Three milk cake (tres leches) from Costa Rica

Tres Leches cake (or three-milk cake) is a very common dessert in many Latin American countries. But the first time I tasted it was during an internship in Costa Rica. I must admit, I really enjoyed it. Although the traditional recipe uses wheat flour, it's perfectly possible to make it gluten-free by using a suitable flour. Here's a gluten-free version of this delicious dessert:

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Rest time: 2 hours

Total time 2 hours 35 minutes

Cooking method: Traditional

Difficulty: Beginner

Special diet: suitable for gluten-free diet

8

For the cake:
120g of rice flour or a gluten-free flour mix (I mixed chickpea flour/rice flour )
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
5 eggs (whites and yolks separated)
180 g of sugar
80 ml of whole milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
For the milk mixture:
400 ml of sweetened condensed milk
400 ml of unsweetened condensed milk
240 ml of milk (or a mixture of milk and rum)
For decoration:
240 ml of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
sliced strawberries or mango (optional)

Preparation

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a medium-sized rectangular baking tin (approximately 23 x 33 cm).
2
Prepare the cake: In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar (about 100g) until light and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla, and mix well. Then add the gluten-free flour and baking powder, and gently fold them in.
3
Whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter in three additions, mixing gently to avoid deflating the whites.
4
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5
Prepare the milk mixture: In a bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened condensed milk, and milk (or milk/rum). Once the cake is baked, let it cool for a few minutes, then place it on a serving dish and poke small holes all over the surface with a fork.
6
Pour the milk mixture over the cooled cake, making sure to soak the entire surface. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight) to allow the milk mixture to fully penetrate.
7
Prepare the decoration: Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread it over the cake before serving. You can add slices of strawberries or mango for decoration.

Note

You can sprinkle the cake with a little ground cinnamon or cocoa, and decorate it with fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, etc.).

Keywords: Gluten-free tres leches pastel recipe, gluten-free three-milk cake recipe