Question About A Tres Leches Cake I Have 4 This Weekend.....

Business By IloveEmmaCakes Updated 17 Oct 2013 , 12:14pm by Linda2010

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 8:42pm
post #1 of 29

One of the cakes I have this weekend is a tres leches cake! icon_eek.gif
I've never made one that I was going to be selling before.. Always just for fun..
ok, I have a couple of ?'s..

I'm using this recipe:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2411-1-Tres-Leches-Cake-Mix-Cake.html

my ?'s..
1. Instead of the whipped cream they use to ice it, could I use a BC instead?
2. Will this tres leches cake be firm enough to cover with fondant?
(I'm worried about it being too soft)
Thanks in advance.. icon_smile.gif

28 replies
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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 9:48pm
post #2 of 29

Anybody?!?! Please HELP icon_eek.gif

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all4cake Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 9:59pm
post #3 of 29

I wish I could help. I've never made one though.

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mayamia Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:09pm
post #4 of 29

usually people do tre leches with whip cream, but I think it would be ok to put buttercream, about the fondant, not too sure, my guess is that it is not a good idea that cake is way too wet for fondant, hope this helps

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sugarMomma Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:11pm
post #5 of 29

i have never made tres leches, but it's one of my favorite cakes to eat and to substitute BC for whipped cream icing would make it a different cake altogether. Whipped cream icing is a key characteristic.

I didn't read the recipe, but you could use a Rich's bettercreme type whipped icing. As far as fondant, I'm not positive but it may be too soft and moist. Done correctly, tres leches should almost be a tiramisu type consistency and I would never cover tiramisu with fondant..

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:12pm
post #6 of 29

Thanks mayamia,..
This lady reallllly wants fondant on it and buttercream.. icon_confused.gif I don't know what I'm gonna do..
What about rolled Buttercream? Would that be better than MMF?
ANYBODY? thumbsdown.gifthumbs_up.gif

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:14pm
post #7 of 29

sugarMomma, do you have a recipe for the Rich's whipped icing?

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wendalynn11 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:16pm
post #8 of 29

I make tres leches cake all the time and if made correctly it is more like pudding than cake and will therefore NOT hold up to fondant!!! I would let her know it is one or the other, a good TL cake or fondant but not both!!

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KoryAK Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:21pm
post #9 of 29

There is no recipe, it is a store bought product. And I don't think it it whipped cream will work under fondant - the high moisture content will melt it. I would recommend filling the cake with a stabilized whipped cream and icing it with a meringue buttercream. This is what I do, and have even made tiered wedding tres leches cakes.

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:23pm
post #10 of 29

Ok, so this is the cake that I'm supposed to be making..
A couple more ?'s.. Does anybody know of a good whipped icing that wont be too soft?

Also, If I make the little flowers and such in fondant will I be able to "stick" them to the cake if there's a whipped icing on it?

PLEASE HELP!! icon_sad.gif

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:25pm
post #11 of 29

OMG! KoryAK that's a GREAT idea! icon_biggrin.gif
I didn't even THINK to put the whipping cream topping BETWEEN the layers then just ice it with BC.. Brilliant! thank you so much!

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Mike1394 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:26pm
post #12 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by IloveEmmaCakes

Thanks mayamia,..
This lady reallllly wants fondant on it and buttercream.. icon_confused.gif I don't know what I'm gonna do..
What about rolled Buttercream? Would that be better than MMF?
ANYBODY? thumbsdown.gifthumbs_up.gif




Put fondant on it w/ BC, and call it something else. Who cares what the lady wants to call it. That's the flavor she wants, and let her call it an elephant cake for all that you care. icon_biggrin.gif

Mike

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:28pm
post #13 of 29

I don't recommend trying to torte this and cover with fondant. I'm not sure if you've read the recipe right, but a tres leche cake is a cake that has 3 kinds of milk poured over the cake to soak in them.

You could possibly freeze layers, quickly fill it while frozen, and re-freeze before trying to crumbcoat. Spreading BC on it frozen will help keep it from absolutely falling apart.

The hard part is covering a frozen cake in fondant. You'll have to work very fast to get the fondant smooth before condensation begins to develop. Then you'll have to let it sit out overnight to let the condensation dry.

The scariest part is that you won't know what's going to happen to the cake once it is brought to room temperature.

If you really want to say "yes" to your customer, you should make a practice attempt first. In the meantime, tell her that you just don't think it's possible but that you're looking for answers.

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:31pm
post #14 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Quote:
Originally Posted by IloveEmmaCakes

Thanks mayamia,..
This lady reallllly wants fondant on it and buttercream.. icon_confused.gif I don't know what I'm gonna do..
What about rolled Buttercream? Would that be better than MMF?
ANYBODY? thumbsdown.gifthumbs_up.gif



Put fondant on it w/ BC, and call it something else. Who cares what the lady wants to call it. That's the flavor she wants, and let her call it an elephant cake for all that you care. icon_biggrin.gif

Mike




I love you, Mike, lol. That's the perfect answer!

What I would do to make it taste like a tres leche cake is use the WASC recipe because it is very dense and moist; but use butter flavoring instead of almond extract, use buttermilk instead of water, and use vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream (to mimic the sweetened consensed milk).
http://www.recipezaar.com/69630

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:36pm
post #15 of 29

Ok, So I think I'm going to try the WASC recipe.. I'm sure it will be JUST as delicious right!? icon_redface.gif

Is that ALL i need to change in the recipe?

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:37pm
post #16 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by IloveEmmaCakes

Ok, so this is the cake that I'm supposed to be making..
A couple more ?'s.. Does anybody know of a good whipped icing that wont be too soft?

