Trés Leches Cake with Macerated Strawberries and Cream

A simple and elegant dessert, that looks beautiful, and tastes out of this world. We've been researching this traditional Mexican pastry lately, and we've created the most delicious recipe with the best flavor and texture. The cake was soaked with condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk and dark rum. It was served with macerated strawberries in cinnamon, and sweetened whipped cream. The combination of all of these flavors is absolutely heavenly. We guarantee you'll love it.

Spray an individual mold pan (we prefer individual molds over one large cake, since it will bake faster, soak faster = eating faster!), and dust it lightly with flour, tap out the excess.

Sponge:
In a small bowl put:
1C all purpose flour
1/2t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
1/4t salt

In a blender put:
1/2 stick melted unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/4C sugar
1/4C vegetable oil
1/4C whole milk
1t vanilla extract
Blend till lemon colored, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture in to the flour mixture and whisk till smooth.

Divide the batter in to the molds, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake at 350F for about 12 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean they are ready.
Take the cakes out of the molds, cut off a small amount of cake from the bottom so that they can stand up straight (since they will really puff up in the oven and have a muffin top), and place them into a 9x9 casserole dish.
With a wooden skewer make 5 holes in each cake.

Soaking liquid:

In a large bowl add:

1 can condensed milk (14oz)

1 can evaporated milk (12oz)

1/2C whole milk

1T vanilla extract

1/2C dark rum

Whisk. Now pour half of the liquid over the cakes very slowly. Soak for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes turn the cakes over, pour the rest of the liquid over the cakes very slowly. Sit for another 10-25 minutes.

They should be fully soaked through. The sponge will be soaked nicely without being mushy.

Macerated strawberries:
Wash and cut about 8 large strawberries. Cut them into quarters, then lay them sideways and cut smaller pieces.
Add 1T sugar in to a bowl
1/2t ground cinnamon
1t vanilla extract
Mix together with the strawberries and a sugar-strawberry sauce will form. Let them sit for 10 minutes minimum.

Now whip 1C heavy cream in to a mixing bowl,
add 1t vanilla extract and
1T powdered sugar. Make stiff peaks.

Put everything together on a large plate, starting with a ring of whipped cream on the plate first, put a cake on top, some more cream, and the strawberries over that. EAT!