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Cakes with a Twist
POPULAR RECIPES SPIKED with ALCOHOL
Want to make a good cake better? Bring in the booze! Here is a collection of popular cakes spiked with alcohol. Taste the gooey chocolatey goodness of Chocolate Lava Cakes oozing with Drambuie and Shamelessly Rich Carrot Cake spiked with 151-proof rum. Enjoy the campy fun of Lone Star Liquor Cake or cool down with a Spiked Ice-Cream Cake.
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Spiked Whipped Cream
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Whiskey
Make-Ahead Chocolate Lava Cakes
Milk Chocolate Lava Cakes with Coffee Liqueur
White Russian Coffee Liqueur Cake
Double Chocolate Deutsch German Chocolate Cake
Bourbon Chocolate Caramel-Vanilla Ice-Cream Cake
Champagne Pistachio Ice-Cream Cake
Golden Rum Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake
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WHEN THE NIGHTS GROW COOL and the leaves turn colors, it’s time to pop this nutty whiskey-laced cake into the oven. It’s a rich, spiced, sweet-potato creation topped with crumbly pecan praline and smooth buttery whiskey sauce.
Black Jack Cake
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon molasses
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned sweet potato puree
¼ cup sour-mash whiskey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Pecan Praline
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cup pecans, toasted
Buttery Whiskey Sauce
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour-mash whiskey
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Toast pecans (2½ cups total for cake and praline topping) about 8 minutes in the oven as it warms, and then set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat sugars and butter 3 to 5 minutes, or until fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. Add flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Mix in sweet potato puree, whiskey, spices, and nuts. Pour batter into the pan and bake 50 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. For the praline: In a saucepan, combine sugar, molasses, flour, butter, and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over low heat, stirring until combined. Stir in toasted nuts.
4. For the sauce: In a saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients and stir until the mixture reaches a gentle boil. Pour about one-fourth of the sauce over the cake.
5. Top cake with pecan praline and spoon the rest of the warm sauce overtop.
Variations
Brown Sugar Black Jack Cake
For the cake: Replace sugar, brown sugar, and molasses with 2 cups brown sugar.
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CHAI IS AN AROMATIC SPICED DRINK that originated in India. This cake, chock-full of apples and walnuts, is topped off with a chai-spiced liqueur glaze. Cozy flavors of fresh apples, brandy, and buttery brown sugar are sure to warm you and your guests on a wintry night.
Brandy Apple Cake
1½ cups canola oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2½ cups all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups walnuts, chopped
3¼ cups apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
¼ tablespoon brandy
Chai Glaze
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Voyant chai cream liqueur
2 tablespoons orange juice
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat oil and sugar until thick and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir in walnuts, apples, and brandy. Pour into the pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. For the glaze: In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugars. Stir in chai cream liqueur and orange juice, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 4 minutes.
4. Let cake cool 10 minutes, unmold, and pour warm chai glaze overtop.
Variations
Hard Cider Apple Cake
Replace brandy with hard cider. Replace chai glaze with buttery whiskey sauce.
Other Liqueur
If chai liqueur is unobtainable, substitute ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice added to 3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur.
Pear Brandy Ginger Cake
Replace apples with pears. Add 1 teaspoon ginger. Use a pear brandy in the cake.
Whiskey Apple Cake
Replace brandy with whiskey. Substitute buttery whiskey sauce for chai glaze.
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CHOCOLATE AND A NIP OF PORT are surely one of life’s little pleasures. These dark chocolate cakes are served fresh from the oven so that their port-flavored lava center is warm and gooey. Of course, you can use other spirits; just pair the chocolate with your personal favorite and enjoy!
Chocolate Lava Cakes
1½ cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated
¼ cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons port wine
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Finishing
1 pint vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour one large 6-cup muffin or cupcake pan or six (¾- to 1-cup capacity) ramekins or custard cups.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter 2 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Stir and heat again until chocolate is melted completely and both are combined. Stir in egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and port. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, combine the remaining sugar and cocoa. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add about 2 tablespoons of the sugar and cocoa, beating until soft peaks form. Gently fold the chocolate and sugar-cocoa mixtures into the egg whites in three alternating additions.
4. Pour batter into the pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes. The edges will be firm, but the centers will be a bit liquid. Cool 3 minutes before serving.
