Tres Leches

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

Time: About 1 hour

Tres Leches, the popular Latin American yellow cake, calls for three different types of milk: evaporated, condensed, and whole. This recipe is actually cuatro leches, thanks to the addition of half-and-half. Despite so much liquid, the cake is moist but never soggy. It’s easy to change the flavor by tweaking the glaze that soaks the cake. See the suggestions that follow or experiment with your own combinations.

1. Bake the yellow cake in a greased 13 × 9-inch pan as directed.

2. While the cake is baking, make the glaze: Whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, half-and-half, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl.

3. When the cake is done, let it cool for 15 minutes, then use a skewer or a fork to poke small holes over the top of the cake. Pour the milk glaze evenly over the top of the cake, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Serve as is or smooth a layer of Whipped Cream evenly over the top of the cake. Store refrigerated for up to a week.

Most cake pans are interchangeable—the box on page 194 walks you through how to substitute them—but when a recipe calls for a springform pan, it’s usually nonnegotiable. Consisting of a round collar that latches tightly around an interlocking flat base, these pans give structure to moister batters while they bake and set. When you’re ready to serve, you just unbuckle the collar and slice straight from the base. There’s no need to invert, so they’re indispensable for cakes that would fall apart if flipped.

Make sure the connection between the collar and base seems secure before you buy. Before you bake, you can check for leaks by pouring water into the pan. Replace your pan if it develops a leak. Even if it doesn’t leak, many people wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil just in case.

As with any other cake pan, err on the side of caution when it comes to prep; even if yours is nonstick, grease it with butter before you fill. As an extra precaution, cut a circle of parchment slightly bigger than the base, grease it, and clasp the collar over it, so you can then use the ends to lift the finished cake off the base. Before you release the cake, let it cool completely—even refrigerate it if you can—and loosen the edges with a butter knife dipped in hot water.

COFFEE TRES LECHES CAKE Latte, in cake form: For the glaze, reduce the whole milk to ½ cup and add ½ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee to the milk mixture.

COCONUT TRES LECHES CAKE Creamy cake meets fragrant, nutty coconut: Substitute coconut milk for the whole milk. To serve, toast ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut in a 350°F oven until golden brown, just a couple of minutes, and sprinkle it over the top.

ALMOND TRES LECHES CAKE If you’re tripling the milk, why not triple the almond? Substitute almond meal for ½ cup of the all-purpose flour in the Yellow Cake recipe. For the glaze, substitute almond milk for the whole milk. If you like, add 2 tablespoons amaretto to the whipped cream.

ORANGE TRES LECHES CAKE Any citrus flavor will do well here: Add 2 tablespoons grated orange zest to the flour mixture for the Yellow Cake. For the glaze, substitute fresh orange juice for ½ cup of the whole milk. If you like, add 2 tablespoons Cointreau to the whipped cream.

CINNAMON-SPICE TRES LECHES CAKE Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon cardamom to the glaze mixture.