Tres Leches Cake w/ Fresh Blood Orange

For those of you who are not bilingual, "Tres Leches" translates from Spanish to mean "Three Milks". This recipe for Three Milks Cake is simple and dangerously delicious. This cake is best when topped with fresh fruit and since blood oranges are in peak season right now, I topped the cake with blood orange segments and a bit of fresh juice. You could also use fresh passion fruit pulp or a simple sauce made from fresh berries (anything that is "in season" will work). This recipe was inspired by one from Donna Hay's 2012 "Summer Issue" Magazine.

Tres Leches Cake 

Ingredients

6 oz butter, softened

1 cup superfine sugar 

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

5 eggs 

1.5 cups AP Flour 

3/4 tsp salt 

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups milk

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 blood oranges, segmented and stored in their juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer for 8-10 until pale, light, and fluffy

3. Add 1 T of vanilla extract and scrape the beans from your vanilla bean into the mixer

4. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well, between each egg

5. Add dry ingredients next. flour. salt. baking powder. baking soda. Mix well. 

6. Add batter (it will be thick!) into a greased 20cmx30cm square cake pan

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer is inserted and comes out clean

8. Poke cake all over with skewer and then let cool completely. 

9. While cake is cooling, mix together condensed milk, milk, and buttermilk. Once cooled, pour milks over cake and then put in fridge for at least 2 hours - or up to 24 hours. 

10. Whip heavy cream with a bit of sugar and 1 T of  vanilla extract until soft peaks form.  Spread whipped cream over the top of your cake and then sprinkle with blood orange segments and a bit of the blood orange juice. Serve immediately. 

11. Enjoy!