Before I say anything else, I have to make sure you understand that this post contains a recipe for a Flan Tres Leches Cake. Like, Flan and Tres Leches Cake in the same dessert (which turned out even more delicious than it sounds, if you can believe it.) Did you get that? Just checking.
Other than that, this post is about Buckle and my $600 leather couch, which was a hand-me-down from my sister because you guys know I’m a teacher, right? My furniture generally either comes from generous family members or Goodwill. Ikea is my splurge.
So owning a $600 leather couch was decidedly awesome.
“I was told there’d be cake.”
Buckle is also awesome. He’s a good cat. He’s sweet and fun. He looks and acts just like Milton from Office Space. I really couldn’t ask for anything more. Except, maybe, for him not to ruin my $600 leather couch.
Upon letting him out of his little cardboard carrier when we got home from the Humane Society, as a matter of fact, that was the one thing I was very clear to him about (well, that and not shredding the poodle): Please do not ruin my couch.
The first time I left Buckle alone, I was terrified he would decide my couch was a scratching post. But he met me at the door when I arrived home, purring and cuddly, and I didn’t find a single scratch. It was a kitty cat miracle.
As I left him alone more often and continued coming home to intact furniture, I think I got a little . . . overconfident.
Finally the weekend came where I needed to leave Buckle alone to visit Mike in Raleigh. I hired a petsitter to check in on him (Buckle, not Mike, although perhaps I should consider that), and everything seemed to go fine. I found a cheery note from her when I arrived home. But something just smelled a little off. I figured it was his litter box. Except that when I went to check, the door to his litter box closet was closed. So that couldn’t be it . . .
Wait. Closed.
The door to his litter box closet was closed.
Bless Buckle’s sweet kitty heart (which those of you who are Southern will be able to translate appropriately), he had apparently rubbed against his litter box closet door and closed it. With nowhere to potty, he had made the very best choice he could. You guessed it: to use the couch.
He couldn’t have used the carpet or, even better, the linoleum kitchen floor. It had to be the $600 leather couch.
If you’ve ever tried to deal with the uniquely pungent problem of a cat accident, you won’t be surprised that after a month or so of cleaning the cushions with every method known to humanity, the $600 leather couch ended up by the dumpster. All’s well that ends well, I guess: I received my tax refund, splurged on an Ikea couch and coffee table, and wedged a billion washcloths in Buckle’s litter box closet door so that it will never close again.
Buckle is helping me get used to the new furniture by using it as a jungle gym. One of my students actually asked me after the incident, “Are you going to take him back to the Humane Society?” But I’m happy to say that Buckle’s a part of my family now, flaws and all.
One year ago: Gooey Butter Strawberry Shortcake
Two years ago: Mini Doughnuts for Your Coffee Cup (a creative use for yeast dough scraps!)
Three years ago: Pasta Carbonara
Flan Tres Leches Cake
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, inspired by and/or adapted from Bake Love Give and All Recipes
Yield: 10-12 servings
If you love flan and/or tres leches cake, you’re in for a treat. This cake has an incredible flavor and an even more fantastic texture. It’s also surprisingly easy to whip up. It’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo, but I hope you’ll make it all year long.
Flan Ingredients:
1 (13.4-ounce) can can dulce de leche (or make your own)
3 eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake Ingredients:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 eggs (To get 1/2 egg, break one egg into a bowl and lightly beat it; discard half)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Tres Leches Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and spray a 10-inch bundt cake pan really well with cooking spray. Pour the dulce de leche evenly over the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Make the flan batter: In a large bowl, mix together the 3 eggs, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour this mixture evenly over the dulce de leche layer.
Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl (if you used a spatula to scrape all your flan batter out of its bowl, just use that one again), cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add in the 2 1/2 eggs and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well. Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing after each addition. Pour batter over the flan layer in the bundt cake pan (it’ll sink in a bit — no worries). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester inserted into just the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Pierce the cake several times with a skewer or fork. Let the cake cool.
Drench the cake: Whisk together 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 can condensed milk, and 1/4 can evaporated milk. Pour this mixture over the top of the cooled cake. Cover and chill the cake overnight (or at least a couple of hours, I’d say — you want the mixture all to sink into the cake) before loosening with a thin knife or spatula all around the sides. Carefully invert onto a serving plate (caramel and milks will ooze — it’s a saucy dish — so one that has a shallow lip or even a slightly bowl-like platter is ideal). Whip up the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to stiff peaks and dollop or pipe it all around the cake. Serve chilled with strawberries.
24 Comments on Flan Tres Leches Cake
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Lisa @ Who Stole My Baby?
May 5, 2013 at 6:52 pm (12 years ago)Aww, poor couch. We’re excited to get a pet once we move out of our apartment, but we’re certainly not looking forward to this kind of thing.
Nora H
May 5, 2013 at 9:44 pm (12 years ago)I know it’s too late know, but I had an unaltered male (he was VERY soon after this happened) that sprayed my leather boots. Sprayed them good with Lysol, put them in a bag in the garage and forgot about them for a few weeks. I had those boots for years after and never an “off” odor wet or dry. So sorry about your couch!
