Tres Leches Cake (Dulce de las Tres Leches)

A very traditional Hispanic cake. Nobody knows who came up with the idea. Some people think that it was in mexico or Nicaragua. This cake is very popular in Ecuador as well.
Whoever did it, I am very jealous.
This is my sister Leticia's recipe with a tiny change.



Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 pinch  salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 large eggs, egg whites and egg yolks, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mixture of Milks

1 can 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 carton (1/2 pint) heavy whipping cream
1 can 12 ounces evaporated milk

Frosting

1/2 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar OR
1 container of Cool Whip

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F for 20 minutes. Grease a rectangular Pyrex 13 x 9 inches (33cm x 23cm) A little bit smaller baking pan works well, too.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until slightly thick; add sugar and beat until very stiff and glossy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

By hand, add the mixture of sifted flour and baking powder to the egg yolk mixture little by little folding it in. Do not overmix.

Immediately, pour the mixture in the baking pan and bake it in a preheated 350 F oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the oven or until the cake is done (insert a skewer in the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean)

While the cake is baking, mix the three types of milk in a bowl using a whisk. Once the cake is ready and very hot; take it out of the oven and start making a lot of holes with a fork, trying not to break the bottom of the cake. Then, using a ladle, add the milk mixture to the cake evenly and quickly so that the whole cake can absorb all the milk; try to separate the sides of the cake (from the baking pan) very carefully using a knife in such a way that some milk goes to the bottom also.

Let it stand for 15 minutes. Cover it with plastic film and put it in the fridge for many hours though it is better overnight.

A couple of hours before serving, frost the cake with some Cool Whip or home -made sweetened whipped cream (beat the whipping cream until thick adding the sugar). Decorate with fruit of your choice.

Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 12 servings