Perfectly Moist Tres Leches Cake

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1. 1Step 1: Turn on your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so it will be ready once we finish preparing the mix.
2. 2Step 2: Separate the eggs. Crack the first egg and use your hands to separate the white from the yolk. Once separated, place the egg white into the mixing bowl of the electric mixer. Repeat this process for each egg. Save all the egg yolks in a separate bowl and set aside.
3. 3Step 3: Place the mixing bowl into the electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, this should take about 1 minute. With the mixer still on, slowly pour in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry, this should take another minute or so. At this point, the egg whites will resemble shaving cream.
4. 4Step 4: Once the egg whites are ready, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine, then set aside.
5. 5Step 5: In a large bowl, add the egg yolks with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and mix with a handheld mixer on medium until the yolks are a light yellow and creamy. This will take a couple of minutes.
6. 6Step 6: After the yolks are light in color and creamy, add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds and then add the milk and mix for another 30 seconds until everything is incorporated. Use a spatula to clean the edges of the bowl and mix one more time. Once this mixture is ready, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks and mix slowly with a spatula. Be careful not to overmix, but make sure that there are no flour lumps in the mix.
7. 7Step 7: Finalize the cake batter by adding the egg yolk mixture on top of the egg whites. Then, fold it all gently with a spatula. Be careful not to over mix and deflate the egg whites, since this is what will make the cake airy and spongy. Continue mixing until all of the mixture is well incorporated.
8. 8Step 8: Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying it with some non stick baking spray. Then pour the cake mixture into the pan. Try to make sure that the mixture is poured evenly. You can use a spatula to level the top, this will help ensure that the cake has a flat top, which will make it a lot easier to decorate. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
9. 9Step 9: While you wait for the cake to bake, prepare the milk mixture by adding the evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream to one bowl. Whisk them to combine, making sure that they are all well incorporated. Place this mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
10. 10Step 10: For the frosting, start by adding the milk and pudding mix in a small bowl and combine thoroughly with a whisk. Set it aside. Now, place the whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and mix on high until it is thick, this will take a couple of minutes. Once the cream is thick, add the pudding mixture into the bowl and fold it with a rubber spatula until it is all well incorporated and it has the texture of frosting.
11. 11Step 11: This next step is optional but if you want to pipe your frosting then prepare a piping bag by cutting the tip and adding a piping tip. Then fill the bag with the frosting and save it in the fridge until ready to use.
12. 12Step 12: I am decorating my tres leches with strawberries but this is also completely optional. Wash your strawberries thoroughly and cut as you wish, here I just cut mine in half.
13. 13Step 13: After 25 minutes, test the cake by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the middle of the cake. Once it comes out clean, then the cake is ready. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for about 1 hour. Once cooled, poke the cake with a fork. You will see that the top skin of the cake will start to get stuck to the fork. Remove all of that top layer from the cake and throw it away, this will allow your cake to soak more mixture.
14. 14Step 14: Poke the cake top with a fork all over again and evenly pour the milk mixture over the cake. Cover the cake and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour but up to 6 hours.
15. 15Step 15: When you are almost ready to serve the cake, remove the cake from the fridge and decorate your cake. You can pipe rosettes, do any design that you like, or no design at all. You can just evenly top the cake with the whipped cream frosting. This is all purely preference so get creative and try out different things!
16. 16Step 16: If you want to try piping the rosettes like I did, use a Wilton 1M piping tip. To make a rosette, position the piping tip where you want the centre of the first rose to be. Pipe the center, then move the tip in a counter-clockwise spiral around the center. Release pressure on the piping bag, then pull the tip away. Repeat this same process for all the rosettes, the key is to apply consistent pressure on the bag as you are piping. You can change the size of the rose depending on how small or large you make that spiral around the center.
17. 17Step 17: Once the cake is covered with the frosting then put the berries on top. Again, this is purely a preference matter, so you cannot go wrong.