Tres leches is a favorite dessert in our house for family and friends. I tackled this moist cake in a new way fairly recently by making my own sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Don’t be intimidated by this – it takes 2 hours but is not labor intensive. If you’re going to be around the house for a stretch of time, all you have to do is pour milk in a pot and stir every 15 minutes or so.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk

• 4 cups low-fat milk

• 1/4 scant cup of honey

• 1/4 scant cup of organic sugar

Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to low. When it is reduced by half (about 2 hours), allow the milk to cool a bit and then pour into 2 glass jars. I divide it about equally- the one with slightly less milk will become the sweetened condensed milk. The other one is now evaporated milk! Set aside the evaporated milk to cool and then place in the fridge if not using immediately. Mix the honey and organic sugar into the other jar of milk. Stir until sugar and honey are dissolved. Once again, place in the fridge if not using right away.

Tres Leches Cake

• Vanilla Cake

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 1 cup evaporated milk

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk

For the cake, I use Dr. Oetkers vanilla cake mix. Bake according to directions in a 9×13′ pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup whipping together. Gradually pour over the still warm cake. It will look like a lot of liquid but it will be quickly absorbed. Top with homemade whipped cream. (about 1 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of honey or organic powdered sugar beaten until soft peaks form)

This cake is wonderful by itself, but is also yummy with the sweet strawberries now available or the mangoes and peaches that will be popping up soon!