Quick Notes: Tres Leches is one of my all-time favorite desserts, but I like a poke cake. If you don’t, this is probably not your jam. If you’re not really into baking, you can totally make a quick easy version of this using a white cake mix from the store and just pouring the milks over and using cool whip for the topping. I’ve had that version and it’s also great. I personally think that the eggy-ness of this Tres Leches makes it hold together a little better with all the milks (I am not a professional and don’t have any idea if this is an actual thing, just my guess). This is originally adapted from an Allrecipes post with minor changes.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan however you like. I use cooking spray. You can use butter or flour, or whatever the fuck.
In a bowl, cream together your butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer until completely combined. Add the vanilla and eggs to this and mix it in well. Sidebar: A lot of recipes suggest separating the eggs, and using only the egg whites, whipping them into a puffy pile of nonsense. If you're an overachiever feel free to go this route. I am not. I don't find it necessary to make this a successful recipe but to each their own.
 In a separate bowl combine your flour and baking powder. A professional would tell you to sift them together. Do what makes your heart happy. I just dump them in a bowl and use a fork to mix everything up.Â
Slowly mix your flour mixture with your butter/sugar/egg shit. I like to slowly pour the eggy stuff into the flour mixture while using my electric mixer. This does require an additional set of hands. If you don't have an additional set of hands to help you, you would probably do well to spoon in a couple of scoops of the flour into the eggy mixture at a time instead.Â
Once everything is completely mixed together, plop that shit in your cake pan, and put it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.Â
Once your cake is done baking, give it about 20 minutes to cool slightly. Once cooled, poke a bunch of holes in the top of your cake with a straw (ideal) or a chopstick (workable). Pour your milks into the cake. You can either mix them all together and dump them all at once, or you can dump them separately. It doesn't really matter.Â
Put your cake in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes.Â
When you're ready to serve, mix your heavy whipping cream, remaining sugar, and remaining vanilla together with an electric mixer until it's increased in volume enough to be considered whipped cream. Top your cake. You can also add cinnamon or strawberries. Â
