Benjamina Ebuehi's Milky Tea Les Tres recipe
Milky Tea Les Tres recipe by Benjamina Ebuehi
"This is inspired by a Hong Kong milk tea which is delightfully creamy, sweet and refreshing. All of the best creamy things (condensed milk, evaporated milk and full-fat milk) come together to generously soak the light sponge. A tres leches cake is ideal for making ahead as it benefits from an overnight chill in the fridge. The malty, slightly bitter notes from the tea helps to avoid this being sickly and a bit of lightly whipped cream tops it all off."
I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi, Photography by Laura Edwards
Ingredients
Serves 9-12
Butter, for greasing
140g plain flour
3 large eggs
130g golden caster sugar
40g light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
100ml milk
250ml double cream, to serve
For the soak
250ml milk
250ml evaporated milk
1 x 397g can of condensed milk
How to Make
STEP 1
To make the soak, add the milk and evaporated milk to a small saucepan. Gently heat and then add in the tea bags. Brew over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, giving it a mix every now and again. Remove from the heat, cover and let it steep for 20 minutes or until cool. Strain the mixture into a jug and discard the tea bags. Mix in the condensed milk and set aside until later.
STEP 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan. Grease a 20-cm (8-in) square baking pan and line with baking paper, leaving enough overhang to help you lift it out later.
STEP 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl using an electric whisk, whip the eggs, both sugars and vanilla for 3–4 minutes on high speed until the mixture is thick, airy and pale.
STEP 4
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add half of this to the egg mixture and gently fold with a spatula until combined. Pour in the milk and gently mix. Fold in the rest of the flour before pouring the batter into the prepared baking pan.
STEP 5
Bake for 30–35 minutes until the cake is well browned and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
STEP 6
Let it cool for 10 minutes before using a skewer to poke holes across the cake. Gradually pour the milky tea over the cake, letting it soak in before adding more. Let the cake cool to room temperature before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 6 hours but ideally overnight.
STEP 7
Whip the cream in a small bowl until you have soft peaks. Spoon and swirl it on top of the cake before slicing up to serve.