May 4, 2012

more not less – borracha torta de dos leches / tipsy tequila-milk cake

cakes, holidays & special occasions
more not less – borracha torta de dos leches / tipsy tequila-milk cake

Last year, I got excited about soaking my Tres Leche Cake with tequila milk, which is almost cocktail by itself.  The absorption of the tequila milk made the cake a perfect dessert for celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Well, I learned my lesson—sort of. During a year of tweets, I learned that some people are grossed out by the slightly soggy texture of a tres leche cake. They thought it was like an over-dunked Oreo.

For baking, texture is a major component of a successful end result. Since you can vary the ratio of ingredients to achieve different densities and/or textures, I knew I could redefine the dessert for this soggy-sensitive audience.

There’s this little (well, screaming actually) voice in my head saying “More booze please”.

The intent of the cake is to celebrate Mexican’s heritage and pride for defeating the French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. So let’s celebrate with Tequila.

This cake has a sturdier structure than a standard Tres Leche Cake, so it can hold more soaking liquid without getting a squishy texture. I also introduced coconut and lime into the cake, an idea from friends’ fondness of Coconut Margaritas. The zesty lime, the luscious coconut milk and the fragrant shredded coconut turned this cake from a quiet whisper to a polite roar.

The party kicks off when you pour the amped up Tequila-Milk (with the higher ratio of tequila to milk, dos instead of tres) onto the cake right after it comes out of the oven. Don’t worry, the creaminess of coconut milk balances out the sharpness of tequila. You won’t be overwhelmed as if doing shots of tequila but after a few bites you will be quite happy to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or whoever the occasion calls for. Viva Mexico!!

Print Recipe

Borracha Torta de Dos Leche - Tipsy (drunken) Tequila-Milk Cake

Yield: One 10-inch cake

Ingredients:

Coconut Cake
  • 2-3/4 cups ( 13-3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 6 lime, remove peel with vegetable peeler, reserved. (Careful not to include white pith)
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, from the peeled lime, about 4
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 16 tablespoons (8 ounces/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Tequila-Milk
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup tequila (substitute with unsweetened coconut milk for the kid-friendly version)

Directions:

Coconut Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Spray 12-cup tube pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. Combine lime juice. coconut milk and extracts in a separate bowl, set aside.

2. Process 1 cup of sugar and lime peel in a food processor until finely ground. Add remaining sugar, butter and process until smooth. With the machine running, add eggs, one at a time; process until light in color. Transfer mixture into a large bowl.

3. Using a rubber spatula, fold in half of the flour mixture, add lime-coconut mixture to combine. Fold in the rest of the flour mixture until just combine. Scrape batter into the prepared tube pan and baked until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.

Tequila Milk
1. While cake is baking, combine condense milk, coconut milk and tequila, stir to combine and set aside.

2.  When cake is done, remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a long wooden skewer, poke several deep holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly spoon some of the glaze over the cake. Let set for a few minutes and repeat until you use up all the glaze. It might seems soggy, but the cake will eventually absorb it all and leave a glossy surface.

3. Allow cake to cool completely in pan for at least 2 hours. Turn the cake out onto a platter, you can serve it now or be good and wait for 24 hours to get an even tastier cake.

cakes, holidays & special occasions
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