Happy August! I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I’ve been super busy. There’s only one week left in summer break so I’m cramming everything I didn’t get to into it. I’m really trying not to think about the fact that I have to go back to school soon, but I also have to plan and prepare. Ugh.
On the bright side, I’m testing my September recipes right now which means…PUMPKIN. So so so much pumpkin. But hey, tis the season in my opinion.
In other news, I have another pop up this Saturday. It was really fun and successful last month, so I’m looking forward to doing it again. I have to admit that the “baking day” on Friday was a bit chaotic last month, so I’ll try and plan out my time a little better this go round. I got everything done but it was 7 or 8 hours of straight baking with no breaks, which wasn’t ideal. This time I’ll try to work in some break periods.
If there’s anything I’ve learned about days where you’re baking multiple things, its that you HAVE to stay on top of the dishes. If the dishes start to pile up, then all hell breaks loose. Nobody likes doing dishes but you’ll appreciate it when your done baking and don’t have a giant mess to clean up.
Now lets get into this cake. I posted a different tres leches cake recipe about a month ago. I claimed that it should be the official cake of summer, but I retract that statement. I think THIS cake should be the official cake of summer. It’s still a cold refreshing cake like the hazelnut one, but it’s a floral and berry flavor which is obviously more summery. SO. The new “official” cake of summer is this lavender and blueberry tres leches cake.
Describe this Cake to Me
Taste: Now the cake itself is delightfully sweet and infused with subtle lavender flavor, and swirls of vanilla. It’s like a classic vanilla cake flavor but with a little more complexity from the lavender. Then you have the cream, which helps cut through the sweetness. It’s got that mellow whipped cream flavor, but also swirls of fresh blueberries to really emphasize that lavender.
Texture: Tres leches cake has a really unique texture, which is what it’s know for. Although the cake is entirely saturated in liquid, it isn’t dense or unpleasantly soggy. The cake is a fluffy sponge that absorbs that liquid for a texture that’s sort of like bread pudding, but spongier.
Ease: Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s pretty easy to whip up. There are a few extra steps, like infusing the milk with lavender and making the blueberry compote, but you can do those ahead of time. I infuse the milk about 2 hours before I start the cake and then make the blueberry compote sometime while the cake is chilling. The cake has to sit and soak, preferably overnight, so that gives you plenty of time.
The Batter
The batter here is just like any sponge cake, it gets that fluffy texture from whipping your egg whites and folding them in. To make sure the lavender flavor comes through, but doesn’t taste like soap, we infuse some whole milk with dried lavender. This gives you a more delicate floral flavor than just throwing dried lavender in the batter would. We use half of the milk in the batter and the second half in the tres leches.
The Tres Leches
The star of the show! So, the tres leches in the cake I published last month was a little less traditional. It had coffee and cocoa powder mixed in too. For todays recipe, it’s a lot closer to the tried and true method. Just whisk together some sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and the rest of that lavender infused milk. Poke a bunch of holes in the baked cake so it can really absorb all that liquid, and pour it over. The key for the best flavor and texture from this cake is to let it chill overnight. Not eating it right away is probably the hardest part about this recipe!
The Blueberry Cream
The blueberry cream adds a nice, refreshing berry flavor to the lavender. It starts off with a classic blueberry compote. We know her, we love her. Wild blueberries for maximum flavor and also because they’re slightly smaller, and then some sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook that, let it cool, and then whip some cream and fold it in. Not only does it taste good, but it’s a really pretty purple color.
If you really like this cake, might I recommend another summer staple that’s even easier, this lavender blueberry no churn ice cream!
Lavender Tres Leches with Blueberry Cream
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the whole milk in a saucepan set over medium heat. When the milk comes to a simmer, add the lavender and cover the pan. Turn off the burner and let the milk sit and steep on the warm (but turned off) burner for 45 minutes. Then run the milk through a sieve and into a liquid measuring cup to remove and discard the lavender. Let the infused milk chill for at least an hour before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉, and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until they turn pale yellow and roughly double in volume. Add the vanilla and ½ cup of the infused whole milk and whisk until just combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and use a large rubber spatula to fold it in.
- Rinse and dry the bowl you used for the egg yolks. Make sure there is no water or egg yolk left, or else the egg whites may not whip properly. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form (when you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the egg whites should hold shape). Carefully fold half of the egg whites into the batter, trying not to deflate them too much. Repeat with the second half.
- Pour the batter into the previously prepared baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before adding the tres leches.
- In a medium sized bowl with a spout, whisk together the remaining infused whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk until just combined.
- Poke the slightly cooled cake all over with a fork. You want a lot of holes, so poke around 20-25 times. Pour all of the tres leches evenly over the cake. It may look like too much to absorb, but don't worry! Cover with cling wrap and chill for 3 hours, or preferably overnight. Letting the cake soak overnight will enhance the flavor and make sure it's really set.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add the blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch mixture to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let simmer for 5 minutes, during which it should thicken to a sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before pouring the mixture into a bowl and refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
- Once the blueberry mixture is chilled, make the cream. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream and vanilla on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Then, using a large spatula, fold in the blueberry mixture and a pinch of salt, trying not to deflate the cream as you go. Don't mix it in completely, there should be swirls of blueberry. Spread the whipped cream over the cake and chill for 1 more hour before serving.
- Cake stays fresh sealed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!