Vegan Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients:
Sponge Cake
1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (coconut oil is not recommended)
2/3 cup cane sugar (or use coconut sugar, the cake will have a darker color)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Soaking Syrup
1 cup vegan sweetened condensed milk
1 14-oz. can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight


Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly grease an 8-by-8 or 7-by-11 inch baking dish.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. To the bowl with the soy milk, add the oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Whisk well to combine. Stir in the dry mixture and mix until no lumps remain.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Wait until at least 20 minutes have passed before opening the oven door at all). The 7-by-11 cake size takes around 30 minutes to bake, and the 8-by-8 size takes around 35 minutes.

6. Let the cake cool for at least an hour. (You could prepare the sweetened condensed milk while the cake bakes and cools). Using a chopstick, skewer, or a toothpick in a pinch, poke holes throughout the cake, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. The distance isn't very important, just make it poke lots of holes all over.

7. Retrieve the coconut milk from the refrigerator and gently scoop out the cream on top. Either turn this into coconut whip to top the cake if you like or reserve it for another use (curry, etc.). Take the rest of the liquid from the can and mix it together with the sweetened condensed milk. Pour this milk mixture over the top of the cake. You'll need to do it in several stages, waiting in between for the cake to soak up the milk.

8. When the cake is pretty much saturated with the milk, you're done - you may or may not need all of it.


*This cake is best served cold, so if you have time, refrigerate it.

*Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Recipe inspiration: Yup It’s Vegan