Tres Leches Cake is a delicious Latin American dessert with the texture of a sponge cake soaked in several types of milk. The cake is then topped with homemade whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.
I’ve never made or even tasted a Tres Leches Cake and oh…my…goodness!!! I can’t believe that I’ve totally been missing out all of my life…not anymore! 🤣
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
5 Large Eggs, Separated
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter, Softened at Room Temperature
2 Cups Granulated Sugar, Divided
1 + 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Whole Milk
Ingredients for the Leches Topping
14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
12oz Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Ingredients for the Whipped Cream
1 + 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Ground Cinnamon for topping (optional)
PS. If you don’t enjoy cinnamon, fresh fruit for a topping is amazing too!
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying with baking spray.
Separate your eggs. Place the yolks in a medium bowl and set aside.
Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and use an electric hand-held mixer to beat until foamy.
Gradually add only one cup of granulated sugar, adding about two Tablespoons at a time and mix after each addition. Place your mixer speed on high and beat until the egg white mixture is thick and glossy and you achieve stiff peaks – almost like a meringue. Set the bowl aside.
In a medium bowl, add the sottened butter and remaining one cup of granulated sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and gently stir.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Use a spatula to stir by hand the milk and flour mixture into your egg yolk mixture (I found it easier to alternate the flour and milk by adding in about 1/4 at a time and stirring after each addition).
Add in the egg white meringue and use a spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter. Make sure the batter is completely combined and no white spots of the eggs are remaining. It’s best to be gentle when folding (no mixing!) because you do not want to deflate the egg whites or over-mix the batter – if you over mix you will have a dense cake.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake will be golden brown on the top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely for about an hour.
Once cake has cooled completely it’s time to prepare the leches topping.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the milk mixture slowly and evenly over the entire cake.
Cover with plastic wrap and place the cake into the refrigerator and chill the cake for at least several hours or overnight.
Once the cake has chilled for several hours (or overnight) make the whipped cream.
In a medium bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract and use an electric hand held mixer to beat until thickened and stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream over the entire cake from corner to corner. Sprinkle cinnamon if desired.
Raisin Filled Cookies have been around for some time. They most likely originated in the Pennsylvania Dutch country and were very popular among the Amish and Mennonite communities.
Raisin Filled Cookies
Cookie Dough Ingredients
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened at Room Temperature
2 Large Eggs
6 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Raisin Filling Ingredients
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 1/2 Cups Water, Divided (Set 1/4 Cup aside)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Box (15 oz.) Raisins
Directions
Make the Dough. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer, on medium speed, to cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs, flour and milk.
Continue to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Add in the salt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
The dough texture is going to be very soft and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour (I refrigerated for an hour!)
Make the Filling. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and ¼ cup of the water until a paste is formed.
Stir in the remaining water, lemon juice and raisins.
Continue to cook and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and the raisins are plump – about 5 to 10 minutes.
Cool the raisin filling to room temperature before using to fill the cookies.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Line baking sheets (I used 3) with parchment paper.
Use about 1/3 of the dough at a time. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness.
It’s important to flour your surface, rolling pin and round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter – the dough will be very sticky!
Cut the dough into rounds with a cookie or biscuit cutter – if you don’t have these on hand you can even use the rim of a drinking glass (a tidbit from my step-mother).
Place one round on a prepared baking sheet, spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the raisin filling onto the circle and then top directly with another round of dough.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown on top after about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Today in American history…Dolley Madison was born on May 20, 1768 in New Garden, North Carolina (present day Greensboro, North Carolina).
She married James Madison on September 15, 1794.
She was First Lady from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1817.
She was a very popular First Lady and hostess and was known for her social graces and hospitality which helped contribute to her husband’s popularity while he was President.
Known for her love of entertaining and afternoon tea, one of the items at her famous tea parties were her Woodbury Cinnamon Tea Cakes.
Dolley Madison’s Cinnamon Woodbury Tea Cakes
Ingredients
1 large egg, separated
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of flour
2 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease either a bundt pan or mini bundt pan (I used mini loaf pans). You can also use a square baking pan.
Butter and then flour the pan so the cake will easily come out of the forms after bak-ing.
Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt until still soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolk, and vanilla; slowly fold it into the egg whites.
Fold in the flour, melted butter, baking powder, and cinnamon until just combined.
Pour mixture into prepared baking pan or mini pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Invert the cake onto a metal rack for cooling.
Immediately, while the cake is still warm from the oven, brush on the additional 2 tablespoons melted butter. Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the cake.
