Pecan Tres Leches Cake

 

Yield:

12 servings

 

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, room temperature

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs, separated, room temperature

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup DairyPure milk, room temperature

1 cup chopped pecans

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Frosting:

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Topping:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon gray sea salt, crushed or kosher salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Grease and flour one 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add in egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the DairyPure Milk.
7. Mix until batter is fluffy but be careful not to over mix.
8. Beat egg whites until foamy and thick.
9. Very gently fold egg whites into batter, add pecans and mix until just incorporated.
10. Pour batter into prepared pan.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let cake cool in pans until pans are warm to the touch.
13. Carefully remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
14. Mix the the sweetened condensed milk with the heavy cream.
15. Place the cake inside a larger pan with sides.
16. Pour the mixture over the cake, and allow the liquid to be absorbed, about 10 minutes.
17. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
18. Slice cake horizontally, into two equal halves, frost the middle, top, and sides.
19. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water (for caramel) over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, without stirring.
20. Boil until the syrup is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes.
21. Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble.
22. Stir in the unsalted butter, and salt. Transfer the caramel to a dish and cool. (Caramel will keep in fridge for up to two weeks. Reheat before serving.)
23. Drizzle top of cake with caramel sauce when serving.