mixture, offering not just a milky flavour but also a beautiful moist crumb.
Easy Vanilla Milk Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 5 Eggs (yolks & whites separated)
- 450 g Sugar split into 250g + 200g
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 180 g Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Milk
- 57 g Butter (melted)
For the milk
- 300 ml Evaporated Milk
- 397 g Condensed Milk (one tin)
- 250 ml Whole Milk
For the frosting
- 284 ml Double Cream
- 50 g Sugar
- Sprinkles (optional) for decoration
Instructions
Making the cake
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Whisk the yolks with 250g sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.5 Eggs (yolks & whites separated), 450 g Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Sieve flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture. Mix to combine.180 g Flour, 1½ tsp Baking Powder, ½ tsp Salt
- Stir in milk and melted butter.½ cup Milk, 57 g Butter (melted)
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk egg whites till starting to stiffen.
- Add the remaining 200g sugar and continue to whisk until firm & glossy.
- Fold in a third of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture to loosen up the batter. Then fold in the second third and, as it starts to combine, fold in the remaining third till everything is just combined.
- Transfer the batter into a 8×8 baking tin and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes till golden on top. Set aside to allow to cool down.
Make the milk
- In a large jug, mix together evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk.300 ml Evaporated Milk, 397 g Condensed Milk (one tin), 250 ml Whole Milk
- After the cake has cooled down, use a fork / skewer / toothpick to prick holes all over.
- Pour half the milk all over the cake and reserve the remaining half for serving later.
- Chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Make the topping
- Whisk together Double Cream and Sugar until stiff peaks form.284 ml Double Cream, 50 g Sugar
- Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake. Top with sprinkles if you like and serve with the remaining sweet milk!
Notes
- When incorporating whipped egg whites into the cake batter, do it in batches – ideally about a third each time – to help lighten the batter and allow the whipped egg whites to combine with the mixture quicker.
- It is very important that you fold, not stir, the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Stirring will cause the batter to overmix, releasing all the air that you have incorporated earlier through whipping the egg whites. Overmixing during this stage will cause the cake the deflate.
- After poking holes & pouring milk over the cake, allow it to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or even overnight. This “resting period” allows the cake to fully soak up and absorb the delicious milk mixture, offering not just a milky flavour but also a beautiful moist crumb.
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