Dallas Desserts Valentine's Day Edition: Tres Leches Cake

Dallas Desserts is a collaboration with Dallas Decoder, the top fan site for the Dallas television show.

For this year's Valentine's Day Dallas Dessert, Dallas Decoder and I decided to give our valentine to the show itself for having come back for 3 more great seasons produced by Warner Horizon Television and aired on TNT (check out Dallas Decoder's post here).

And what better way to celebrate the triple delight that was the Dallas revival than tres leches cake!

This is our favorite Mexican dessert (although fried ice cream is an incredibly close second). We first had it years ago at Alero in Cleveland Park, which was our Mexican restaurant of choice when we lived in that neighborhood. We immediately fell in love with it and order it periodically in Mexican restaurants ever since.

What is it? It's pretty simple actually: a single layer cake soaked with three milks ("tres leches"): evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and whole milk (or half-n-half or cream, depending on how rich this recipe is). It is often topped with sweetened whipped cream and may be drizzled with some other delicious sauce like chocolate, caramel or berry sauce.

Tres leches cake can either be made with a sponge cake or a yellow cake. I prefer the latter. I find the denser, cream-soaked cake to be more appealing. After baking the cake, poke it all over with a fork, then pour the three-milks mixture over the cake. I like to do this in increments to give the middle of the cake a chance to absorb the liquid as it's added, otherwise in the mixture tends to pool at the edge of the cake pan. Let the cake soak overnight before topping it with the whipped cream.

For this version, I topped the cake with drizzle of simple chocolate sauce. You can make your own with the recipe below or use a store-bought sauce.

Tres Leches Cake
Adapted from a Recipe by Alton Brown for Food Network

Cake:
6 3/4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour (or cake flour), plus extra for the pan
4 oz. (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for the pan
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. (a little less than 1 cup) sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
12 oz. can evaporated milk
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half-and-half

Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
8 oz. (a little less than 1 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate sauce (optional, see recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F with an oven rack in the middle position. Rub a 9 X 13 baking dish with butter and dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Beat the butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium speed until fluffy, about a minute. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the 8 oz. of sugar while the mixer is still running. Add the eggs one at a time and then the 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture in three batches and mix until just combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack until the cake is lightly browned on top and its internal temperature is 200 F, about 20-26 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack to cool completely.

5. Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and half-n-half in a medium bowl (a large liquid measuring cup works well for this). Poke the cake all over with a fork. Slowly pour the dairy mixture over the cake. Refrigerate the cake over night to soak well.

6. Add the heavy cream, remaining sugar and remaining vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium-low speed until thick and then on medium-high speed until stiff. Spread the whipped cream topping over the cake and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

7. Serve squares of cake on plates topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Simple Chocolate Sauce

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat chocolate and water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until the chocolate has melted, whisking frequently to mix and smooth. Add salt and increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Store in the refrigerator; reheat gently in the microwave before spooning over cake.

Oscar Cocktails: Boyhood

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

There has never been a movie quite like Boyhood. Filmed by director Richard Linklater in short segments over 12 years, it charts the evolution of a family during that time. It centers on Mason's (Ellar Coltrane) growth from age 6 to 18 but also shows how his parents--played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke--mature as adults as well. The film has been considered the frontrunner in this year's Best Picture race, although Birdman is hot on its heels. Boyhood is nominated for 6 Oscars, including Director (Linklater), Supporting Actress (Arquette) and Supporting Actor (Hawke).

Filming the movie over 12 years is a bit of a gimmick--a highly effective one in this case. Similarly, my Boyhood Oscar Cocktail is a bit of a gimmick: the ingredients spell out the name of the film. Nonetheless, it's still a great drink, a refreshingly citrus and slightly herbal rum cocktail.

Oscar Cocktails: Boyhood

Bacardi Light Rum, 1 1/2 oz.
Orange curaçao, dry (Pierre Ferrand), 1/2 oz.
Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 oz.
Honey syrup 1/2 oz. (see note below)
Orange bitters, 2 dashes
Orange peel, garnish
Drizzle of fresh lime juice (1 oz., about 1/2 a lime)

Combine rum, orange curaçao, Chartreuse, honey syrup, orange bitters and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal parts of honey and warm water until combined.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Selma

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

Selma is a biographical drama about minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Rather than attempt to chart his entire life story, the film focuses on his 1965 efforts to march from Selma, Alabama to the state's capital, Montgomery, in an effort to raise awareness of widespread voter disenfranchisement preventing African Americans from voting. The movie is a testament to the bravery of these activists, whose nonviolent methods nonetheless subjected them to horrible brutality from police and others bent on stopping them. The movie is nominated for Best Picture and Best Song.

