Tres Leches Cupcakes
Light vanilla cupcakes soaked in a mixture of three milks and topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Photograph credit: Tres Leches cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Frosting by tawest64 · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Making Tres Leches Cupcakes Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Tres Leches Cupcakes: The Method
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Whisk the egg yolks with 100 g of the sugar until thick and pale. Stir in the milk and vanilla, then fold in the flour and baking powder.
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Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the remaining 50 g sugar. Fold into the batter in three additions.
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Divide between the cases and bake for 25 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes.
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Stir the condensed milk, evaporated milk and 100 ml cream together. Prick the cupcakes all over and spoon the milk over slowly. Chill for 2 hours.
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Whip the 200 ml cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Pile on top and dust with cinnamon.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Worth Knowing
- Pour the milk in stages so the sponge absorbs it evenly.
- Fold the egg whites gently to keep the air in.
- Serve cold; the texture is best straight from the fridge.
Behind the Recipe
Why does a cake that soaks up a whole can of liquid not fall apart? Because the sponge is light and full of air. Tres leches cake depends on a batter with plenty of beaten egg, which gives a firm structure that holds the liquid like a sponge, and the same applies in cupcake form.
The three milks are condensed, evaporated and double cream, whisked together with a little vanilla. Poke holes in each warm cupcake with a skewer and spoon the milk over slowly, giving it time to sink in. Pour a little more after a few minutes until all the liquid is gone.
Chill for 2 hours so the milk spreads evenly. Top with whipped cream just before serving, and dust with cinnamon. The cupcakes should feel heavy and damp, with a tender crumb that gives under the fork, and they are best eaten cold. Make the cupcakes a day ahead and add the cream just before you serve them, so the topping stays fresh.
Good Alongside
Fresh strawberries · Black coffee · Cinnamon tea · Sliced mango
Questions About Tres Leches Cupcakes
How long does Tres Leches Cupcakes take to make?
25 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours of Chilling, so allow 2 hours 50 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 12.
Tres Leches Cupcakes Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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