A Cozy Christmas with Carnation
Disclaimer I received the items featured in this post complimentary. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #celebraconnestle #sponsored
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The Holidays instantly bring back memories from my childhood, family gathered around the table and the kids running around in the living room. Warm tamales being passed around and so many delicious treats at the dessert table. In fact, there is so much food you can hardly fit any more food onto the tables or kitchen counters, but we somehow still have room for more. That’s the thing about my family, we always have room for friends and family alike, and no matter how late you arrive you’ll be sure to leave stuffed and with a few to-go plates. My mom and my tias make the sweetest treats, and of all the things they’ve ever made, pastel de tres leches has always been my favorite! I have ordered it from restaurants and bakeries, but they somehow just don’t get it quite right, so I only indulge in it during special occasions. My mom insists that a cake that is made from scratch can never be duplicated because there’s just not the same amount of love and care that goes into it. She finally passed the recipe down to me and I made it for our little family to enjoy here in Houston.
My fiancé and I want to incorporate traditions that are important to our cultures. My family comes from Mexico and his from France, so we are lucky to share a lot of passion and love of food in both cultures. This holiday season I plan on continuing to bring a little slice of my culture to share with his side of the family, a new tradition that we started last year.
I am collaborating with CARNATION® Evaporated Milk to share my Mom’s tres leches cake recipe – which literally translates to three milks cake. Carnation is the only brand we use for this cake, and as a kid I remembered it by the red flower on the can. However, you can now find the Carnation tetra packs at your local Walmart in the baking aisle! Growing up my job was to chop the pecans and slice the strawberries, I’m glad to share a piece of home with you, so you can also create special holiday moments of your own.
One of my most cherished memories around this time are going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and attending the Posadas around the neighborhood. If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, it is basically a reenactment of Mary and Joseph searching for a place to stay in Bethlehem, usually performed before Christmas. Grocery stores, churches, and people from all over open their homes and provide meals for those in attendance, accompanied by music and Christmas carols. It normally turns into a festive block party that lasts all night long, because we know how to have a good time!
The three milks cake is called that because the recipe literally calls for three different milks: sweetened condensed milk, Carnation Evaporated Milk, and regular whole milk. You can swap out the last milk for your favorite one (coconut milk, 2% milk, etc, it all tastes wonderful). Muchas gracias to Carnation for collaborating with me on this post so we can have a cozy Christmas and share our #CelebraConNestle moment. Be sure to also visit elmejornido.com for more recipe ideas!
- 5 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk for batter, 1 cup milk for tres leches
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 Carnation tetra pack evaporated milk or 2 cans
- 14oz La Lechera sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups milk
- For the frosting:
- 8oz tub Cool Whip
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Optional: Strawberries, pineapples, other fresh fruits, caramel sauce, or pecans for decorating
- Pass the flour through a large mesh strainer 3 times. This will create a very fine flour that feels like silk when passed through your hands.
- Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together then set aside.
- Using an electric mixer (a hand mixer or a very strong arm is just fine) beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the sugar into the mixer until the butter is light and smooth.
- Gently add one egg at a time into the mixer to create the batter.
- Slowly add in half the amount of flour and half the milk mixing on low. Once that is well absorbed add in the other half of the flour and milk. Mix until you only have a small amount of lumps, but do not overmix.
- Evenly fill the glass pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Poke holes throughout the cake using chopsticks or something similar in size. Set on the counter until cool to the touch, approximately a couple hours.
- In a large bowl or blender, mix evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and milk until combined. --Little by little pour the tres leches over the holes you created in the cake, until it pools at the top, and save the leftovers in the fridge in case you need to add more the next day. Cover the cake and keep refrigerated overnight. This step is a must to ensure a perfectly moist cake!
- The next day make the frosting by combining the Cool Whip and the powdered sugar until peaks form. This lighter frosting goes perfectly with the density of the tres leches cake. You will notice that your cake has tripled in weight and that is normal. Add more of your tres leches until it pools at the top again and then frost immediately.
- Garnish with fresh fruits or pecans and enjoy immediately! Refrigerate leftovers.
From our family to yours, Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noël!
Beautiful traditions and recipe! Wishing you guys many memories together!
Thanks so much Jen!! Feliz Navidad!!
I love that this recipe is approachable and I actually want to attempt to make it with my girls! Maybe a new tradition?!
Omg that would be precious!! Good luck, and I’m sure it’ll turn out fabulous!!
I’m so exited to make this with my daughter. I hope we can pour as much love into it as you and your mom did. Happy Holidays!
That sounds like a fantastic idea, let me know how it comes out!! Feliz Navidad!!
Mmmmmm que Rico!! I’m gonna try it this weekend. I love tres leches so much
Thanks Leslie!! ❤️ It’s my absolute favorite!!