Ultimate Tres Leches Cookies and Cream Cake
This is one of those I’m-so-excited-that-I’m-also-kind-of-sick announcements. One of those I’m-going-on-a-big-adventure-and-might-be-crazy announcements. One of those I-haven’t-slept-in-two-months-because-I’m-terrified announcements. One of those I-need-to-finally-tell-you-or-I’ll-burst announcements.
I first visited San Diego for a neuroscience conference in November of 2007. My sister Sarah came to bop about the city with me, and we talked about how amazing it would be to live there. In 2014 I visited again, this time to observe at High Tech High, a project-based school with a commitment to equity in education that I’d been following for years.
My sister and I in San Diego in 2007 (top) and my visit back in 2014 (bottom)
Beautiful San Diego
I never could have imagined on either of these trips that I would be sharing the news I’m sharing with you now: that my husband and I are preparing to move all the way across the country, from North Carolina to San Diego! In August I start graduate school at High Tech High Graduate School of Education to obtain my Masters of Education in Educational Leadership.
Mike, who has just finished up his Ph.D. in Mathematics, is currently searching for a career that will be relevant to his skills in mathematics, computer programming, and data science in San Diego, while we both search for our new home and new connections.
We appreciate beyond measure any recommendations, support, introductions, and guidance you guys have. Anyone ever done a huge move before? Anyone live in San Diego? Please do hit us up with advice and invitations to grab coffee. We are truly launching into the unknown and will be clinging desperately to the kindness of friends old and new from here on out!
During our preparations for the big move at the end of July, I’ll be sharing lots of tips, trials, and testimonies about how to make such a GIANT move. I hope our process will be helpful for others! My first tip? Cake is always good for reducing stress.
This Ultimate Tres Leches Cookies and Cream Cake is a basic cookies and cream cake soaked in a cookie milk mixture and topped with a whipped Oreo pudding cream icing. The cookie milk was a stroke of genius, in my opinion: I used Momofuku milk bar’s cereal milk concept. I soaked Oreo cookies in the typical three milks mixture before processing and straining it. The resulting milks mixture was so delicious — perfect for soaking the cake! As usual, I dug into this delicious dessert without fussing with plates. Enjoy!
One year ago: Hot Yellow Cake with Caramelized Pineapple
Two years ago: Red Wine Summer Sangria (and Sangria Slushies!)
Three years ago: Gooey Chocolate Coconut Cream Skillet Cake
Four years ago: Anthony’s Cinnamon & Walnut Zucchini Bread
Five years ago: Itsy Bitsy Berry Cream Pies
Six years ago: Lemon Triumph Cake
Seven years ago: Strawberry Jam Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/8 cups cake flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (about 6-7 Oreos processed to fine crumbs)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 5 Oreos
- 1 (4.2-ounce) package Jell-o Oreo Cookies ’n Creme Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- crushed Oreos for topping
- Make the cookie milks mixture: Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream in a small bowl. Soak the 5 Oreos in the milks mixture, flipping them periodically, for 30 minutes in the fridge. Pour the mixture and Oreos into a food processor and process until smooth. Chill overnight.
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter and water to a boil. In the meantime, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and Oreo crumbs before adding the egg, sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine. While mixing, slowly pour in the boiling butter and water mixture. Mix to combine completely. Your batter will be very runny. Pour the batter a 10-inch cast iron skillet (if you don't have one, this cake probably works just fine in a greased 8-inch square baking pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in several places comes out with a few moist crumbs (be careful not to overbake). Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake.
- Strain the Oreo milks mixture through fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and then poor the milks mixture over the top of the cake. Chill it until completely cool, letting the milks soak in. Some will pool around the sides. It’s cool — the frosting will cover it.
- Make the frosting: When the cake is completely cool, whip the pudding mix and heavy cream together just to soft peaks. Whip the last bit by hand so you don’t overbeat. Pile it on the cake and spread it evenly, adding crushed Oreos on top. Serve immediately.
Heather || Heather's Dish
June 23, 2016 at 3:57 pm (9 years ago)Oh my goodness, that’s SO EXCITING! I’ve dreamed of living in San Diego since I was a kid and it’s still one of my favorite cities ever. Congratulations!!!
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:29 pm (8 years ago)Thank you so much, Heather!
