Chai Tres Leches

Hey guys! It has been soooooo hot in Texas up until literally two days ago, and while it’s not as cool as I want it to be, it definitely feels like the end of the hot weather is maybe upon us. With this being said, it’s kind of finally starting to feel like fall, and I wanted to bake something in celebration of that. This is how we ended up with this recipe and post.

As somebody who has spent a (smallish) fraction of my life working in coffee shops, I’ve spent lots of time around chai and we’ve become close friends over the years. It definitely has the flavor profile of “autumn” so I decided to combine the flavors of fall with one of my favorite cakes. It took some trial and error but I think we’re at a place where I’m happy enough with the recipe to share it with you guys, so voila!

Here’s what you’re gonna need for the recipe. Once again breaking the ingredients up into sections.

THE CAKE

• 1 c. All purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. Salt

• 5 large eggs (separated into whites and yolks)

• 1 c. Granulated sugar

• 1/3 c. Whole milk

• 1 tsp. Vanilla

• 2 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice (if you like less spice, go for 2 tsp)

MILK MIXTURE

• 6 oz. Evaporated milk (half a standard can)

• 14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk (a standard can)

• 1 1/2 c. Chai concentrate

WHIPPED CREAM

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

• 3 Tbsp. Powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine your flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl

3. If you haven’t already, separate your eggs

4. In a bowl with th egg yolks, add 3/4 c granulated sugar and beat on high. You want the yolks to be pale yellow.

5. To the yolks and sugar, add 1/3 cup of milk and your vanilla and just stir it to combine.

6. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently. Don’t use the mixer, just use a spoon because we don’t want to whip out too much of the air. We want to keep this cake light and not too dense.

7. Now for the egg whites, use the mixer and beat them on a high speed. You want to form stiff peaks.

8. As the egg whites start to form stiff peaks, gradually add in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and continue to mix. It should be a super fluffy and frothy mixture when you’re finished.

9. You’re going to GENTLY FOLD the egg whites into the rest of the batter. Notice how I emphasized gently? Please be gentle with it.

10. Once the mixture has been gently combined, pour it into an ungreased pan, smooth it into an even layer and bake for 17-25 minutes. Wait until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

11. Now we let the cake cool completely, and we can start on the milk mixture and whipped cream. This won’t take long

12. In a bowl, add your sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and chai concentrate and give it a good mix. (That’s all this part requires from you)

13. In another bowl, add your heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until it’s super light and fluffy and it looks like whipped cream.

14. Once your cake has cooled completely, go ahead and use a fork or a similar pokey tool and poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Then, pour your milk mixture all over the surface of the cake, making sure to cover everything, including the sides of the cake thoroughly. If you don’t want to use all of the mixture, that’s fine it’s totally up to preference.

15. Refrigerate the cake and let the mixture soak for a while. I recommend about 6 hours, but if you’re impatient and want to try a tiny piece at the two hour mark I won’t tell anybody.

16. Before you serve the cake, add your whipped cream and top with cinnamon if you’re feeling fancy.

That’s all I’ve got for you! I’m attaching a playlist below to listen to while you bake and/or enjoy your cake. I hope you enjoy!

Playlist!