The classic tres leches cake is soft, spongy, and soaked in a luscious milk mixture. And it gets a decadent twist with the addition of crushed Oreos. This Oreo crumble tres leches cake blends the richness of Latin American dessert tradition with the beloved crunch and cocoa vanilla flavor of these cookies. This dish is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or indulgent weekends, and is as stunning as it is satisfying. So here is a detailed, step by step guide to baking, assembling, and serving this rich and creamy dessert.
Ingredients:
For the sponge cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 large eggs, separated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk
For the tres leches mixture:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Oreo crumble:
- 15 Oreo cookies
- 2 tbsp melted butter
For the topping:
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Additional Oreo crumbles for garnish (6 cookies)
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350F or 175C.
- Grease a baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In two separate mixing bowls, place the egg whites and egg yolks.
- Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining ½ cup of sugar until pale and thick. Mix in the vanilla and milk.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add this dry mixture to the egg yolk mixture gradually. Once combined, gently fold in the whipped egg whites using a spatula. Be careful not to deflate the batter as this light texture is key to soaking up the milk later.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then poke holes all over the surface using a skewer or fork.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour this mixture over the entire cake, ensuring even coverage. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the sponge to absorb the liquid completely.
- While the cake soaks, prepare the Oreo crumble. Crush 15 Oreo cookies, cream included, using a food processor or by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
- Mix the crushed cookies with 2 tablespoons of melted butter to create a moist crumble. Spread the mixture on a lined baking tray and toast in a 300F or 150C oven for 5 minutes to enhance the texture. Let it cool.
- In a cold mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled until ready to assemble.
- Once the cake is fully soaked and chilled, spread the whipped cream topping evenly across the surface.
- Sprinkle the toasted Oreo crumble generously over the whipped topping, pressing lightly to help it adhere.
- For visual appeal, garnish with additional whole or halved Oreos, chocolate shavings, or a light drizzle of chocolate syrup if desired.
- Chill the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before serving. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in warm water for clean edges, and serve cold.
Tips:
- Make sure that the eggs you’re using are at room temperature. If you use cold eggs they won’t mix in as easily and the resultant cake batter will be lumpy and uneven. So let the eggs sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes before using. This temperature also ensures that the eggs give the batter good volume while whipping.
- Don’t skip the poking since the holes ensure that the mixture thoroughly penetrates the cake and spreads all over.
- Let the cake rest overnight. The longer it rests, the more flavorful and moist it becomes since the cake has more time for its flavors to strengthen and mold into each other.