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Mary Jo’s tres leches cake

Mary Jo McMillin is the most wonderful cook and a great friend of everyone at Ballymaloe. She comes regularly from her home town of Chicago to spend time at the Cookery School and we all swap inspiration. This is Mary Jo’s version of the famous three-milks cake: rich, yet not heavy, and completely delicious.

Serves 8–10

butter for greasing

150g (5½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g (5½oz) caster sugar

For the filling and topping

225ml (8fl oz) fresh double cream

1 × 400ml (14fl oz) tin sweetened condensed milk

110–175ml (4–6fl oz) whole milk

1½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)

300ml (11fl oz) whipping cream

½ tbsp caster sugar

175g (6oz) raspberries

two 20cm (8in) cake tins; piping bag and medium star nozzle

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas mark 4. Grease the sides of the tins, and line the bases with baking parchment, then dust the sides with flour. Put the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl and whisk on high speed using an electric beater for 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and mousse-like.

2. Sift in the flour, then fold in thoroughly but lightly to retain the volume. Quickly divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and put in the centre of the oven to bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the tins on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then carefully turn out from the tins and remove the paper. Leave to cool completely.

3. To make the filling, put the cream in a large bowl and add the condensed milk, whole milk, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and the Grand Marnier, if using. Mix together well.

4. Put the whipping cream in a bowl and whip until just holding its shape, then briefly stir in the sugar and remaining vanilla extract.

5. Using a small fruit knife, cut half the quantity of raspberries into halves. Put one layer of sponge on a serving plate, then use a cocktail stick to pierce holes over the surface.

6. Drizzle 200ml (7fl oz) of the condensed milk mixture over the sponge cake, then spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top and add the halved raspberries.

7. Top the berries with a thin layer of whipped cream. Put the second layer of sponge upside down on a plate. Make holes with a cocktail stick as before, then drizzle 3–4 tablespoons of the condensed milk mixture over the sponge. Now, quickly and carefully flip the second sponge layer over and put it on top of the first sponge. Poke more holes on the top of the sponge. Drizzle with a further 3 tablespoons of the condensed milk mixture until the cake feels moist but not very wet.

8. Spread the cake with some of the whipped cream, then pipe the remaining cream on top of the cake and around the sides and decorate with the whole raspberries. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve the cake with a drizzle of the remaining condensed milk mixture.