Tres leches cake

Set the oven to 350 and butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Separate five eggs, yolks from whites.

Beat the egg whites on high until foamy and doubled, then drizzle in 50 grams of sugar and run the mixer about three minutes to stiff, perky peaks, stopping before they are overbeaten.

In a second bowl, beat the five egg yolks with the remaining 200 grams of sugar until pale and thicker, scraping the bowl down.

Drizzle in the whole milk with the mixer running, then the vanilla, and check it is combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, finishing by hand with the whisk.

Fold the meringue in in two additions, cutting down the middle with the spatula and rotating, until almost no white streaks remain.

Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it into an even layer.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, until the centre is set.

Whisk the milk, the two cans of evaporated milk and the two cans of sweetened condensed milk together until smooth; the condensed milk takes a while.

Variation: for an adult tres leches, pour about a cup of dark rum into the soak; none of the alcohol cooks off.

Variation: swap in bought or homemade dulce de leche for a subtle caramel flavour.

When the cake is warm but no longer hot, poke holes all over it with a skewer or a big fork, right into the middle.

Pour about half the milk mixture over slowly so it soaks into the centre, spooning it where needed; keep the rest to serve, or use nearly all of it if serving on a plate rather than in a bowl.

Cover and chill at least an hour, better overnight.

Whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar, starting low and building up, then finish by hand to soft peaks so it does not overwhip.

Swoop the whipped cream over the chilled cake with an offset spatula in arcs to give it height.

Slice and serve with more of the milk mixture.