Pastel de Tres Leches (Three-Milk Cake)

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then beat in the sugar a spoon at a time until glossy and stiff. Beat the yolks with the milk and vanilla and fold them in gently.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the batter and fold it in with a light hand, just until no streaks remain. Pour into a greased 23 x 33 cm tin.

💡 Fold, don't beat, once the flour is in. This sponge has no butter and relies on the air in the whipped whites; overmixing knocks it out and you get a flat, dense cake that soaks unevenly.

Bake at 175°C for about 25–30 minutes, until golden and springy and a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool completely in the tin.

Whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed milk and 120 ml of the cream. Poke the cooled cake all over with a fork or skewer, then slowly pour the three-milk mixture over the whole surface.

💡 Pour slowly, in stages, letting each addition sink in before the next. Rushing it makes the milk pool and run off the sides; patient soaking is how the cake drinks nearly all of it.

Cover and chill for at least 3 hours so the cake absorbs the milk and sets cold. Whip the remaining cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks, spread it over the top, and dust with cinnamon before serving.