Also, If I make the little flowers and such in fondant will I be able to "stick" them to the cake if there's a whipped icing on it?




Rich's Bettercreme is a product, not a recipe. Frostin Pride is another brand of basically the same thing. I would use Frostin Pride as it has more of a vanilla flavor and is thicker. I buy mine at Smart&Final (it's the only place in town that sells it). You can get Bettercreme from the bakery department in most Sam's Clubs, but you have to ask the baker for it.

Yes, fondant flowers will stick to anything. If water alone doesn't work, try RI or gumpaste glue (just thinned gumpaste).

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KoryAK Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:37pm
post #17 of 29

For my 3L I use my usual scratch chiffon cake, soak with the milk mix, and the whipped cream in the middle as I said before... I don't think I use as much milk as is called for because of course it would not hold up. BUT you can get quite a bit of it in there (enough to make all my hispanic in-laws happy!) and still have very moist and stable cake if you are using a recipe that has some structure.

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:39pm
post #18 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by IloveEmmaCakes

Ok, So I think I'm going to try the WASC recipe.. I'm sure it will be JUST as delicious right!? icon_redface.gif

Is that ALL i need to change in the recipe?




Oh wait! Add a pkg of white chocolate or cheesecake pudding mix. (Vanilla pudding might leave behind little yellow spots). The buttermilk will make it extra moist, the pudding will make it extra-extra moist but still easy to torte and dense enough under fondant.

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:45pm
post #19 of 29

Ok, MacsMom, Let me make sure I'm getting ALL of this correct?!?!

Use The WASC recipe, substitute sour cream for Cheesecake mix, buttermilk instead of water and butter flavoring instead of almond extract? (is there any possible substitute for butter flavoring?) lol
Should I use the whipped cream topping the tres leches cake calls for between layers?
Then I crumb coat with Meringue Buttercream?
Is all that right?!

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mayamia Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:59pm
post #20 of 29

I use heavy whip cream, confectioners sugar and philadefia cream cheese, the cream cheese give a firmer consistency, which is great for my Texas weather

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 11:07pm
post #21 of 29

Just a little something to laugh at now that I've gotten everybodies replies..

I just read my horoscope and this is what it says: (I'm a virgo)

Stakes are high, and the meter is still running. The least you can do is present a unified front to your customer base or business community..
..

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 11:09pm
post #22 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by IloveEmmaCakes

Ok, MacsMom, Let me make sure I'm getting ALL of this correct?!?!

Use The WASC recipe, substitute sour cream for Cheesecake mix, buttermilk instead of water and butter flavoring instead of almond extract? (is there any possible substitute for butter flavoring?) lol
Should I use the whipped cream topping the tres leches cake calls for between layers?
Then I crumb coat with Meringue Buttercream?
Is all that right?!




Almost...

WASC recipe:
~ Use buttermilk instead of water.
~ Use Vanilla yogurt (you can buy larger containers than the typical 6 oz size, like Mountain High) instead of sour cream. But sour cream is certainly fine to use, I'm just trying to mimic the sweetened condensed milk flavor a little more closely.
~ Go ahead and use all vanilla flavoring if you don't want to do butter flavoring icon_wink.gif
~ ADD a pkg of dry pudding mix in either white chocolate flavor or cheesecake flavor. Vanilla would be fine, but tends to leave behind tiny yellow spots.

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 11:13pm
post #23 of 29

So MacsMom, Can I still use the whipped topping between the layers? or should I still just use the BC.?

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MacsMom Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 11:27pm
post #24 of 29

Definitely use the whipped topping. I like the idea of using cream cheese to thicken it - I've done that several times and it works well and tastes great.

Another option is to add melted white chocolate to the whipped cream - even if it has cream cheese. The only trouble I've had with that is adding too much chocolate too fast and ending up with tiny bits of hardened white chocolate.

White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
16 oz cream cheese, softened
12 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
4 c Cool Whip
2 pkgs cheesecake pudding mix

Beat the cream cheese 'til smooth. Slowly blend in the white chocolate. Mix the pudding into the whipped topping; gently blend into the white chocolate mixture.

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baking Posted 21 Oct 2008 , 1:32am
post #25 of 29

I'm afraid that's not what your client wants, if this person asked you for tres leches it may be because she's a fan of it, so if you give her something else it'll disappoint her. I think It's better if you just tell her it's not possible to do what she wants but give her the other options.

I hope this is helpful

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 21 Oct 2008 , 1:35am
post #26 of 29

Thank you MacsMom.
Sounds great! I'll let you know how it turns out icon_biggrin.gif

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Solecito Posted 21 Oct 2008 , 6:24pm
post #27 of 29

Hope this is not too late:
I never made 3 milk cake with the recipe you posted, mine are made with eggs and flour and sugar. Kinda like a sponge cake no grease at all and they are very soft and when soaked with the milk mixture, they are very delicate. They WON'T stand the fondant. And the are very sweet so the BC will make it sweeter, not a very good choice in my opinion. And I do think if your custoemr asked for 3 leches, you shouldn't change it without asking her.

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IloveEmmaCakes Posted 21 Oct 2008 , 6:37pm
post #28 of 29

Solecito
I've asked my client if I could alter the recipe yesterday and she said "go ahead, whatever you think would work best".

So thanks for all the help everybody. I'll post pics after It's made on Saturday. =]

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Linda2010 Posted 17 Oct 2013 , 12:14pm
post #29 of 29

I agree with you,  I think we should start calling Tres Leches Pudding and stop calling it Tres Leches Cake since it does not hold to any kind of decoaration like  regular cakes do

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