Toasted coconut + kaya tres leches
Tres leches is a powerful cake. I have witnessed this cake change
the mood of a sullen soul instantly before my eyes. Adding
toasted coconut and Kaya coconut jam (page 255) increases its
already soothing, squishy and unstoppable spoonability. As a
dessert, it perfectly punctuates a spicy meal, or you can bake this
as a therapy cake for a beloved or yourself when times are tough.

The soak is a throw-everything-coconut-you-can-find-at-it affair.

Buy coconut condensed milk at big Asian supermarkets – it’s
becoming more readily available.

Start the soak a few hours or the day before. Heat your oven to 170°C
(340°F). Sprinkle the fine coconut in a single layer on a baking tray
and bake until dark tawny brown – 12–15 minutes with one or two
stirs. Scrape into a bowl, mix with the full-cream milk and steep at
room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours (or chilled overnight)
until you are ready to make the soak.

Very dark brown (but not burnt) colour on the toasted coconut equals better
flavour later. Fine coconut toasts faster and with more surface area to brown
than a flake. And they leave lovely fine fawn flecks through the soak. Use
flakes instead if you want a fleck-less finish.

Make the Heat and whip sponge, aiming for the soak to be ready
when the sponge is still warm.

I’ve done the hard work for you by learning (from many, many iterations)
that slightly cooled and structure-set sponge meeting hot soak is optimal for
leches successes. A too-hot sponge gets soggy and slumps. My pleasure.

While the sponge is baking, finish the soak by straining the toasted
coconut milk and discarding ONLY the solids. You should have 250 g/ml
(9 oz) milk. If short, top up with extra cold milk. Stir the strained
toasted coconut milk together well with the remaining ingredients
in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Heat the soak to a steamy
70–80°C (160–175°F) on the stovetop or in the microwave.

continued …

Makes A cake dessert for 6–8 people.

Takes Around 1½ hours to complete

Keeps Up to 3 days refrigerated.

the sponge, plus 2 hours for soaking.

Best made the day before for a deep
chill. Make the Kaya coconut jam while
the cake soaks and chills.
1 × Heat and whip sponge cake
(page 165)
cooking oil spray
Tres leches soak
70 g (2½ oz) fine (desiccated)
coconut
400 g/ml (14 oz) full-cream
(whole) milk
190 g/ml (6½ oz) full-cream
evaporated milk (approx.
½ tin)
190 g/ml (6½ oz) full-fat
coconut milk, stirred well
190 g/ml (6½ oz) sweetened
coconut (or plain) condensed
milk (½ tin)
50 g/ml (1¾ oz) runny cream
(35% milkfat – no higher)
1 g (¹⁄₃₂oz/¼ teaspoon) sea salt
flakes
5 g (⅛ oz/½ teaspoon) vanilla
paste or ½ vanilla bean
Kaya cream topping
220 g/ml (8 oz) thick (double/
heavy) cream (45% milkfat)
200 g (7 oz) Kaya coconut jam
(page 255) (optional – if not
using, add a little coconut
cream to whip with the cream
instead)