TRES LECHE.

Happy Birthday Darryl!!

We like to celebrate birthdays by treating the one celebrated with their favorite meal, and favorite cake, and special prayers and blessings.

This photo does no justice at all. So if this looks yummy, you still have no idea. 

Darryl's favorite cake just happens to be everyone's favorite also. A traditional Mexican dessert, Tres Leche (Three Milks) cake. Here is the recipe I got from my mom, who taught me to make this delish family fave. Both she and I have taken them as gifts to our favorite Mexican food providers with rave reviews. This year I also took one to some guys that Darryl has been working with who have been teaching him Spanish.  I was a bit nervous, but they loved it! It was and always is odd hearing your husband speak in another language to people and you have no idea what is going on and need him to also translate for you. Odd, but fascinating. It's like unlocking another person I didn't know who I was fortunate enough to marry. These friends, though, getting back to the cake, said they usually have some sort of topping on it like strawberries, pineapple, or pecans. And actually, pineapples and pecans together. Yum!

TRES LECHE RECIPE

5 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 c white sugar, separated 3/4 and 1/4 cups
1/3 c whole milk
1tsp vanilla extract
1c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1pt whipping cream, separated 3/4 and 1/4 cups
1 can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" spring-form pan with additional butter and flour. Beat yolks with 3/4 c sugar until light in color and double in volume. Stir in whole milk, vanilla, flour, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/4 c sugar and beat until firm but not dry. Fold whites into flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan, then place in oven and bake 45 minutes until golden and center is springy. Cool 10 minutes. Prick cake all over (I like to use a chop stick). To prepare milk syrup, combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4 c whipping cream. Slowly pour milk mixture over cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely and ice with whipped cream made from remaining container with 1/4 c sugar. Refrigerate until time to serve.

The milk syrup. I like to ask people to guess what three milks are involved in making a Three Milk Cake. 

I get a lot of funny looks and responses, seeing as how many people know I'm currently breastfeeding. 

This year the whole prayer and blessing thing slipped my mind seeing as how I had a whole day of cooking and I haven't done a real meal without help in over five months. Sorry babe! So here's a little love note to make up for it. 

Darryl,
You are such a blessing to us. You keep on growing deeper in the Lord and it shows through your character and demeanor. You are an inspiration to all of us and the children greatly look up to you as their hero. I'm blessed to have you as a husband and partner. And although you may think you aren't perfect, you strive to do better and are willing to try and learn new things and that alone brings you close enough for me. We all love you. We respect you. We thank you for working so hard and so long and so much to take care of us. We look forward to you coming home every day. Thanks for standing by me and supporting me and loving me. I'm still so in love and we've only just begun.

XOXO
Meg and The Russell Sprouts