Cake of the Day: Baileys Tres Leches Cake
A boozy twist on the traditional Latin American dessert. (Photo: Diana Yen)
Cake and booze go hand in hand, as evidenced in today’s decadent treat from Diana Yen of The Jewels of New York. The cookbook author is behind lots of other gorgeous cakes featured in our Cake of the Day series — her Fig Olive Oil Cake and Bombe Alaska With Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, to name a couple — and this one is no exception. It’s an adult-friendly dessert, soaked in Irish cream liqueur and decked out with ripe summer berries, and we’re all about it.
“The heavenly combination of fresh berries, over layers of sweet cream-soaked cake is truly irresistible and a sure hit at your next summer get together,” she writes. “This updated twist on the traditional Latin American dessert is made from golden layers of cake soaked in tres leches, a combination of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and Baileys Irish Cream.”
Yen relies on buttermilk to make the cake moist and fluffy, and pokes holes in the layers to ensure they’re thoroughly saturated with the tres leches mixture poured over them. After they’ve soaked and chilled in the fridge, they’re ready to assemble: Each cake layer gets a spread of Baileys-infused whipped cream and a flourish of berries. The top layer gets an extra sprinkling of edible flowers, ensuring that the cake is as gorgeous as it is delicious.
Get the recipe: Baileys Tres Leches
(Photo: Diana Yen)
More Latin American-inspired desserts: