Tres Leches

I don't make this very often, but every time I do I tell myself I need to make it more often. I made this recently for our Cinco de Mayo party, and after gorging myself on flautas and empanadas, I went back for some of my cake and found it completely gone. I should have made a lot more for the party! So, I made more today instead. (You can also substitute a white cake mix, instead of making the homemade white cake.)

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9x13 pan and set aside.

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl and set aside. 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

5 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar, than add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture while mixing. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes. 

1 cup whole milk

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Mix the milk in a small bowl. When cake is cooled, pierce it several times with a fork or knife. Pour over the milk mixture. Set in the fridge to chill. 

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla together until thick. Spread on cold cake. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Margarita Cake

I love this cake! It is super easy and so moist! So, when that citrus craving hits, this is a quick fix. We are getting ready for Cinco de Mayo and all the good food we're going to have, and I thought this might be a good dessert to go with our Mexican party food, even though it's not a traditional Mexican dish. I thought it would go good with all the other lemon-lime flavored dishes that we are serving this year. I also used this recipe for cupcakes for our Easter party this year. They went fast! I got this recipe from Williams and Sonoma, but I used a generic Margarita Mix, rather than the Williams and Sonoma brand.

1 yellow box cake mix

Margarita Mix

1 bag powdered sugar

Mix the cake according to the box instructions, except substitute the margarita mix for the water. Bake as directed. While the cake is still warm, mix a small amount of the margarita mix with a few cups of powdered sugar, until a desired consistency is formed for a glaze. Poke holes in the cake, with a fork or knife, and pour over the glaze. (I also added some cream cheese to my glaze, and it worked great too.) 

Upside-Down Pineapple-Banana Cake

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks for kids, called, "Ready, Steady, Spaghetti", and wanted to try it out. My husband, who isn't a big banana fan, crinkled his nose when I mentioned it to him, but after I made it and gave him a bite, I couldn't keep him away from it. He just had one question after he ate it, "How much butter is in this?" Okay, so it's not the healthiest, it's cake for Pete's sake, but it's good, right down the the last buttery-sugared bite.  

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 large banana, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease six small springform cake pans (like you use for cheesecakes), or an 8 inch springform cake pan. I actually used a regular cake pan, and it worked great.

Beat the butter, sugar, and egg until smooth. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix well, then add the milk and mashed banana. (I added some vanilla bean to my batter.)

Spread the melted butter in the base of the pan, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Spread the crushed pineapple over the sugar. Pour the batter evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. My cake took a little longer to cook. I think it was because it was a deep cake pan. Unmold onto a plate and serve warm with cream.