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Tres Leche Cupcakes

Individual servings of traditional white sponge cake soaked in three milks, topped with whipped cream and candy sprinkles.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcake Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 13/4 cups sugar
  • 13/4 cups AP flour
  • 5 extra large egg whites – room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 21/2 double-acting baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 10 oz whole milk
  • 2 oz vegetable oil
  • Large aluminum cupcake tins

Tres Leche Milk

  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 24 oz canned evaporated milk

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
  • 3/4 oz instant vanilla pudding – for stabilized whipped cream
  • Candy sprinkles – garnish

Instructions

Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees
  2. Whisk together the milk, both extracts, vegetable oil and set aside
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside
  4. Cream the butter on high speed using a paddle attachment for about 30 seconds, then reduce speed to low and slowly add the sugar. Beat on high until fully combined and light pale white colored 4-5 minutes
  5. Reduce speed to low and add the egg whites 1 at a time, waiting until each one is incorporated before adding the next
  6. Continue beating on low and add 1/3 of the flour mix, then 1/2 the liquids
  7. Repeat adding 1/3 of the dry and the rest of the liquids
  8. Finish adding the remaining dry ingredients and mix until it is combined, but do not over mix! When all the dry ingredients have become wet and the batter looks uniformly combined, stop
  9. Spoon the batter into cupcake molds filling them halfway and place them in the oven on a cookie sheet
  10. Bake for 22 minutes and check. If a toothpick comes out clean remove and set the cupcakes on a rack to cool
  11. While the cupcakes are baking, make your tres leche milk mixture
  12. When cooled to room temperature, poke holes in the cakes with a toothpick or the tines of a fork to help the tres leche milk mixture penetrate
  13. Pour the milk mixture to the top of the cake tin and let it set until it soaks in. Repeat the process, adding more milk and wait until it soaks in. Repeat a third time and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, but setting overnight will give them time to fully saturate the cakes
  14. If using fresh stabilized whipped cream you may pipe it on the cakes when the milk has been absorbed
  15. If using fresh or canned whipped cream, decorate immediately before serving and add sprinkles

Tres Leche Milk

  1. Whisk together the three milks in a bowl with a pouring spout and refrigerate until ready to use

Whipped Cream Topping

  1. Freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment to whip faster and with more volume
  2. Pre-mix the powdered sugar and vanilla pudding mix
  3. Whip the heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks form
  4. Add the sugar mix and vanilla extract and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form
  5. Scoop the topping into a disposable piping bag fitted with a large star tip to decorate the cupcakes.
  6. Garnish with sprinkles