Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake

Gluten free Tres Leches Cake is one of my favorite cakes.

I discovered Tres Leches cake years ago when I worked at a local mom and pop bakery. It was about 6 months before I found out I was Celiac and I indulged on their baked goods daily.

I got in the habit of buying one of the sample cakes to bring home once a week. Once I found the Tres Leches Cake it was hard to try any of the others. I loved the creaminess and how lush is tastes. It was always the best bite to get the soaked cake with a dollup of whipped cream frosting and piece of a mandrine orange. The orange was the best pop of flavor paired with all that creaminess.

Hands down my favorite cake EVER.

The bakery life was not ment to be mine. My Celiac diagnosis was probably spurred on by all the gluten I consumed one a daily basis while working there. I would take enough bathroom breaks during my shifts that my coworkers had a standing joke that I was pregnant and just not telling anyone.

Leaving the bakery job was hard and I crushed, I had learned so much and loved the job. I just hadn’t realized it was slowly killing me and that I needed to heal.

A few years after being gluten free I started baking again. Gluten free Tres Leches cake was high on my need to make gluten free list. It has become my standard Birthday cake every year.

Tres Leches is Spanish for three milks. It consists of a sponge cake or butter cake soaked in three milks (evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream). It is heavenly, moist and sweet.

At the bakery they added canned mandarin oranges and canned pineapple to the top, but I like to swap out the pineapple for maraschino cherries. Maraschino cherries are a weakness of mine and Mr Everything isn’t a fan of pineapple, so it’s a win-win solution.  You can top the cake with whatever fruit you desire or even omit the fruit intirely. Your choice.

People often think I’ve slaved away in the kitchen to make this cake. Little do they know it’s super easy and perfect for get togethers and holidays. It is always a crowd pleaser and sadly, unless I’ve hidden some, I never have any leftovers.

You may wanna check out my spice cake, chocolate cake, yellow cake, or my german chocolate cupcakes.

Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake

Print Recipe

• Author: Alycia Louise

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour mix
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 6 Large Eggs – Separated
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 12 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 14 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 TBS Sugar
• 1 can Mandarin Oranges
• 1 cup Maraschino Cherries

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease 2  loaf pans.
2. In a small bowl blend together the gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar until they are light in color. Add in milk and combine thoroughly. 
4. Slowly mix your dry ingredients to the wet, allowing them to fully combine, then set aside.
5. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites till soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Carefully fold your batter and egg whites together- you want to keep your egg whites fluffy and airy so your cake will be airy. A simple trick is to add a spoonful of egg whites to the batter and mix thoroughly, then adding the rest of the egg whites and folding it together. To fold the batter, take your spatula and scoop from the center down and out towards the outside of the bowl and flipping the contents back towards the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat the folding process until both mixtures are combined.
7. Place your batter into the greased loaf pans and bake 35 minutes, check with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is done. Allow the cakes to cool completely. 
8. Meanwhile, combine your three milks; condensed, evaporated, and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Set aside
9. Beat the 1 cup heavy cream and 1 TBS sugar till stiff peaks just start to form. Set aside.
10. When your cake is completely cool remove from loaf pans. Clean and dry the loaf pans, they are great for serving the cake. Cut the cakes in half the long way. Place the bottom slice into the clean loaf pan and stab with a toothpick or skewer all over. Pour some of the three milks mixture over the top (the milk might pool around the cake, give it time, the milk will soak into the cake). Spread a thin layer of whipping cream down and then place the other piece of cake on top and repeat the process of making holes and pouring the three milks over it. Frost with whipping cream, and top with fruit. Unless serving right away cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Keeps well for about 3 days, not that it lasts that long. Ha ha