Tiramisu Tres Leches

After what feels like a very long hiatus, I’m finally back! I took some time off to work on a great project, that I can’t wait to share with you all. More on that soon! It completely ate up all of my free time, and between that, my other monthly freelance recipe development/photography work for Food Network and of course, raising Theo, life has been too crazy and unfortunately I had to pause on the blog for a bit. I’m happy to be back though and I’m sharing this AMAZING Tres Leches Tiramisu. I’m a huge fan of the classic Italian dessert, and an even bigger fan of tres leches cake and so I thought why not combine the two to create the ultimate cake?!?! This one is an actual dream come true for me and I could seriously just eat the entire thing from the pan with a fork. It’s that good!

In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Set aside.

**Note: The instant espresso powder gives the cake an added coffee flavor. It’s not required but it adds a nice touch.**

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg yolks along with ¾ cup of the sugar. Beat on high speed until the yolks are pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the evaporated milk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and stir gently just until just combined. Do not over-mix.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed. As they begin to whip into stiff peaks, gradually mix in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter very gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 9×13-inch baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout, whisk together the condensed milk, heavy cream, reserved evaporated milk, espresso and vanilla.

Once the cake is done, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before pouring all of the soaking mixture over the cake. The cake must be warm at the time you add the soak so that it absorbs very well. Allow to cool completely while you prepare the topping.

For the topping, add the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on moderate speed until soft peaks form. Then raise the speed and beat on high until firm.

Pour onto the cooled cake and spread out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Once ready to serve, dust the cake with cocoa powder to completely cover the top.

The cake is best served chilled and I also find that it slices nicer if it chills longer. I don’t like to add the cocoa powder until right before serving as it’ll soak into the topping the longer it sits. Not the worst thing that could happen but something to keep in mind.

This is a great cake to make for a crowd. You can cut it into smaller pieces and serve at parties. It’s a show-stopping dessert that everyone will love.

I find it easier to make than traditional tiramisu because you don’t have to soak lady fingers one by one and make the zabaglione or layer it all together. You still get that classic taste without all of the work.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think of it. Thank you so much for following along. It means a lot!