Earl Grey Tres Leches Cake
This impressive tres leches cake uses whole, evaporated and condensed milk with Earl Grey tea infused throughout for additional flavour. Stacked high with a cream topping, this cake is irresistible.
Introduction
The ultimate cup of tea, in my opinion, is Earl Grey. When I lived up in Leeds, I wouldn’t go a day without having at least three cups – nothing else would do. Now that I’m back in the Midlands, I’ve scaled down to two, but I’m loyal to Earl Grey, no exceptions. During a trip to New York, I stumbled across tres leches cake, and it’s been love ever since. There’s something magical about the way these two pair together – the fragrant, slightly citrusy notes of the Earl Grey cut through the richness of the tres leches (three types of milk). It’s not overly sweet and the double cream on top gives it just the right balance. Absolute perfection
Ingredients
| 240ml | milk |
| 4 | Earl Grey tea bags |
| 100g | unsalted butter, melted |
| 100ml | vegetable oil |
| 300g | golden caster sugar |
| 4 | eggs |
| 2 tsp | vanilla extract |
| 360g | self-raising flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| ½ tsp | salt |
| For the Earl Grey leche: | |
|---|---|
| 150ml | canned evaporated milk |
| 150ml | sweetened condensed milk |
| 2 | Earl Grey teabags |
| For the cream topping: | |
| 600ml | double cream |
| 1 tbsp | vanilla paste |
| 1 tsp | ground cinnamon (optional) |
Essential kit
You will need: a 20 x 30cm baking tin.
Method
Start with the sponge. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until warm, then remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Let them steep for 10–15 minutes, then discard the tea bags and allow the milk to cool slightly.
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan. Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin and line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, infused milk, oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one by one, followed by the vanilla paste. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then gradually fold in to the wet mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top and slightly bang the tray to ensure all the air bubbles are removed. Bake for 20–25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let the cake cool slightly, then poke small holes with a fork across the surface to allow the milk mixture to soak in later.
To make the Earl Grey leche, heat the evaporated milk and condensed milk in a small saucepan until warm – you should be able to dip your finger in and it is not hot. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let them steep for 10 minutes, then discard the tea bags and allow the leche to cool. Pour the mixture over the cake, making sure it seeps into the holes, then refrigerate the cake for at least a couple of hours, or preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, make the cream topping. Whip together the cream and vanilla paste in a bowl, then spread or pipe evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, if desired, and enjoy!
Tip: Due to the amount of milk in this I recommend eating the cake straight away – this won’t be hard as it’s delicious!
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