Michelle @ Taste As You Go
June 23, 2016 at 8:35 pm (9 years ago)I’m so, so excited for you and Mike (and a little bit envious that you’re moving to California!). I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures you guys get into.
Good luck with the move, Julie! xo
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:41 pm (8 years ago)Thanks so much, Michelle!!
Anton
June 23, 2016 at 10:01 pm (9 years ago)CONGRATULATIONS! This is so awesome!
I’ve never lived in California but have friends who do. Get yourself one of those national park passes, totally worth it and awesome for seeing so much beautiful land and beaches.
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:41 pm (8 years ago)Oh, great idea, Anton! Thanks!
Phyllis
June 23, 2016 at 11:34 pm (9 years ago)Two things! California has pretty strict rules about what comes in as far as plants and some animals, so check if it’s a concern. It can be wicked expensive to buy a home. The best strawberries I have EVER eaten in my life and HUGE! Finally, California has special systems required in car engines. Since we moved there from Ohio, we had to pay a hefty surcharge because ours did not have the correct emissions parts, so check that out too. Finally, prepare for gas price sticker shock! We lived in Corona, California in Riverside County.
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:33 pm (8 years ago)Thanks so much, Phyllis! That is so helpful for us, especially since we’re currently trying to figure out if we want to drive our cars over or sell them here.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
June 24, 2016 at 4:43 am (9 years ago)Congrats, Julie! What an exciting adventure for you and Mike!!! We’ve always talked about moving to San Diego (not really in the cards for us) so I’m super envious. Best of luck to you!
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:32 pm (8 years ago)Thanks so much Lauren!
Emily @ The Unpretentious Reader
June 24, 2016 at 10:32 am (8 years ago)Oh my gosh, how exciting!! San Diego is one of my all-time favorite cities and I’m always trying to brainstorm ways we can someday move there. 🙂
When my husband and I moved from Nashville to Salt Lake City, we used ABF U-Pack moving pods instead of a U-Haul. It ended up saving us SO much money when you figured in the cost of gas for the U-Haul, and the convenience of just being able to drive our car and know our things would be there when we arrived was invaluable. Just a thought!
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:32 pm (8 years ago)Oh, I’ve heard of U-Pack but hadn’t heard stories from anyone actually using them. Thanks for the heads up!!
Emily @ The Unpretentious Reader
June 24, 2016 at 2:31 pm (8 years ago)Our experience was overwhelmingly positive. All of our stuff arrived unbroken, and their customer service was great. This was about 5 years ago, but hopefully they’re just as good now as they were then!
Rachel
July 21, 2016 at 3:25 pm (8 years ago)Okay I’m a month late, but I just wanted to say we also used ABF U-Pack (the pay-by-the-linear-foot option, not pods, but it’s similar/same company) four years ago to move from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma and it was a great experience! Definitely our most affordable option and it worked super well. Anyway, I’m sure you’ve already worked all that out but maybe someone else will come along and read this 🙂
(Other notes about moving [halfway] across the country… there were some things that were hard to adjust to but overall it’s been really great! By far the best thing for us was finding a chapter of our running/social club in our new town… it helped us make a lot of friends here really quickly, which IMO just makes everything easier!)
Teramis
June 24, 2016 at 10:57 am (8 years ago)Congrats on your impending move! I lived in SD for many years – it’s a beautiful place to live. I’m sure you’ll love it. I moved away quite a while ago, so can’t help with suggestions for how things are now, but I wish you all the best with your next great adventure. 🙂
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 12:32 pm (8 years ago)Thank you, Teramis!
Emily @ Life on Food
June 24, 2016 at 12:54 pm (8 years ago)Congratulations! San Diego is beautiful!
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 5:20 pm (8 years ago)Thank you, Emily!
Jane S
June 24, 2016 at 4:46 pm (8 years ago)How exciting for you and Mike! It sounds like there will be lots of fun, new experiences for you both in the next few years. Very best wishes on this new chaper in your life, Julie! Also, that Cake!!!
