Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with Tres Leches Cake and Cajeta or caramel

Baking the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease your cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the egg yolks, ¼ cup of sugar, melted butter, and vanilla, then mix until the sugar dissolves completely, and the yolks get fluffy, and the batter becomes a lighter in colour.

3. In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites on high speed. As they begin to whip into stiff peaks, reduce the speed and gradually mix in ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartare to stabilise the egg whites, and then the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter gently and with broad circular moves, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined. This is to ensure the air does not escape the beaten eggs.

4. Mix the flour and baking powder and add it gradually to the egg batter, fold the two gently with wide circular motions. Pour the batter into the greased pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely.

Soaking and decorating the cake

1. Combine goat milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a stainless-steel pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula, until sugar dissolves and the milk turns foamy and light, which will take about 15 minutes. Continue cooking on a low flame, stirring and scraping the sides of the pot frequently, until the milk had reduced substantially and is thick and golden. This will take about 45 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-resistant glass jar. Let it cool off.

3. Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk with the vanilla extract in a bowl.

4. Once the cake has cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the top of the cake.

5. Add a thin layer of Cajeta over the top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow it to soak up the milk and the Cajeta.

6. In the meantime, whip the cold heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed. Smooth over the top of the cake, drizzle some of the caramel and enjoy!

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