Tres leches means “three milks” and in the traditional version this would be a blend of heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Luckily, this dessert can be made dairy-free thanks to our friend the coconut. This cake is delicious any time you get a hankering for it, but since it is served chilled, it is especially refreshing in the summer months.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup (112 g) sifted coconut flour
- 2 tbsp (16 g) tapioca starch, plus more for dusting the pan
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unflavored gelatin
- 2 tsp (8 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine Himalayan salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 0.66 cup (120 g) coconut sugar or grated panela
- 2 large eggs, or ½ cup (125 g) applesauce
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 0.66 cup (157 ml) water
For the Three Milks
- ½ cup (120 ml) coconut cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed coconut milk
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- To prepare the cake, in a mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, tapioca starch, gelatin, baking soda and salt and stir well.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, egg, vanilla and vinegar and whisk vigorously or beat with an electric mixer. Stir in the water.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring often, until all ingredients are combined. The resulting batter will be extremely thick.
- Grease an 8-inch (20.5-cm) square baking dish with coconut oil and dust lightly with tapioca starch. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the dish, spreading it evenly so that there are no air bubbles in the batter and smoothing the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges have begun to pull away from the sides and the top is lightly crisped and has darkened. Due to the combination of coconut flour and coconut sugar, the cake does not turn a golden color. Be careful not to burn the cake. Allow it to remain in the dish while you prepare the milks. Prepare the Three Milks
- In a bowl, thoroughly combine the coconut cream, coconut milk and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
- Transfer the cake to a serving platter by placing it on top of the pan and quickly inverting it. Or, if your baking dish has a lid, you may leave it there if you prefer. Use a fork or toothpick to prick holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the three-milk mixture on top in an even layer. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
