For the sponge cake:

Cup of Yum
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180 C)
2. Separate the 4 eggs into whites and yolks.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the 4 egg whites and use an electric mixer to beat them until they are fluffy. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can use a hand mixer or whisk, it will take longer, but you should get the same end result.
4. Add the 1 cup of sugar and continue beating the egg white mix until you have a shiny stiff mix.
5. On low speed, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the pinch of salt.
6. Use a spatula or mixing spoon to add the sifted flour in batches, mix gently to incorporate the flour without losing the airiness of the batter.
7. Add the cake batter to lightly greased mold, either a square or round 8-9inch mold.
8. Bake at 350F for about 30-35 minutes (if baking at 180C bake it for 20-25 minutes) or until golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

For the tres leches milk mixture:

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the condensed milk, the evaporated milk, and the regular milk (or cream). Mix well.
2. Keep the cake in the baking mold and use a toothpick, skewer or even a fork to poke small holes all over the cake.
3. Add the three milks mix to the cake, make sure you cover the corner areas if using a square mold.
4. Refrigerate the cake for several hours, overnight is ideal.

For the meringue frosting:

1. In a medium-sized pot, heat a small amount of water over low temperature.
2. Then place a glass bowl containing the egg whites, sugar, pinch of salt, and cream of tartar. Bring the water to a simmer while constantly beating the egg whites with a hand mixer, mix the ingredients for 8-10 minutes. It is important not to stop beating or the egg whites may cook and will no longer work for the meringue.
3. When the sugar has dissolved and you have foamy mixture, remove the glass bowl from the heat and switch to an electric hand mixer, increasing the speed from medium to high until the meringue forms peaks and the meringue is glossy and shiny. This should take about 5-7 minutes of mixing.
4. A tip to stabilize the meringue is to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar when the creamy meringue texture begins to form.

To decorate:

1. If you prefer a more rustic or homemade style cake decoration, simply spread the meringue over the entire surface of the cake. I usually do this with the back of a spoon.
2. If you want a fancier style cake decoration, the best option is to use a pastry bag with your favorite tip and use the frosting to make a more elaborate design.
3. To finish, sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the meringue. It is totally optional, but traditionally a classic tres leches should have a little cinnamon topping.
4. You can also decorate the top of the cake with your choice of fresh fruit like strawberries, mango, passion fruit, raspberries, or canned fruit like peaches, etc. Other topping ideas include caramel or dulce de leche, or chocolate shavings.
5. Refrigerate your decorated tres leches cake until it is time to serve it.