Julie Ruble
June 24, 2016 at 5:21 pm (8 years ago)Thank you, Jane!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
June 24, 2016 at 6:14 pm (8 years ago)Hey girl – congrats! I’ve been to San Diego and it’s a beautiful city, you will absolutely fit right in. Excited for you and Mike! I may have to celebrate (for you) with a piece of this yummy skillet cake! 🙂
Anna
June 27, 2016 at 12:23 am (8 years ago)Here’s hoping your move goes smoothly, and you see lots of great things in SD and on the way there! I follow this SD based food blog, it’s a great one for restaurant reviews and a glimpse at the community 🙂
http://kirbiecravings.com
Lauri
June 27, 2016 at 11:16 am (8 years ago)Congratulations Julie!! That’s def a BIG announcement. A co-worker said once you live in San Diego you won’t want to leave.
Best of luck with the move for you and your hubbie! Keep us posted:)
Stephanie Miller
June 28, 2016 at 4:35 am (8 years ago)Gosh that is big news! Extremely exciting!
Well I have moved long distance, but I didn’t take anything with me that I couldn’t fit in 2 suitcases and a carry-on! (I didn’t think it wise to try to box stuff up for New Zealand–can you imagine the cost?!!!)
Advice for packing in general:
~Pack room by room (start with the room you use things from the least perhaps a guest bedroom, storage closet/room etc, so that you can start packing ASAP to kind of ease the time pressure AND still be able to live where you currently ARE.)
~do NOT get bogged down with nostalgia while packing. Instead, set aside some pre-packing time to go through things that you know are going to be emotional for you, or difficult for you to decide if you want to keep it or not.
~anything that YOU want to know where it is, or feel needs special care, YOU pack it (same goes for the hubby). Believe me, it will save you from arguments later over ‘why didn’t you pack my X?!’ or ‘why didn’t you pack my X more carefully?!’
Label boxes:
1) what room they are GOING TO
2) what type of items are in the box, perhaps listing a few specific items that you KNOW you will want to find fast when you arrive. For example: BEDROOM, Julie’s clothes–underwear, pajamas.
3) Mark if a box is heavy, so that the lifter is prepared, and so that you put the heavy boxes on the bottom of any piles. Alternatively, you could keep all the heavy boxes in one pile.
~It might be a good idea to tape all the seams of the boxes AND the sides and corners, since these are the stress points.
~When you get to the new place. After everything is moved into the house, set up your bed first, and any curtains or blinds for the bedroom/bathroom. That way you will be ready for bedtime, whether it’s a nap or just, well, bedtime!
Well, that’s all the moving advice I have.
I know nothing about San Diego except that it is beautiful and my ex-brother-in-law moved there many years ago and never returned to the northeast.
So very excited about your new adventure! Live is an adventure, and it is always good to see other people really living it!
xx Steph
Jen Ryan
June 29, 2016 at 9:37 pm (8 years ago)Hi Julie! I’ve been reading from afar since I met Tina Misite in San Antonio, and discovered that you were our unlikely common thread! I now live in San Diego, and am a Montessori teacher, and also adore High Tech High. Please email me to set something up when you get here! My husband is a GM of a restaurant, Catania, in La Jolla, that I think you would like. You will LOVE it in San Diego, and congratulations!
Julie Ruble
June 29, 2016 at 9:54 pm (8 years ago)Oh my gosh, Jen! Crazy connection! I LOVE Tina so much and I know I will love you too!! And a teacher friend who loves food, WHAT?! So perfect. We will be there in August and we will DEFINITELY have to get together. Thanks so much for reaching out! Can’t wait to meet you.
Jen Ryan
July 2, 2016 at 11:38 pm (8 years ago)Hey Julie! Seems like a lifetime ago, but we were in TFA together in Charlotte, though our paths didn’t cross very often. I do think we were in the same apartment complex that first year, though I can’t remember the name of the place! I lived with Evan Fulcher at the time. You loved orange soda. And that’s all I’ve got! It will be great to get to know you better!
Kari Collins
February 13, 2022 at 8:58 pm (3 years ago)Has anybody made this cake? I was looking for reviews of the cake and didn’t see any. I’m considering making it for a friend that loves cookies and cream and has South American roots and loves tres leches. Id like to know if someone has made this already and has feedback.
Julie Ruble
February 15, 2022 at 3:34 pm (3 years ago)I mean, I have 🙂 And I loved it! But hopefully others can see your post and share too.