Debunking "Satan's Sweetener"

      So I totally meant for this to be a weekly thing, and while that is still the goal it just takes a bit to get going. I figured I'd drop a few words, share a recipe and that would be it. It's a bit harder than that. For me anyways. I have a whole new respect for people who blog every week and especially those who blog everyday.
     This week's recipe is a new one for me. You see, I love sugar. Brown sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar, raw sugar, etc. I have always shied away from sugar free or reduced sugar recipes because of previous bad experiences with what I like to call "Satan's Sweetener" or artificial sweeteners. But something presented itself to me the other day while planning our monthly birthday potluck at work. My friend Angie is diabetic and can't have a lot of sugar. I was asked to make something with reduced sugar or sugar free. Since I want everyone to be able to enjoy the food I make, especially the desserts, I figured I'd give it a shot.
     Also the theme for this month's potluck was Mexican food. So with that theme in mind I figured a Tres Leche cake would be on the money. Light, sweet and even if you make it with sugar, it isn't alot. So this week I give you what was described by my friend Angie as "The best Tres Leche cake I've ever had."

Photo by Heidi Shepherd

Materials, ingredients and directions

Parchment Paper
Cookie sheet or platter with at least 1/2in to 1in sides
Electric mixer
Extra refrigerator space

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I like to grease my cake pans then flour them. For this recipe I used two 9 inch cake pans
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
4 large eggs separated
1 1/2 Cups Splenda
1/2 Cup whole milk
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz can evaporated milk
3 Cups heavy cream divided
3 Tbs orange liqueur (one little airplane bottle of Grand Marnier was perfect)
2 Tbs powdered sugar
Cinnamon (optional)
Mandarin oranges (optional)

First combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Next, in a large (and preferably deep) mixing bowl, use an electric mixer, with a whisk attachment if you've got one, to whip the eggs whites until frothy. Gradually add the Splenda until you have stiff peaks. Proceed to put in the yolks one at a time making sure you are well blended after each yolk. Finally alternate adding the flour and whole milk until fully mixed.

Pour the batter into the waiting cake pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Flip the cake pans onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and they should come right out. Take a thick skewer (I used my instant read thermometer) and pierce holes throughout the cake.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, orange liqueur and 1 Cup heavy cream in a medium bowl. Pour the milk mixture over the cake, cover it and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

All that's left is to take the remaining 2 Cups of heavy cream and 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Mix the ingredients together until soft peaks form. Place the whipped cream into the refrigerator until ready to spread it on the cake.

When the cakes are ready remove them from the refrigerator and place one on a platter and spread some whipped cream on it then place the second on top and go nuts with the whipped cream. Once you've covered the cake you can either garnish with cinnamon like a traditional Tres Leche cake or garnish it with mandarin oranges to help bring out the orange flavor in the milk mixture that has soaked into the cake.


I was going to have my wife take more pictures of the cake once I had garnished it with oranges and taken a slice out so I could show off the inside as well. The cake got eaten way too fast to even think about trying to save some for a photo op. Maybe I'll make another one and hide it so I can take pictures of it. In reality, I'll make another one and hide it so I don't have to share.