Sarah
May 5, 2013 at 10:30 pm (12 years ago)If there’s one thing having pets has taught me, it’s that possessions are not forever! And that I should try and be less attached to them, for they will inevitably be chewed or stunk up or peed on. But I love my puppy to bits, so it makes up for it! And so does the thought of this flan!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
May 6, 2013 at 12:26 am (12 years ago)This cake looks killer! Love this recipe!
A_Boleyn
May 6, 2013 at 3:17 am (12 years ago)Of course I love flan but have never tried a tres leche cake as I had the impression they were just too soggy for my taste. Your combo cake looks magnificent but a it is a bit too rich to make for just myself to enjoy. Maybe if there is a special occasion.
Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes
May 6, 2013 at 3:59 am (12 years ago)I love this cake, just like it looks like lil’ kitteh does, too! Anything with a tres leches soak is so perfectly delicious and fun to enjoy throughout the summer in my mind. Lovely post and recipe!
Pat
May 6, 2013 at 12:15 pm (12 years ago)This will certainly break my diet!!!
I solved the door problem by crocheting a strip that wraps from inside knob of door to outside of door. It’s about 3-4″ wide with slots for the door knobs. Door closes with a gap so cat can open it,
Amy | Club Narwhal
May 6, 2013 at 12:37 pm (12 years ago)You are an evil, evil, fabulous genius!!!! I am kind of terrified to make flan of any sort, but when you combine it with tres leches I’m pretty much cannot resist. Can’t wait to try this!
Ala
May 6, 2013 at 1:19 pm (12 years ago)Glad you’re so forgiving! I’m not sure if I would be–although who am I kidding, I’m a total sucker for cats (especially ones that might pounce on a poodle like this http://lavender-ice.tumblr.com/post/49519807147/cat-pounce-mauls-dog). This recipe looks awesome!
Susi Matthews
May 6, 2013 at 3:41 pm (12 years ago)Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! And not to add salt to the wound, but I have a fool-proof solution to the cat pee smell. To a squirt bottle, add half water and half….vodka. Yes, vodka; the cheapest you can find. Squirt that on the pee smell and let it soak in. Do it repeatedly until the pee smell it gone.
How do I know this? I was getting ready to travel to England to portray Queen Elizabeth I and my sweet cat (bless his heart! He left us in ’03 but still, bless his heart) peed on the bodice of my costume. The day before I was leaving! Talk about panic! I tried this belly dancers’ trick, since they have sequinned costumes that can’t be dry cleaned and they sweat a lot, of course. It really did the trick; I wore that costume in England and still have it and there is no pee smell.
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
May 6, 2013 at 4:30 pm (12 years ago)Oh, sweet pets! Our lives would certainly be much less interesting without them!
What an incredible cake!
Ariel Boswell
May 6, 2013 at 4:35 pm (12 years ago)Mmm this sounds amazing, and like the perfect combination of desserts!! I am sorry about your couch, but – things are things, animals are people! 🙂
Sandra
May 6, 2013 at 11:17 pm (12 years ago)Wicked, sinful, indulgent, too good to be true, Mine!
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen
May 7, 2013 at 1:23 am (12 years ago)Oh dear, bless your kitty! Your cake looks absolutely divine. I made a Tres Leches cake with strawberries and cream too, but I love that yours is a flan as well!
Kathy
May 7, 2013 at 1:44 am (12 years ago)Your cake looks beautiful. I have never had Tres Leches Cake but have wanted to try it. This looks incredibly decadent!
Tracy | Peanut Butter and Onion
May 7, 2013 at 12:40 pm (12 years ago)I was kidding when I told my step-daughter that I would make her a flan for her birthday… now I’m not so sure… this looks great… PS, I love your cat!
Nel
May 18, 2013 at 12:21 pm (12 years ago)That flan looks lovely, and Buckle looks like a lovely cat! So pretty!
PapaLos - The Man, The Chef, The Dad
May 20, 2013 at 5:03 pm (12 years ago)We’re considering getting a cat but the furniture and basically everything else is making my wife hesitant. If this happened to our $600 couch you can rest assured someone in our immediate area would have inherited a cat.
And my God… I’m glad you cleared it up in the first paragraph because a Flan Tres Leches Cake sounds downright insane! And it looks sooooo amazing. I want some bad.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
May 22, 2013 at 6:52 pm (12 years ago)This cake is just so gorgeous1 I think I’m in love!
Holly
August 17, 2014 at 8:11 pm (11 years ago)I was so nervous making this cake because of all the layers, especially the final layer that sort of just clumped on top–I really didn’t think it would turn out well. It was absolutely delicious and I will be making again! I loved the separate flan layer on top of the cake. Thank you!
Ana
August 21, 2014 at 9:53 pm (11 years ago)I would have to say that making this cake is kind of tricky, but is amazingly delicious. Its recommendable to eat.
Julie Ruble
August 22, 2014 at 7:19 am (11 years ago)Thanks 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
Callie
October 14, 2016 at 11:08 am (9 years ago)Just a note from a very nsuty kittens mom myers lemon cleaner will tske the sprsy out of everything from satin drapes to wooden blinds. I am also a chef and well done on the reciept. The Col my hubs picks a simikar cake up at costco snd devours it on shopping days so this will be this winters treat! Diivine. I am an Alabama girl soo i do get the Bless your heart metaphor. Hugs happy cooking! Callie