Tres Leche Cake

It has been a busy past few days, I think as soon as December hits it gets crazy for most people. On top of the holidays, we have two birthdays, my sister flying in and a trip planned. Ahh! The neat freak, organized part of me is starting to panic, but I know that will not do any good, so I will just take one day at a time. Deep breaths Rita, deep breaths. 

Since we keep the shabbat, it means I prep, bake and clean the house every Friday/Thursday. It is a lot of work but something I am used to. Both my husband and I have kept the shabbat, out parents, grandparents and so on. Anyways, I have been on a kick of trying out new cake recipes. Before this, I was never a fan of baking cakes. Not because I don't like cakes, oh I love cakes! Mostly because they are too time consuming and usually ended up being a flop. However, 10 years down the road I learned a few things here and there. 

This time I made a Layered Tres Leche Cake  from Natasha's Kitchen.  I love that all her recipes are so detailed and she has amazing detailed photos, and I love pictures :)

This cake is surprisingly easy to make and tastes amazing. Basically like licking some condensed milk. mmmm..... The Russian part of me can not live without condensed milk. A holy grail product in my pantry. 

Ingredients

Cake Layers

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

5 eggs (separated)

1 cup of sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk (I used whole)

Syrup

2/3 of a 12 oz can of evaporated milk

2/3 of a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

Frosting

2 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar

Fresh strawberries 

Instructions

How to Make the Cake Layers: 

Preheat Oven to 350F. oil and flour two 9" round cake pans (I also cup out a circle of parchment paper and place inside the pan to avoid any sticking)

1. Set up 3 mixing bowls: 1 medium and 2 large bowls. In the medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
2. Separate eggs into the other two large bowls. Egg yolks into one and egg whites into the other. Beat egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow (approx 2 min). Stir in ⅓ cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3. Pour flour mixture over your egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed with the mixer until just combined.
4. With a clean, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute). With the mixer on, pour in remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff but not dry (1 minute).
5. Gently fold egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture until just combined. Divide evenly between two cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp.

Prep the 3-milk syrup:

1. In a large measuring cup with a pouring lip, stir together ⅔ of the evaporated milk, ⅔ of the sweetened condensed milk and ¼ cup heavy whipping cream.

Assembling the Cake:

1. Place one of the layers, flat side down, on a cake platter. Using a fork, poke the top all around, going all the way to the edges and poke through the depth of the cake. Use a spoon to pour on half of the 3-milk syrup. Let cake stand and absorb the syrup while you beat the frosting (see instructions below).
2. Generously frost the top of your first layer, then arrange sliced strawberries over the top of your frosting.
3. Your next cake layer will be placed with the flat side up; so before putting it over the strawberries, use a fork to poke the flat surface all around, going to the edges. Now place your poked cake top over the strawberries.
4. Spoon the remaining half of the 3-milk syrup evenly over your top layer. Let cake stand 10-15 minutes for the syrup to soak in for easier frosting.
5. Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth out frosting with a cake spatula. I decorated the top with halved strawberries, placed at an angle around the top border of the cake. It was simple and just perfect.

How to Make the Frosting

1. For best results with whipping cream, freeze your mixing bowl and egg beaters or whisk attachment for 15 minutes. Make sure your whipping cream is very cold.
2. Beat 2½ cups heavy whipping cream and 2½ Tbsp sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable (about 1½ to 2 minutes). Don't overbeat or it will turn buttery. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Again, thank you Natasha for another amazing recipe!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION

Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken Schnitzel is a regular in our house, I especially like to make it for Shabbat since it reheats nicely and can be used the next day for sandwiches, salads etc. 

Ingredients:

4 Skinless boneless chicken breasts

Salt/black pepper

1 Cup of flour

3 eggs beaten

Dijon mustard

Panko Crumbs

4 TB butter

Vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves -minced

Parsley

1. Set the flour, eggs and panko in three separate bowls. Cut chicken breasts in half and pound them thin and even. (I like to put the chicken between waxed paper to keep from making a big mess while pounding) 
2.  Transfer pounded chicken to a bowl and season with salt and pepper and minced garlic. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the eggs and coat evenly with the panko.
3. In a large skillet heat the butter and oil. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate/sheet to drain.
4. Once oil has drained, move to serving dish and sprinkle with parsley. 

Enjoy!

Click HERE for Printable Version

Dining Room Updates (New Table)

After getting new counter tops in our kitchen, I started thinking of getting a new table. 

I brought it up to my hubby and he kinda brushed it off, since I had no valid reason to sell it. "I am tired of it" and " I need a change" are not really valid points in our household. But we decided if I can sell it on craigslist, then I can get a new table. Well I listed the table, got a few low ball offers so I kinda gave up. Then one day I listed some side tables for sale and hit the renew button for the table, a few hours later, I sold the table for the asking price! I guess it was just the right time. 

My hubby was so amazing and helpful. He helped the buyer take the table and chairs apart and went to IKEA to pick up the table I wanted with my little wad of cash I have been collecting and from the table we sold. 

And this is the result, TA DA!!

Before:

I really love how bright it is! What do you think?

Mixed Berry Tart

One of my all time favorite spring and summer desserts is a fruit tart. It is so simple to make and so delicious. I have tried a few recipes and this one is my favorite. 

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

Filling:

1 package cream cheese, at room temperature

6 oz of lemon curd

Mixed Berries for topping

Powdered sugar

Directions

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine powdered sugar, flour, and butter in the bowl of a food processor, processing until

mixture forms a ball (you can combine dough by hand, if desired). With your fingers, press 

dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push crust into 

indentations in tart pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until very lightly 

browned. Let cool completely before filling.

Filling: In a large beat the softened cream cheese with the lemon curd. Spoon the

mixture into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly. 

Top it with fresh berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar is desired. 

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Enjoy!