A few weeks ago, I went to my friend Yvette’s place, and her husband and whipped up a coconut milk matcha latte tiramisu (entirely from scratch, including the marscapone)! It was one of the best, most-well-balanced desserts I’ve ever eaten, even though I’m extremely critical of matcha-based desserts as most of them dilute the stunning flavor of matcha. I loved it so much, in fact, that it inspired me to make a coconut milk matcha latte Tres Leches Cake.

The recipe for Tres Leches is not my own, in fact I just searched for it on Pinterest. The original recipe can be found here.

I made some significant changes in the recipe, mostly with the choice of milks and cream, the use of matcha and (by accident) the amount of baking powder.

The most important thing that I cannot stress enough on, is using good quality matcha. You do not need to use ceremonial matcha for this (which is more expensive, tastes more mellow and is best enjoyed straight-up, on its own), but even when it comes to culinary grade, cocktail grade or all-purpose matcha, make sure you source it from a reliable, quality-conscious vendor. I highly recommend Avantcha, as their cocktail grade matcha is the best I’ve ever used for incorporating in desserts, lattes and cocktails/mocktails. You can read more about matcha here.

I first made tried this to take to Yvette’s place, and loved it so much I made it again within the week!

Here’s what you need and how it’s done:

Ingredients for the batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs
• 3/4 + 1/4  cup granulated sugar (divided because we’ll need to use it in different steps)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 + 1/4 cup whole milk (will need it separately)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the milk/sauce:

• 1/4 tightly packed cup matcha
• 1 can coconut cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk or coconut milk
• 1 can condensed cream (well-shaken and at room temperature)

Whipped topping:

• 2 cans coconut cream
• 1 tsp matcha

Method:

1. Chill 2 cans coconut cream in the refridgerator overnight
2. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius
3. Lightly spray a non-stick pan or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray or butter
4. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two separate bowls
5. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt
6. On high speed using an electric mixer, mix 3/4 cup sugar with the egg yolks until pale yellow. Add in 1/3 cup milk and vanilla and combine well,
7. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over-mix.
8. Using an electric mixer again, (preferably a stand-mixer like Kitchen Aid), whisk the egg whites on high speed, gradually adding in the 1/4 cup sugar, until soft to stiff peaks form.
9. Fold the soft or stiff peaks into the batter gently, in parts, until just combined.
10. Pour final batter into the pre-prepared pan and spread evenly
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
12. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
13. Sift the 1/4 cup matcha into a bowl so as to prevent lumps.
14. Gradually pour in the 1/2 cup whole milk/coconut milk, followed by the well-shaken can of coconut cream, making sure to whisk continuously. I recommend using a bamboo whisk for this, but you can use a regular whisk too, just not an electric one as this needs to be done on slow speed.
15. Once the texture seems satisfyingly homogenous, without any lumps, mix in the condensed milk too.
16. Poke about 24 holes in the cooled cake using a skewer, and pour the matcha coconut milk latte mixture evenly onto the cooled cake.
17. refrigerate overnight to allow even absorption of the liquid.
18. Open the chilled cans of coconut cream, and gently remove the solids (which will have separated and risen to the top) into a mixing bowl. Whisk on high speed, and spread evenly onto the matcha latte tres leches cake.
19. Using a small tea strainer, dust 1 tsp matcha powder onto the finished, creamed and chilled matcha latte tres leches cake before serving.