The Torta de las Tres Leches -- [a catch-up cake for me]

This marvelous creation was one that I have not baked previously, but when I was informed by a friend last week that it was his favorite cake – what could I do?
A simple mis en place        

The cake, itself, came together very easily – biscuit cake in a 9 x 3” round.

After cooling, place the cake on plastic wrap, wrap it, and place it back into the pan in which it was baked, wrapping the tops over to seal it. Keep refrigerated while wrapped until ready to soak it in leches.

For the leche mixture, boil the milks and sugar, reducing to half.  Cool, add the whipping cream and condensed milk . [Tip to self: Next time, weigh the saucepan to be able to easily guage the reduction].  Refrigerate until ready to pour onto cake.

Because I intended to surprise my friend with it at lunch time today, I completed the whole milk addition last evening, and the cake soaked, refrigerated, over night, more than eight hours.

This morning I carefully inverted the torta onto a tart pan bottom and set it into a large platter with a lip that accommodated it perfectly. I sopped up some excess milk several times by rolling narrow pieces of paper toweling around the base of the cake.

There wasn’t enough of the whipped cream stabilized with cornstarch made the night before, so in the morning I made another batch and the stars I piped were more full.

Not only was my friend surprised, but he was delighted, and there were rave reviews from his friends. The cake was moist, but not soggy, beautiful flavor, and crumb.

This was a very pleasant experience, with an exceptional cake ~~ a nice one to repeat!