I love everything that is salty and sweet! Even enjoy putting salt on my ice cream (don’t knock it until you try it haha!). These cookies are truly amazingly delicious and they have everything I love in them…the saltiness and sweetness of the cookie and to top it off? Heath Bars!
Sweet & Salty Heath Bar Cookies
Ingredients
1 Cup Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks), softened at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs, beaten
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 package (8 oz) Heath Bar Pieces
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, use a stand-alone mixer or hand-held mixer to cream the butter and sugar until well combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well.
Add the Heath Bar Chips and gently mix.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to harden a little bit and it’s easier for scooping.
Use a cookie scooper to add 1 tablespoon of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Space 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are a golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool and set for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
My children love confetti cake – and I know they will absolutely enjoy these confetti cookies. They are so easy to make and only require a few simple ingredients!
Confetti Cookies
Ingredients
1 Box White Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sprinkles
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the cake mix, melted butter, cinnamon, and eggs and beat with a mixer or stir by hand until well combined.
Stir in the sprinkles.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls at least 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
Top with additional sprinkles, if desired. To me personally, life is better with more sprinkles!
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the cookies are lightly brown on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes to set before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For Easter yesterday I made a delicious homemade Coconut Cake.
My sister-in-law, Katie, asked if I could make a Coconut Cake for Easter to remember her Grandmother’s cake that was always on the table each year when visiting her Grandmother’s home.
There is nothing like a homemade cake and memories of childhood with your Grandmother on Easter.
This cake is so incredibly delicious and I guarantee you won’t be able to eat just one slice! I had two 😋
Coconut Cream Cake
Cake Ingredients
21/2 Cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 2/3 Cups Granulated Sugar
5 Large Egg Whites, Room Temperature
1/2 Cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
2 teaspoons Almond Extract
1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
8 ounces (1 Brick) Cream Cheese, Softened at Room Temperature
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened at Room Temperature
5 Cups Confectioners Sugar
2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspon Almond Extract
2 Cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut for the Topping
Pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 regular sized round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk. Set the bowl aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand-held or stand alone mixer to beat the butter and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.
Add the egg whites and beat until combined.
Add the sour cream and almond extract. Beat until combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add the coconut milk. Beat until combined.
Add the shredded coconut and mix. I mixed by hand really well to make sure the mixture was smooth and no lumps.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 21-24 minutes or until you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Directions for the Frosting
In a large bowl use a hand-held or stand alone mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy and smooth. Add in the confectioners sugar, coconut milk, almond extract and mix well until at your desired consistency. Add more confectioners sugar if too thin or a little bit more coconut milk if too thick.
When the cakes are completely cool – assemble and frost the entire cake – including the middle layer. Add shredded coconut to the top.
The Girl Scouts were officially founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912. Girl Scout cookies began in 1917 as a fundraiser by a troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The very first recipes were published in 1922 and commercial baking started in 1934. The first cookies made were a sugar cookie…and the rest is history.
I was a Girl Scout for several years. Started off as a Brownie and went all of the way to a Cadet. My mother was my troop leader the entire time. So many fun memories with my mother of attending meetings…working on badges together…camping and of course selling cookies.
My ultimate favorite of the Girl Scouts cookies have always been the Dosido’s. I’m such a huge peanut butter cookie lover!
So of course, it was so much fun making my own version of my favorite Girl Scout cookie in the kitchen tonight. Even better was making them with my childhood friend, Erin ❤️
Ingredients
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter, Softened at Room Temperature
2 Large Eggs
2 TBSP Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 3/4 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
For the Filling:
3 Cups Confectioners Sugar
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your baking sheets by lining with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter until creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Set the bowl aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, coconut and oats. Set the bowl aside.
Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, beating at low speed until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until the dough is firm.
Drop by level tablespoon onto the prepared sheets and space 2-inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before removing to a cooking rack to cool completely.
Time to make the filling:
In a medium bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat all of the filling ingredients together until the mixture is creamy. If you need to, add a drop or two more of milk to get the proper consistency.
Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto half of the cookies (on the bottom side) and top with another cookie and press so the filling shows around the edges. Yummy!
One of former President Clinton’s favorite meals (besides a McDonald’s cheeseburger back in the day!) has been Chicken Enchilada’s. I was able to stumble upon his favorite recipe and I have to say they are quite delicious and I can understand how this recipe would be his favorite.
They were pretty easy to make too and if you are feeling like making a Mexican type dinner – I highly recommend!
The Historical Homemaker 