Dear Jeanne:Can you lighten this recipe? My husband loves it, but 1,000 calories in a can of sweetened condensed milk scares me away. Thanks!
— Susie Guven, San Antonio
Dear Susie: In researching Tres Leches Cake, I found that this recipe was actually lower in fat and calories than some other recipes. The main culprit in this recipe is the heavy cream. It is possible to cut down the amount of sweetened condensed milk used, also. I found this to be extremely sweet, and there was quite a lot of excess milk "sauce." There is supposed to be extra sauce to spoon onto the serving plate, but I reduced it a bit, and I cut the sweetened milk, as the cake itself already is very sweet. I recommend serving this with sliced fruit, and maybe some fat-free whipped topping.
Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com.
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TRES LECHES CAKE
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2< cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in flour (do not overmix).
2. Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until golden and pulling away from sides of dish, 20-25 minutes. Using a small knife, scrape skin from top of cake; discard. Cool cake 20 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
4. To serve, prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Chill cake and cut into squares; serve topped with whipped cream.
Makes 12 servings.
LOW-FAT TRES LECHES CAKE
6 egg whites
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 can (14 ounces) low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed to soft peaks. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until thick and light yellow.
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in the flour (do not overmix).
4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 20-25 minutes. Cool cake 20 minutes. Poke with a fork, being careful not to tear it.
5. Whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over the cooled cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Serve with whipped topping or sliced fresh fruit, or both.
Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 399 calories; 19 gm fat; 169 mg cholesterol; 129 mg sodium; 47 gm carbohydrates; 10 gm protein; negligible fiber. Revised Recipe: 244 calories; 2 gm fat; 72 mg cholesterol; 113 mg sodium; 46 gm carbohydrates; 8 gm protein; negligible fiber.