Latin American Food

Tres Leches 

"Tres leches" 

(Spanish for "three-milk cake") It is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, topped off with a cloud of whipped cream or meringue. In some parts of Central America, the cake is soaked in a mixture of water, rum or brandy, and sugar to create a "pastel borracho" ("drunken cake"). In the Caribbean, cream of coconut is occasionally substituted for condensed milk. Extremely popular in Latin America. In the 1870's, evaporated milk came out where they would heat the milk in the can to prevent spoiling so adding the sugar used in condensed milk would be unnecessary. The cake itself became popular in the early 1900's. The origin of tres leches is debatable. Most historians think Nicaragua with coming up with the cake. Others are willing to give the credit to Mexico since it had recipes similar to that of tres leches. What all historians agree on, is that the recipe originated somewhere in Latin America. Tres leches cake is particularly popular in Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.