Mexican desserts so good you’ll want seconds, thirds, and fourths

Dying to devour the best of Mexican desserts? Then you should've stumbled on us sooner! We’re sure you have heard of these two authentic Mexican desserts that have been circulating for quite some time now, so you don’t need to take a trip to Mexico yet. We bring you two delicious, baked recipes of the famed Tres Leches cake and the famed Caramel Flan that might just become your go-to dessert to prepare each time guests come knocking.

1. Tres Leches Cake

(Serves 12)

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 190 gm all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 eggs, separated
• 200 gm granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 125 ml whole milk

For the Tres Leches:

• 400 gm sweetened condensed milk
• 340 gm evaporated milk
• 120 ml whole milk

For the Topping:

• 240 ml heavy cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, then use butter to grease a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a big bowl, mix, and set this aside too.
3. Either use a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment fitted or use a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl and beat until pale and airy.
4. Add the vanilla plus milk, and reduce the speed to low until just combined.
5. Fold the just-mixed contents into the flour bowl. Use a spatula until no dry streaks remain.
6. Clean and dry the egg bowl, then add the egg whites into it and beat with the whisk attachment, on high speed until stiff peaks form.
7. Divide this into two portions, and fold one portion into the other bowl until no white streaks can be seen. Then repeat with the rest of the whipped egg whites.
8. Transfer the batter to the cake pan, scraping the bowl well.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Poke with a toothpick to check for doneness, if no wet crumbs stick to the toothpick, the cake is done.
10. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
11. While the cake cools, whisk sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in a large bowl.
12. Once the cake is cool, perforate it with a fork or thin skewer all over for it to soak up the tres leches well. Then pour the milk mixture over the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.
13. Just 15 minutes before serving the cake, make the whipped cream. Add heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, and salt to a bowl, and use an electric mixer, to mix, until soft peaks form.
14. Spread this over the top of the cake and use a sieve to rain down cinnamon powder over individual tres leches cake slices.

2. Caramel Flan

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 200 gm sugar
• 400 gm sweetened condensed milk
• 240 ml whole milk
• 3 eggs + 3 egg yolks
• 60 ml orange juice
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 240 ml heavy cream

Instructions

1. Add sugar to a thick-bottom saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir often until the sugar melts into a beautiful amber liquid. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Be careful because even with heavy pans, caramel tends to burn easily.
2. Pour the caramel syrup into a flan mold and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. While the oven heats, mix the cornstarch with a little milk, add the eggs plus the extra yolks, and whisk to get a cohesive liquid slurry.
5. Pour into a big bowl with the sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Use a whisk, then pour the heavy cream gradually into it. Whisk while adding to have a smooth liquid. Use an electric whisk to make it quicker and effortless.
6. Pour this flan liquid over the cooled caramel syrup in the flan mold.
7. Wet a kitchen towel and squeeze out the water to make it damp. Line a roasting pan with this. Then carefully place the filled flan mold in the center.
8. Transfer the pan to the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the flan mold.
9. Set the timer for 1 hour and bake the flan. At the 45-minute mark check if the flan has set well, with a little jostling creating a slight jiggle. Stop the oven if it has otherwise bake more.
10. Carefully remove from the oven and refrigerate for four to six hours.
11. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the flan, carefully to release it from its mold. Place a serving plate on top of the mold and flip.
12. Lift the mold to get that delightful cascade of caramel down the sides of your flan. Serve.