My Favorite Tres Leches Cake

My Partner in Crime says I made the perfect ginger snap cookie. They were crisp on the outside and chewy and moist on the inside.  He said they were a perfect ten.  The only problem is, I can't remember exactly how I made them.  One of these days I'll get it right again, and then I will publish the recipe.

All this is to say why I rarely publish cooking recipes: I forgot how I made it. I forgot that I ever made it. I got distracted by taking the pictures so I forgot a full cup of flour.  I combined two recipes, but I forgot which two.  I spent so much time helping the Head of Demolition help me that I didn't have time to take pictures. It's always something.

However, my friend Beth asked for this recipe some time ago, and various other people have asked about it too.  I figure it's only so long before I lose the scrap of paper where I have it jotted down. I adapted this recipe from one I copied down from allrecipes.com, back in 1999 or 2000. I've been changing it ever since.

The first step is to cream 1/2 cup REAL butter and one cup of sugar. Seriously, leave the dieting for later. Eat a vegetable before or after having cake if it makes you feel better. I like to use salted butter, but either salted or unsalted is fine.

Then add five eggs and a generous teaspoon of vanilla. Add a little extra splash too - you can never go wrong with too much vanilla. Mix well.

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour and a teaspoon of baking powder together separately, then add into the butter and sugar by spoonful.

Pour into a greased and floured pan. Mine is 9 x 13, but I'm eternally in search of a good pan and next time I shop, I may go a little smaller.

I actually took a picture of the greased and floured pan, but as if in testament to my aforementioned inability to photograph and cook at the same time, I accidentally deleted it. I took a picture of the eggs too, but I assume that most people know what eggs look like.

Cook the cake 20-30 minutes.  I like it slightly golden brown, but not much more.

A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean, but don't let it get too well done or the "leches" part of the tres leches has trouble sinking into the cake.

Then punch it full of holes with a fork.  That helps the milk soak in.

Mix 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, and 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk together and pour over the top of the cake. It starts out looking like the cake has disappeared, but by and by the milk mixture will start to soak in.

Cover it and let it soak in the milk in the fridge overnight.

Lastly, whip 2 cups heave whipping cream, another generous teaspoon of vanilla, and the last half cup of sugar, and spread over the top. Ready to eat!

A hopefully printable recipe card: