Breast in show: some cooking pointers

TRES LECHES CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

4 teaspoons Mexican vanilla

extract

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

One 13-ounce can evaporated milk

3 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Fresh mangoes, strawberries, blackberries, or other fresh fruit, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-3-inch springform pan with a vegetable spray. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-size bowl.

Mix the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the volume has doubled. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla and water. Mix well.

Gently fold the flour ingredients into the egg mixture. You can use the mixer on the slowest setting or fold the flour in with a spatula. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until done (when center is firm and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan).

Cool the cake on a rack for 15 minutes. Place a plate over the cake and turn upside down. Release the springform pan.

Place your hand over what is now the bottom of the cake and turn the cake over onto your hand. Gently place the cake right side up onto your serving dish. Make sure serving dish is a platter that has a lip to hold in the milk.

To serve: When the cake is cool, whisk together in a bowl the evaporated milk, the condensed milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla.

Using a long toothpick, ice pick or whatever you have available, poke holes all over the cake. The holes will allow the cake to absorb more of the milk. Pour or spoon the milk mixture slowly all over the cake and allow it time to soak in before adding more milk. Refrigerate.

When you are ready to serve the cake, place the 2 cups whipping cream in a chilled mixing bowl and begin mixing on medium. Add the vanilla and the sugar a tablespoon at a time, and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spread whipping cream generously on the top of cake. Garnish with desired fruit.

Serves 6-8.

Source: Chef Marshall Greene, Café Estelle.