5. Run a knife around the edges. Invert onto serving plates and top with ice cream or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Rum
For the cakes: Substitute dark rum for port.
Chococlate Lava Cakes with Spiked Whipped Cream
For the finishing: Instead of a side of ice cream, top cakes with spiked whipped cream.
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Whiskey
For the cakes: Substitute sour-mash whiskey for port.
Make-Ahead Chocolate Lava Cakes
For prepping the cakes: You can refrigerate the batter-filled pan, covered, up to 24 hours before baking. Extend the baking time by approximately 15 minutes.
Milk Chocolate Lava Cakes with Coffee Liqueur
For the cakes: Substitute milk chocolate for semisweet and coffee liqueur for port. (Learn how to make your own homemade coffee liqueur.)
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BREW YOUR FAVORITE ROAST for this coffee-infused cake. At small dinner parties, serve it family-style and encourage guests to help themselves from the cake platter in the center of the table.
Coffee Liqueur Cake
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
⅓ cup coffee liqueur (store-bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon vodka
⅔ cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Coffee Liqueur Sauce
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
⅓ cup espresso or strong coffee
¼ cup coffee liqueur
2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Finishing
2 teaspoons sweet ground chocolate, for dusting, if desired
½ cup chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a another bowl, combine coffee liqueur, vodka, and buttermilk. In a third bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix the flour and the buttermilk mixtures into the butter mixture in three alternating additions. Pour batter into the pan and bake 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
4. For the sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in espresso and coffee liqueur. Add confectioners’ sugar and stir until the mixture thickens into a sauce.
5. Pour coffee liqueur sauce onto a large platter. Place cake in the center. Dust with sweet ground chocolate or drizzle with additional coffee liqueur. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired. Serve, spooning sauce from the platter over each slice.
Hazelnut Coffee Liqueur Cake
For the cake: Add 1½ cups chopped hazelnuts to the batter. Top with additional hazelnuts.
Mocha Chip Liqueur Cake
For the cake: Add 1½ cups chocolate chips to the batter. Top with chopped chocolate chips.
Toffee Coffee Liqueur Cake
For the cake: Add 1½ cups toffee pieces to the batter. Top with additional toffee pieces.
White Russian Coffee Liqueur Cake
For the cake: Omit cocoa powder, and increase vodka to 2 tablespoons; replace buttermilk with sour cream.
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CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK, German chocolate cake was not invented in Germany. A 1950s Texas housewife popularized a recipe using Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, which was created by a guy named Samuel German in 1852. For fun, we’ve doctored the batter with every über-indulging rocker’s favorite party shot: Jägermeister. Prost!
German Chocolate Cake
½ cup (1 stick) plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
1¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons Jägermeister
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2¼ cups cake flour
Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup (1½ stick) unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons Jägermeister, plus a shot for the cook
2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
1½ cups pecans, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add Jägermeister and vanilla.
3. Heat 1 cup water until warm. Combine cocoa, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and flour; mix it and the water into the butter mixture in three alternating additions. Pour batter into pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
4. For the frosting: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, vanilla, and Jägermeister. Stir 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick and golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature for spreading consistency. Have yourself that shot of Jäger.
5. Frost one layer, stack the other layer on top, and frost again. No, this frosting won’t stick to the sides, don’t even try. And no, you better not have another shot of Jägermeister before the guests arrive.
Variation
Double Chocolate Deutsch German Chocolate Cake
For the topping: For a sophisticated edge, frost the sides of the cake with chocolate frosting, or top it with curls of dark chocolate.
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THIS SUPER-CHOCOLATEY RECIPE spikes the Lone Star State’s signature cake—the Texas sheet cake—with the Texas Rose cocktail. It has the reputation for being so rich it can feed a Texas-size crowd. Channel your inner Texan and don’t be shy about decorating with a generous scoop of sprinkles, boozy chocolate-covered cherries, or big, beautiful buttercream roses!
Lone Star Liquor Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
⅓ cup orange juice
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup Champagne
¼ cup bourbon
2 tablespoons cherry liqueur
Chocolate Champagne Glaze
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup Champagne
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Yellow Bourbon Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
¼ cup half-and-half
A few drops yellow food coloring
Finishing
Lots of frosting, sprinkles, or boozy chocolate-covered cherries
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a jellyroll or sheet-cake pan.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, orange juice, and cocoa, and bring to a boil. Let cool. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix in cooled orange juice mixture, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, Champagne, bourbon, and cherry liqueur. Pour into the pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes.
