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MOIST Matcha Tres Leches Cake

Jules Reyes

Light, airy, matcha-infused cake meets three different kinds of milk in this super dreamy Matcha Tres Leches Cake recipe! We guarantee it’ll be the moistest cake you’ve ever had- like a matcha latte in cake form!

WHAT IS TRES LECHES?

If you’ve never had tres leches, you’re in for a treat! The cake originated in Mexico, and is a very popular dessert throughout all of Latin America. In this recipe, the traditional cake gets an original Jade Leaf spin with the addition of our Ingredient Grade Matcha!

 

 

Tres Leches is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milks. Hence the name: “tres leches” means “three milks” in Spanish. The three milks we’re using for this cake are evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. Once the cake is cooked, a ton of holes get poked in it, and the milks get poured over the top of the cake, which will soak up the milk mixture like one delicious sponge. The result? A super moist, spongy, and sweet matcha cake dripping in milk! This milk mixture is the most sweet, creamy, and dreamy concoction ever and such an amazing addition to cake. Last but not least, top it with a healthy portion of fresh whipped cream and some gorgeous strawberries (or any fruit you like). You’re going to love it!


WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE MATCHA TRES LECHES CAKE?

The ingredients list for this is pretty straightforward. Here’s what you’ll need to make this cake:

Matcha Cake:

 

Milk Mixture:

  • Evaporated milk
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Whole milk

 

Topping:

  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Powdered sugar

HOW DO I MAKE MATCHA TRES LECHES CAKE?


The light and fluffy texture of this cake is achieved by beating egg whites to stiff peaks and incorporating it back into the batter. So to start, we first have to separate the egg yolks and white into separate bowls.


Let’s start with the egg yolks. To the bowl with the egg yolks, add sugar and mix until it becomes pale and looks creamy. Then, add the milk, salt, and vanilla and combine. Time for the dry ingredients! 

Sift in the Ingredient Grade Matcha, flour, and baking powder and mix. Be careful not to over mix though- only mix until all the dry ingredients disappear. 

 


Now for the egg whites. First thing’s first, make sure your beaters are completely clean before starting on the egg whites, or it can affect the egg whites’ ability to come to stiff peaks.

The egg whites get beaten together with the cream of tartar (or lemon juice.) When the mixture starts to look foamy, start gradually adding in the other portion of your sugar. Be sure to do this slowly! We don’t want to deflate the egg white mixture.


Beat the egg whites until they start looking glossy and stiff peaks form.


TIP: you know you’ve achieved “stiff peaks” when you lift up the beaters and the mixture stands up in place. Be careful not to take the mixture past the stiff peaks phase, or the egg white will be tough to incorporate into the batter and will result in a flat cake.


Now, fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture in a few separate batches. Do this gently so as not to push all the air out of the egg whites. The best way to fold in egg whites is to scrape around the sides of the bowl and then fold the batter toward the middle of the bowl. Again, careful not to over mix!


Pour this batter into an 8x8 inch pan that is sprayed with a nonstick spray, and bake in the oven at 325°F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


While you’re waiting for the cake to bake, make the milk mixture. In a bowl, add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. Give it a quick stir to make sure it’s all combined and set it aside until your cake comes out!


Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then with a skewer, chopstick, or a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Don’t be shy with this step! The holes are what will help the matcha cake absorb all of that delicious milk. 

 


Now it’s time for the cake to get to work soaking up the milk. Cover the cake and transfer it to the fridge , allowing it to sit for at least 2 hours or overnight.


Right before you’re ready to serve the cake, whip up some of that whipped cream! In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a bowl with a hand mixer, add powdered sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Pile it onto the cake still in the pan, and smooth it down with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

TIP: If you want the topping to be less sweet, reduce or omit the powdered sugar. 


Garnish the cake with strawberries or your favorite fruit, and enjoy!

 

 

TIP: This recipe can easily be doubled to fit in a rectangular 13 x 9 inch cake pan and feed a matcha-loving crowd!


Matcha Tres Leches Cake

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 eggs, separated
  • ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 teaspoons Jade Leaf Ingredient Grade Matcha
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or lemon juice)

 

Milk Mixture

  • 1  can evaporated milk (12 oz)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • ½ cup whole milk

 

Topping

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x8 inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Using two separate bowls, separate the egg yolks and egg whites.
  3. In the bowl with the yolks, add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Add 1 cup of milk, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix. Sift in the matcha, flour, and baking powder and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
  4. In the bowl with the egg whites, add the cream of tartar (or lemon juice) and beat with the (cleaned) hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture starts to look foamy. Slowly, as the mixer is running, add the ¼ cup of sugar. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form. 
  5. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the matcha cake batter, in a few different batches until everything is combined. Do not over mix. 
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Milk Mixture

  1. In a bowl, add the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. Whisk until they are all combined and set aside until the cake comes out of the oven.
  2. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes, and then start poking holes in the top of the cake using a fork, skewer, or chopstick. Pour the milk mixture over the cake. Cover and transfer to the fridge to absorb the liquid, about 2 hours to overnight.

 

Topping

  1. In a medium bowl, add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
  2. Add the whipped cream to the surface of the cake and spread using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  3. Garnish with strawberries or your favorite fruit. Serve and enjoy!