Because Selma is a movie depicting important historical events in the Civil Rights Movement, I wanted equality to be the theme behind this Oscar Cocktail. All of the ingredients are added in equal measure. It's a riff on other such cocktails like the Last Word.

Oscar Cocktails: Selma

3/4 oz. dark rum (Mount Gay Extra Old)
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. orange cognac liqueur (Grand Marnier)
3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine rum, Campari, liqueur and lime bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Correction: an earlier version of this recipe incorrectly called for lime bitters instead of lime juice.

Oscar Cocktails: The Imitation Game

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

When it comes to Oscar-nominated films, World War II has proven a rich source of material, and The Imitation Game covers yet another key aspect of the conflict: the code-breakers. The film focuses on the critical role of British mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), who developed a machine to decode German radio transmissions--an early precursor of modern computers. Despite this accomplishment, Turing's life ended in disgrace within a decade after the war when he was discovered and prosecuted for his homosexuality. The film is nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor (Cumberbatch), Supporting Actress (Keira Knightley) and Director (Morten Tyldum).

The Imitation Game cocktail is inspired by the film's setting during World War II, with ingredients from three of the key countries in the conflict: British gin, German Jägermeister and French Benedictine.

Oscar Cocktails: The Imitation Game

1 oz. London Dry gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/2 oz. Benedictine liqueur
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist

Combine gin, Jägermeister, Benedictine, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon twist.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

The first lesson about pho: it's pronounced "fuh," as in rhymes with "duh," which is what you can say once you've mastered that and other people still pronounce it like "foe" (or perhaps "faux").

Pho is one of the great Asian noodle soups. Its boom in the D.C. area preceded the recent ramen craze. I first tasted it in the early '2000s at Nam Viet Pho 79 in Cleveland Park and have enjoyed it more recently from Pho 14 in my neighborhood (ever wondered why pho restaurants are numbered? Northern Virginia Magazine did a story on this). I love the interplay between the warm broth, the onions, the beef and the fresh garnishes.

A typical bowl of pho is made with a spicy broth, flat rice noodles (I like something that isn't too wide, resembling linguini), meat (beef or chicken often) and fresh garnishes (cilantro, scallions, bean sprouts, a lime wedge). That last part is what distinguishes it from ramen, which generally has all or almost all cooked ingredients.

I actually forgot about my bean sprouts and the soup was tasty without them. I think the vegetable garnishes should really be considered interchangeable, even the cilantro, if you're one of those people with a genetic aversion to it (yes, that some people think cilantro tastes "soapy" is a genetic thing).

Although you can make it with chicken, I prefer beef in pho. I used sirloin, since that's what this Food Network Kitchen recipe called for, but you may use other cuts. I've seen it with flank steak, brisket and eye of round roast. The beef should not be overcooked. I suggest aiming for medium rare.

Be sure to use the right spices for this. Star anise and cinnamon are essential for flavoring the broth. I've seen clove, coriander and fennel seed use in other recipes too. And please don't skip the fish sauce. Sure, it smells funny, but mixed in with the other ingredients it does its job to add just enough pungency to elevate the the broth without making it fishy. A warm bowl of soup like this is perfect for these nasty cold winter nights.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Adapted from a recipe by Food Network Kitchen

8 oz. rice noodles
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. sirloin steak
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced in half
3 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
3 cups water
5 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp. fish sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped (optional, but I highly recommend it)
1 cup of bean sprouts (optional)
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

1. Cook rice noodles according to package directions (do not overcook). Drain and set aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pierce sirloin all over with a fork to tenderize, then sear in the Dutch oven on both sides, cooking about 3-5 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate. Add the onion and ginger and sauté about 4 minutes. Then add the broth, water, star anise and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fish sauce and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Discard the ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Thinly slice the meat and add to the soup.

3. Divide the noodles among 3 or 4 large bowls. Ladle a generous portion of broth with meat and onions into each bowl, then top with scallions and cilantro (and, if desired, jalapeño pepper slices, lime wedges and bean sprouts).

Oscar Cocktails: Whiplash

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

How far are you willing to go to be the best? That's the question at the heart of Whiplash, a film about a music student (Miles Teller) with designs on being a great jazz drummer who clashes with his school's sadistic jazz conductor (J.K. Simmons). The film is nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Simmons).

For the Whiplash cocktail, I wanted a bracing drink that's strong and spicy. Something to knock you off your game just like Simmons' jazz teacher does in the film. It's also garnished with two toothpicks, like drumsticks, the movie's bloodiest weapon.

Oscar Cocktails: Whiplash

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1 oz. mezcal (Del Maguey)
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau)
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin)
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Stemmed cherry and two toothpicks, garnish

Combine whiskey, mezcal, orange liqueur, vermouth and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe. Pierce the cherry with the two toothpicks at an acute angle and stick in the glass.

