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Kaelin Trilling

Tres Leches Roulade

A delicious spin on traditional tres leches. Presented as a roulade, cake roll, with whipped cream and berry filling, the soak doesn't make the cake soggy or overly rich, as it has to go through all of the rolls! I reduced the amount of "milk soak", as I prefer less liquid, but you do you. I love this cake! I adapted this from a cake I made in cooking school in Oaxaca by the talented Chef Kaelin Trilling.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Mixing 25 minutes
Servings: 20
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 10 eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup all purpose flour you can use gf flour, such as cup4cup
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar for dusting, if desired
Filling
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract almond also works well here
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced any mixture of fruit you love could work here
Soaking Liquid
  • 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk well stirred. Traditional recipes call for evaporated milk, I prefer coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons liquor or liqueur Rum, Brandy, Mezcal, Baileys Kahlua, Amaretto
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened I used butter I had browned and then stirred to combine as I let it cool to room temp on the counter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any extract you wish to use
  • 2 tablespoons cream

Equipment

  • stand mixer
  • 18x13x1 sheet pan/jellyroll pan

Method
 

Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a half sheet pan 18x13x1 ( jelly roll pan) and line with parchment paper.  Grease the paper thoroughly.  (I like to leave about an inch of extra paper to help remove the cake)
    Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.  Beat the yolks until light and lemon colored, about 20 minutes.(yes 20 minutes!)  The consistency should be very thick and when you lift the beaters, the mixture should fall in one solid mass, “ribbon stage”.  Add ½ cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, add vanilla and then beat for 3 more minutes.  Set aside.
    Whip the egg whites until soft peaks.  Add the remaining ½ cup sugar slowly until it makes a meringue.(stiff peaks)  Add the whites to the yolks one third at a time, folding with a rubber spatula.  Add the flour mixture all at once and fold in.
     Spread batter very evenly into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until the cake comes away from the sides of the pan and springs up lightly when touched in the center.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and turn out onto a clean towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar.  Gently remove the parchment paper.  Cover the cake with another towel and roll up lengthwise into the towels, jellyroll style while still warm.
Filling:
  1. Whip the cream and vanilla to soft peaks.  Add powdered sugar whip until blended, being careful not to overheat at this stage. Fold in the fruit.  
Soaking Liquid:
  1.  Mix the three milks with a whisk, add liquor.
Frosting:
    In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, about 10 minutes.  Add the vanilla and mix for 2 minutes.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is well incorporated.  Add the cream and beat to blend.
      Assembly:
         Gently unroll the cake and remove the tea towel from top layer.  Spread the whipping cream fruit mixture on cake, just short of the edge, and then roll up lengthwise.  Transfer to a serving plate, seam side down.(since this is 18" long, it helps to have a transfer buddy)  Make lots of holes in the cake with a skewer and add the soaking liquid slowly, letting it absorb bit by bit.  Cover or decorate with frosting as desired.