Tres Leche Cake, Whipping Cream & Macerated Strawberries

To make the cake:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and butter it.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a medium bowl. Beat the yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar on medium speed, using an electric mixer. Continue to beat the mixture for about 2 minutes until it is pale and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined, 1 minute more.
• Clean and dry the beaters.

  Beat the egg whites for 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the speed to high while you are beating them. Beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat on high, until you reach firm but not dry peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.

  Using a large spoon, add a third of the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in a third of the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and egg whites, alternately, in two more batches each, until fully incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely

  Note: the cake will shrink away from the pan and collapse a bit. That is okay, when you add the milk it will expand again as it absorbs the milk.
• Return the cake to the baking dish or pan it was baked in.

Soak the cake:

• In a 2-litre pot, stir together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and salt until the condensed milk is well blended. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring to avoid scorching, until it begins to bubble around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof 4-cup measuring cup. It can cool, while you are preparing the cake.
• With a toothpick, prick the cake to the bottom all over. Holes should be as frequent as 1-2 inches apart. Drizzle the soaking liquid slowly over the cake, starting at the edges. Pause to let it soak in before adding more liquid. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cake is well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Top the cake:

• In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium speed. As it begins to thicken, slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm peaks form, but be careful not to over beat. Spread the whipped cream all over the top of the cake and serve as is or with your favorite topping.

I usually make and soak the cake the day before I am going to serve it. I top the cake with the whip cream 2 hours before serving. This cake is great with shaved chocolate or other berries. It only keeps well in the fridge for 2 days.

Macerated Strawberries:

• About an hour before serving, combine strawberries, honey and Grand Marnier.