the butter lab's sweet corn tres leches cake with Berries
This tres leches cake is a riff on my favorite recipe from Chilean pastry chef Soledad Correa. Tres leches cake—a simple sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk bath and topped with whipped cream—is ubiquitous in Chile and one of my favorite all-time desserts. There are a lot of versions and recipes for tres leches out there. Some even have cinco or seis leches, which I think is dos or tres too many—an unnecessary milk arms race.
For me, Soledad’s version reigns supreme. It’s just the right amount of sweet (i.e. not too sweet), and it manages to balance the trickiest part of a tres leches cake: enough sweet milk to make the cake pudding-like, but not so much that it obliterates the cake completely.
In this version, I steep the milks with corn and add some of the milk-soaked corn to the bottom of the baking pan, a move I picked up from pastry chef Nicole Krasinski in the State Bird Provisions cookbook. The result is a subtle sweet corn flavor that further balances the sweetness of the overall cake and adds depth and complexity, along with a little texture. I like that it’s seasonal and tastes like the end of summer; since it’s ice-box cold, it’s especially refreshing on a hot August day. During other months, skip the corn.
The Butter Lab’s Sweet Corn Tres Leches Cake With Berries
A riff on my favorite tres leches recipe by Soledad Correa; inspired by State Bird Provisions by Stuart Brioza, Nicole Krasinski, and JJ Goode.
To make something closer to the original recipe, skip the corn—just combine the milks (no need to heat them) and pour the mixture over the cooled cake. (This corn-less version is a little simpler than Soledad’s original, skipping a steeping step with cinnamon and cloves—I actually prefer the cake without those flavors.) A heads-up on timing: the milk needs to steep for one hour, unattended, and the milk-soaked cake needs to be refrigerated for at least four hours (better yet, overnight) before serving.
Serves 12.
INGREDIENTS
MILK SOAK
6 ears corn, shucked
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
One 12-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
CAKE
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
TO SERVE
1 pound strawberries, sliced,* or 1 1/2 pints blueberries
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
METHOD
MAKE THE MILK SOAK:
Cut the corn kernels from the ears, then break each cob in half. Combine the kernels, cobs, heavy cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Discard the cobs. Using a slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups of the kernels from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
Combine the remaining kernels and milk mixture in a blender and pulse several times just to break up the kernels. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan and discard the solids. Set aside.
MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (I also sometimes bake this in a 9x12-inch dish, which works fine). Spread the reserved 1 1/2 cups corn kernels evenly across the bottom of the baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla at medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and mix at low speed until just incorporated. Gradually add the whole milk, then mix in the remaining flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch. Transfer the baking dish to a rack and let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the cooled cake. Gradually pour the milk mixture over the entire cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
TO SERVE:
In a bowl, gently toss the berries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Beat heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream evenly over the cake and top with macerated berries. Keep any leftover cake in the refrigerator.
*If you have small strawberries, you can leave them whole, but most people will prefer them sliced.