Three Milks Cake

Cake Batter:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
9 eggs separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Milk Syrup:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon light rum

Frosting:
6 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp of cream of tartar
3/4 cup of water
1 1/2 cup of sugar

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour and baking powder together. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and the butter with an electric mixer. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat until foamy. Continue mixing and slowly add the flour mixture and the 1/2 cup milk, until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites with a spatula. Pour batter into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Pierce the top of the cake repeatedly with a fork.

Milk Syrup:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and rum until well blended. Pour syrup over the cake a little at a time, until it soaks through. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Frosting:
Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. In a separate pan, mix the water and sugar. Cook over a medium high heat until a candy thermometer reads 230°F. Remove from heat. Pour the egg white mixture into the pot, rapidly mixing by hand for about five minutes or until firm. With a wet spatula, spread a thick layer of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

Banana Variation:
To make a Banana Tres Leches Cake, add 1/3 cup banana liqueur, omit rum and reduce the evaporated milk to 3/4 can.

Cuatro Leches (Quatro milks cake):

Many Miami restaurants now serve a cuatro leches cake. This is the basic tres leches cake with a toping of dulce de leche (a caramel sauce). If you want to serve this, follow recipe instructions above. Serve the cake in a bowl or round sundae dish. Add a layer of dulce de leche around the sides of the cake in the bowl.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring regularly until you get a deep caramel color. The syrup should be brown and thick. Quickly whisk in the heavy cream and two tablespoons butter. Continue cooking until you have a rich, dark thick syrup. Approximately two to four minutes. Let cool, use immediately or refrigerate for later. Just heat slightly in the microwave to make it pourable.