Pineapple Tres Leches Cake
Add a tropical twist to this delicious Latin American dessert using Del Monte® pineapple to add bright acidity and just the right amount of sweetness.
Yield 18 Servings (4 oz each slice)
| Ingredient | Measure |
|---|---|
| Flour, all-purpose | 1 1/2 cups |
| Baking Powder | 1 tsp |
| Butter, room temperature | 1/2 cup |
| Sugar, granulated | 1 cup |
| Eggs, large | 5 each |
| Del Monte® Crushed Pineapple in 100% Juice, drained | 1/2 cup |
| Evaporated Milk | 1 1/2 cups |
| Sweetened Condensed Milk | 1 1/3 cup |
| Del Monte® Pineapple Juice | 1 1/2 cup |
| Whole Milk | 1/2 cup |
| Heavy Whipping Cream | 1 1/2 cups |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 tsp |
| Powder Sugar | 2/3 cup |
TIP
- For a speed-scratch version of this cake use a commercially prepared cake mix that just requires the addition of water, eggs and oil. Replace water with pineapple juice and follow remaining instructions.
- The use of powdered sugar in the whipped cream helps hold the well-drained crushed pineapple. For a finer pineapple particulate, the drained crushed pineapple can be pureed in a small food processer.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Combine and sift flour and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer with a wire whisk, blend the butter and sugar until fully. Add eggs and whip until smooth.
- Add flower mixture to the butter, sugar and egg mixture in small 2 tablespoon amounts at a time and continue mixing and scraping down sides of bowl until batter is smooth.
- Spray a 9“ by 13” baking pan or shallow half hotel pan. Pour batter into pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake on middle rack for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake should remain moist. Allow cake to cool completely in the baking pan for at least 30 minutes then refrigerate for about an hour.
- Drain crushed pineapple and squeeze all excess pineapple juice out. Reserve crushed pineapple for whipped cream and reserve juice for tres leches soaking liquid.
- In a bowl, prepare the tres leches soaking blend by combining the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, reserved and any needed additional pineapple juice, and whole milk. Whisk until well blended. Hold until cake is completely cooled.
- With a table fork pierce the entire cake at 1/2” intervals to allow the 3-milk pineapple soaking blend to penetrate and soak the cake. It helps to pull the fork toward you slightly as you remove it to open a slightly larger holes on the top of the cake for easier milk absorption.
- Pour 2 and 1/3 cups of the tres leches soaking blend evenly over the top of each cake spreading out as needed with a rubber spatula. Allow to soak in for up to an hour or two. Pour off any excess tres leches liquid and reserve for another cake. This recipe uses full retail cans of evaporated and sweetened condensed milk providing enough soaking milk for two cakes.
- In a separate bowl, prepare fresh whipped cream by beating the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and powder sugar to form soft peaks. Add the well-drained crushed pineapple and whip for another 30 to 45 seconds to combine and create a firmer peak. Chill the whipped cream mixture until cake ready serve.
- For buffet or banquet service, spread cake evenly with whipped cream and chill. Cut cake 6 by 3 into 18 portions. For a la carte service, top and garnish as ordered.
- Garnish each portion with additional drained crushed pineapple and either toasted coconut or mint sprigs(optional) and serve.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Combine and sift flour and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer with a wire whisk, blend the butter and sugar until fully. Add eggs and whip until smooth.
- Add flower mixture to the butter, sugar and egg mixture in small 2 tablespoon amounts at a time and continue mixing and scraping down sides of bowl until batter is smooth.
- Spray a 9“ by 13” baking pan or shallow half hotel pan. Pour batter into pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake on middle rack for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake should remain moist. Allow cake to cool completely in the baking pan for at least 30 minutes then refrigerate for about an hour.
- Drain crushed pineapple and squeeze all excess pineapple juice out. Reserve crushed pineapple for whipped cream and reserve juice for tres leches soaking liquid.
- In a bowl, prepare the tres leches soaking blend by combining the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, reserved and any needed additional pineapple juice, and whole milk. Whisk until well blended. Hold until cake is completely cooled.
- With a table fork pierce the entire cake at 1/2” intervals to allow the 3-milk pineapple soaking blend to penetrate and soak the cake. It helps to pull the fork toward you slightly as you remove it to open a slightly larger holes on the top of the cake for easier milk absorption.
- Pour 2 and 1/3 cups of the tres leches soaking blend evenly over the top of each cake spreading out as needed with a rubber spatula. Allow to soak in for up to an hour or two. Pour off any excess tres leches liquid and reserve for another cake. This recipe uses full retail cans of evaporated and sweetened condensed milk providing enough soaking milk for two cakes.
- In a separate bowl, prepare fresh whipped cream by beating the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and powder sugar to form soft peaks. Add the well-drained crushed pineapple and whip for another 30 to 45 seconds to combine and create a firmer peak. Chill the whipped cream mixture until cake ready serve.
- For buffet or banquet service, spread cake evenly with whipped cream and chill. Cut cake 6 by 3 into 18 portions. For a la carte service, top and garnish as ordered.
- Garnish each portion with additional drained crushed pineapple and either toasted coconut or mint sprigs(optional) and serve.