3. For the glaze: In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, cocoa, and Champagne and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar until glaze is thick but pourable.
4. For the buttercream: In a mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add salt. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and bourbon. Mix in half-and-half as needed until fluffy. Tint with food coloring and refrigerate.
5. Pour glaze over the cake and let cool. Spoon the bourbon buttercream into a pastry bag or a plastic bag with one corner snipped off. Decorate the cake with loops, roses, or other fanciful toppings.
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THE FLAVORS OF SUNNY SOUTHERN ITALY combine with a hint of fresh rosemary in this lovely lemony cake. It’s baked in a thin pignoli (pine nut) crust, glazed with a light sweet-tart icing, and decorated with candied lemon slices. Limoncello is Sorrento’s signature after-dinner digestivo, usually taken straight from the freezer and sipped in tiny glasses.
Limoncello Cake
¾ cup ground pine nuts, divided
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1¾ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon peel, finely grated
3 tablespoons limoncello lemon liqueur
Limoncello Icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons limoncello lemon liqueur
Candied Lemon Slices
2 cups sugar
2 cups Meyer lemons, sliced thinly
Finishing
3 or 4 springs fresh rosemary
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan and dust with about ¼ cup ground pine nuts.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter 30 seconds; add sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour, rosemary, remaining ½ cup pine nuts, baking powder, salt, and milk. Beat to combine.
3. Stir in lemon peel and limoncello. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake 45 minutes. Let cool.
4. For the icing: Stir sugar and limoncello together until consistency is spreadable.
5. For the lemon slices: In a saucepan, combine sugar with 2 cups water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon slices and simmer another 5 minutes, making sure the fruit is soft but not falling apart. With a slotted spoon, remove lemon slices and cool on waxed paper.
6. Unmold cake onto a serving dish and pour glaze overtop. Decorate with candied lemon slices and a few sprigs of rosemary.
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THESE SUNNY ORANGE CUPCAKES are made with toasted sweet coconut, fresh orange peel, and orange juice—plus a splash of orange vodka in the cupcakes and buttercream frosting.
Scewdriver Cupcakes
3 eggs
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup orange juice
½ cup orange-flavored vodka
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Orange Vodka Buttercream
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons orange juice
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons vodka
Finishing
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted or untoasted
Orange Curls
Zest of one orange
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 12-cup muffin or cupcake pan.
2. Beat eggs until pale and foamy. In a mixing bowl, cream butter; mix in sugar and orange zest. Beat in the beaten eggs.
3. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together orange juice and vodka. Add flour and vodka mixtures to the egg mixture in three alternating additions. Fold in coconut. Pour batter into the pan and bake 21 to 23 minutes. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
4. For the buttercream: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, orange juice, and cream. Fold in vodka.
5. Frost cupcakes with a generous amount of buttercream. Sprinkle with coconut, and then top with twisty orange curls.
6. For the orange curls: Use a peeler to cut strips of zest. Curl each strip by twisting it around a chopstick or drinking straw.
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SPIKED WITH 151-PROOF RUM, this carrot cake lives up to its name—and then some. It’s enriched with shredded carrots, pineapple, walnuts, raisins, and coconut and topped with a fluffy maple cream cheese frosting that’s spiked with dark rum and amaretto.
Shamelessly Rich Carrot Cake
4 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
⅔ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons amaretto
⅓ cup 151-proof rum
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 (16-ounce) bag carrots, peeled and shredded
1 (8-ounce) can shredded pineapple, drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 teaspoons amaretto
2 tablespoons 151-proof rum
Finishing
8 to 10 marzipan carrots
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream eggs and sugars. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, amaretto, and rum.
3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually beat into the egg mixture with carrots, pineapple, walnuts, raisins, and coconut. Gradually add flour and carrot mixtures to the egg mixture in three alternating additions. Beat until just combined. Pour into the prepared pans and bake 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
4. For the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and maple syrup; beat until fluffy. Fold in amaretto and rum. Refrigerate frosting while cake cools.
5. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; slather it with frosting. Add the second layer and frost the entire cake. Garnish with marzipan carrots, if desired.
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HERE’S AN ADULT VERSION of everyone’s favorite birthday cake. This recipe makes a chocolatey bourbon-laced cake that’s filled with bourbon-spiked ice cream and topped with still more bourbon-infused frosting. You can experiment with any imaginable combination of cake, alcohol, ice cream, and frosting.
Spiked Ice Cream
4 cups (2 pints) cherry vanilla ice cream, partially melted
¼ to ½ cup bourbon
A few drops food coloring, if desired
Bourbon Devil’s Food Cake
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
¼ cup espresso or strong coffee
¼ cup bourbon
Creamy Vanilla Bourbon Frosting
1½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch tube pan.
2. For the spiked ice cream: Stir together ice cream, bourbon, and food coloring; freeze overnight.
3. Thaw spiked ice cream for 20 minutes or microwave on low in 60-second intervals until soft.
4. For the cake: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.
5. Combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Combine milk, espresso, and bourbon. Beat the flour and bourbon mixtures into the butter mixture in three alternating additions. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
6. For the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat cream and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and bourbon.
7. Slice off the top fourth of the cake horizontally and set aside. Place the remaining cake on a freezer-safe plate. With a thin serrated knife, gently score around the inner edge, about ¾ inch from the edge and no deeper than 1 inch from the bottom of the cake. Repeat with outer edge. With a serrated spoon, carefully scoop out the cake between the scores to create a tunnel. Freeze 1 hour. (Go for it! Eat the scooped-out cake while you’re waiting.)
8. Remove the cake from the freezer. Fill the center tunnel with softened bourbon-spiked ice cream. Put the top layer back on, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze at least 4 hours. Frost, and then freeze 30 minutes before serving.
Variations
Flavor variations are endless! Try these combinations or mix and match to suit your taste.
Bourbon Chocolate Caramel-Vanilla Ice-Cream Cake
For the ice cream: Replace cherry vanilla with caramel vanilla swirl.
Champagne Pistachio Ice-Cream Cake
For the cake and ice cream: Bake Champagne cake in a tube pan. Fill it with Champagne-spiked pistachio ice cream. For the frosting: Substitute Champagne for the bourbon.
Golden Rum Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake
For the cake and ice cream: Bake a golden rum cake in a tube pan. Fill it with rum-spiked chocolate ice cream. For the frosting: Substitute rum for the bourbon and chocolate extract for the vanilla.
Rum Mocha Ice-Cream Cake
For the cake and ice cream: Prepare a chocolate cake in a tube pan. Add ½ cup rum to the batter before baking. Fill with coffee ice cream that has been spiked with rum. For the frosting: Substitute rum for the bourbon and chocolate extract for the vanilla.
Vodka Mint Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake
For the cake: Prepare a chocolate cake in a tube pan. Add ½ cup vodka to the batter before baking. Fill with mint chocolate chip ice cream that has been spiked with vodka. For the frosting: Substitute rum for the bourbon and mint extract for the vanilla.
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POPULAR IN LATIN AMERICA, Pastel de Tres Leches is a white cake soaked in three kinds of milk (tres leches) and topped with whipped cream. Once the dense cake has absorbed the milks, it becomes light, moist, and creamy. This version is soaked in cachaça, a Brazilian distilled spirit made from sugarcane that tastes more like vodka than rum, which also happens to be made from sugarcane. Cachaça (kah-shah-sah) is the alcohol in the famous Caipirinha (kai-pi-rin-ya) cocktail.
Fluffy White Cake
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Spiked Tres Leches
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (7-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1 cup cachaça or rum
Spiked Whipped Cream
Use cachaça or rum in spiked whipped cream
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking powder. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and then fold into the batter. Bake 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. For the tres leches: Combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and milk. Pierce the cake all over with a fork. Slowly pour milk mixture over the cake. Once the milk is completely absorbed, pour cachaça or rum overtop.
4. Top with spiked whipped cream and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Even when chilled, this cake is soft and moist. Cut individual squares from the baking pan and serve.
Variation
Fruity Tres Leches Cake
For the topping: Serve cake with maraschino cherries or fresh sliced strawberries. For a tropical flair, try mandarin orange wedges or pineapple chunks.