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2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails 2015

In 20 days, one of the films pictured above will take home the film industry's highest honor: the golden statue standing atop a film reel that is the Academy Award for Best Picture. This year's slate tells the stories of a soldier, actor, boy/man, hotel clerk, mathematician, activist minister, scientist and music student. It's a slate that's half stories about real people, half stories set in the past, and half stories that take place wholly (or mostly) outside the United States. And all of them are great films (although not perfect).

As I've done the last two years, I'm celebrating the slate of Oscar Best Picture nominees with original cocktails inspired by the films. Each drink is based somehow on the movie: its themes, characters and/or settings. The drinks follow in the vein of cocktails I've been most interested in lately: old-school style drinks made with quality ingredients. Some of the drinks are also quite potent. Perfect for an Oscar party!

This year, I'm unveiling all of my recipes at once today. In the following weeks, I'll post individual pieces with the story behind each drink, adding links to the recipes below as the stories are posted (starting with The Theory of Everything and The Grand Budapest Hotel, which are up today). Keep your eyes peeled for a bonus cocktail too--one for a film that is nominated but not for Best Picture.

American Sniper
A whiskey cocktail the soldier and his wife could have enjoyed in the bar the night they met.

1 oz. rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/4 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
1/4 oz. Islay single malt Scotch (Laphroaig Quarter Cask)

Shot: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur and Scotch in a tall shot glass (add the Scotch last). Chill, if desired.

Up: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the Scotch on top. No garnish.

Birdman
Douglas fir trees, elderflowers, honey--things a bird, or rather a Birdman, might encounter.

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Aviation)
3/4 oz. Clear Creek Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
1/4 oz. elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
1/2 oz. honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes grapefruit bitters (Scrappy's)
Rosemary sprig garnish

Combine gin, Eau de Vie, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup and grapefruit bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal parts of honey and warm water until combined.

Boyhood
Inspired by the movie's gimmick of being filmed in segments over 12 years, this recipe spells out the film's name.

Bacardi Light Rum, 1 1/2 oz.
Orange curaçao, dry (Pierre Ferrand), 1/2 oz.
Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 oz.
Honey syrup 1/2 oz. (see Birdman note above)
Orange bitters, 2 dashes
Orange peel, garnish
Drizzle of fresh lime juice (1 oz., about 1/2 a lime)

Combine rum, orange curaçao, Chartreuse, honey syrup, orange bitters and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

The Grand Budapest Hotel
An old-school cocktail like the hotel could have served, complete with Hungarian liqueur.

1 1/2 oz. Plymouth gin
3/4 oz. Zwack Unicum liqueur
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
2 dashes lime bitters (Scrappy's)
Maraschino cherry garnish

Combine gin, liqueurs and lime bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cherry.

The Imitation Game
Ingredients from Britain, Germany and France nod to the film's World War II setting.

1 oz. London Dry gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/2 oz. Benedictine liqueur
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist

Combine gin, Jägermeister, Benedictine, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon twist.

Selma
A drink made of ingredients in equal measure inspired by the film's depiction of the Civil Rights Movement's struggle for equality.

3/4 oz. dark rum (Mount Gay Extra Old)
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. orange cognac liqueur (Grand Marnier)
3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine rum, Campari, liqueur and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish.

The Theory of Everything
A rum swizzle inspired by Dr. Hawking's study of black holes.

1 oz. black rum (Gosling's Black Seal)
1/2 oz. coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
1/2 oz. vanilla syrup (see note)
1 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Club soda
Orange slice garnish

Combine rum, coffee liqueur, vanilla syrup, orange juice and bitters in a highball glass. Fill with crushed ice and top with club soda. Using a swizzle stick, swizzle the ingredients to combine. Garnish with orange slice and serve with a straw.

Note: to make vanilla syrup, bring 1 cup of water, 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 vanilla bean split down the middle (with seeds scraped into the pan) to boil in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Whiplash
A strong and spicy drink that tries to knock you off your game, garnished with two "drumsticks."

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey  (Bulleit)
1 oz. mezcal (Del Maguey)
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau)
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin)
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Stemmed cherry and two toothpicks, garnish

Combine whiskey, mezcal, orange liqueur, vermouth and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir until very cold and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe. Pierce the cherry with the two toothpicks at an acute angle and stick in the glass.

Bonus Cocktail: Gone Girl
The refreshing and sweet look of this drink masks its fiery true self.

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Greenhook Ginsmiths)
3/4 oz. Campari
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. hot honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes cardamom bitters (Scrappy's)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Blood orange or lemon wheel garnish

Combine gin, Campari, lemon juice, hot honey syrup and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with citrus wheel.

Note: For hot honey syrup, combine 1 part Mike's Hot Honey, 1 part honey and 1 part hot water and stir to combine.

Related

2014 Oscar Cocktails
2013 Oscar Cocktails