RECIPE BY JEAN N.
A soft sponge cake soaked in strawberry milk and topped with whipped cream and berries. Airy, creamy, and perfect for any occasion that demands a cake—or anytime strawberries are at their peak.
What You’ll Need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
⅓ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4–5 fresh strawberries
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup heavy cream
2–3 tablespoons sugar
1½ cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 cups sliced strawberries
What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Separate eggs. Beat the yolks with ¾ cup sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
Fold yolk mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the egg whites in batches—don’t overdo it or you’ll deflate the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely.
Puree fresh strawberries in a food processor until smooth—you will need ½ cup purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you prefer a less pulp-y texture.
In a bowl, whisk together whole milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, strawberry purée, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
Once cake is completely cool, poke holes all over the top surface using a fork or skewer. Slowly and evenly pour strawberry milk mixture over the cake and let it absorb. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over the chilled cake and top with sliced strawberries. Serve cold.
• Use very ripe strawberries for maximum flavor (Oishii berries are exceptional here).
• Pour the milk mixture slowly so it absorbs evenly.
• Tres leches cake is best the next day.
• For deeper strawberry flavor, swirl extra purée into the whipped cream.
Jean is a Senior Data Scientist at FreshDirect. He has been baking since he could hold a spatula and take directions from his mother (likely before he could form full sentences). In addition to spending his free time cooking and baking, he also enjoys watching movies and “hoisting massive loads” in the gym.
