Tres Leche Cake (Vegan Recipe)

I have a rich, decadent and indulgent dessert today, Tres Leche cake or 3 milk cake. I made as a part of Mexican lunch I had with some of my blog buddies last weekend.

My husband is not a big fan of desserts like these, but I love them a lot. Since I can't make them for myself, I'm always looking for opportunities to make them. So when I decided on the Mexican theme for our blogger's lunch, I knew this Latin American dessert would be a great addition.

I already have a Chocolate version of this cake on the blog, but I think I like this original version better :-) Instead of the traditional heavy cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk (which is just 1 milk in 3 forms), this vegan version uses soy milk (in the cake itself), almond milk and coconut milk. The best thing about that is each milk lends its flavor to the cake making it taste absolutely heavenly.
I put some whipped cream topping on top but if you want to keep it completely vegan, then whip some coconut cream (the thick layer that forms on the top of the coconut milk can) and use it. 

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour - 1¼cups

Corn Starch - 3tbsp
Baking powder - 1tsp
Baking Soda - ¼tsp
Salt - ¼tsp
Soy milk - 1cup
Lemon juice - 1tbsp
Canola Oil - ⅓cup 

Sugar - ¾cup
Vanilla extract - 2tsp
Coconut, Lemon or Orange extract - ½tsp

Soaking Syrup:
Regular or Lite Coconut milk - 1cup
Almond Milk - ⅔cup
White Sugar - ⅓cup
Light Brown Sugar - ⅓cup
Ground Cinnamon - a pinch
Light or Spiced Rum - 2tbsp (I skipped it)

For the Topping:
Whipped cream or white coconut cream lightly sweetened with some sugar
Strawberries or blackberries or chunks of mango or pineapple -- for garnish

Method:

• To make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8" square baking pan with cooking spray.
• Sieve flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a mixing bowl, combine soy milk and lemon juice and set aside for 5~10 minutes.
• Add sugar, oil, vanilla and coconut/ lemon/ orange extract and whisk until smooth.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently fold until everything is just mixed -- do not overmix, a few small lumps are OK.
• Pour into the prepared baking pan , spread it evenly with a plastic spatula and bake for 30~32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, then use a toothpick to poke holes into the cake at about ½" intervals.
• Make the Soaking Syrup: Combine all the ingredients for the syrup in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes or until syrup thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Pour the syrup over the still warm cake. It is important that the cake is warm, so the syrup can be absorbed easily. Cool the cake, cover with a plastic wrap and chill it for at least 4 hours or overnight (which is much better).
• Before serving, whip either heavy whipping cream or thick coconut cream and frost the cake. Decorate with berries or other fruit, if desired and serve. Enjoy this rich and decadent dessert!!

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: May -- Week 2'.