Cathy's Favorite Tres Leches Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 pint heavy cream, for whipping

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Separate eggs.  

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla.  Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on, pour in 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.  Fold egg white mixture into other mixture very gently until just combined.  Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small pitcher.

When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times.  Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.  Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.

Whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.

Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Delicious!

VARIATION

Raspberry Swirl Tres Leches   

Substitute 1 tsp Chambord for the vanilla in the cake.  Stir seedless raspberry jam until it can be drizzled over the batter.  Swirl in and bake as directed.