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Title: Banana Tres Leches Cake
Categories: Tex Cake Dessert
Yield: 12 Servings

MERINGUE
3 Egg whites; at room temp
1/3cGranulated sugar
1/8tsVanilla extract
3/4cConfectioners' sugar
CAKE
1cFlour; cake
1tsBaking powder
 pnSalt
5 Eggs; at room temp
1cGranulated sugar
1/4cWater
MILK TOPPING
1cnSweetened condensed milk;
  . 14oz
1cnEvaporated milk; 12oz
1 1/2cHeavy cream
1/2cBanana liqueur
SWEET WHIPPED CREAM
1cHeavy whipping cream
1/4tsVanilla extract
1/4cGranulated sugar

Make meringue "twigs" first; set aside.

Preheat oven to 400øF. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch cake pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Place the eggs in a medium bowl. Add sugar and mix with electric mixer on high speed. Add the water and continue beating until mixture is fluffy and pale yellow.

Add the dry ingredients by hand, mixing thoroughly and quickly so eggs do not lose their volume. Pour batter into cake pan; tap pan firmly on counter once or twice to remove any air bubbles. Bake 10 to 13 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, make Milk Topping.

Using a toothpick, poke holes in the top of the cake. Pour Milk Topping over top and refrigerate.

At serving time, make Sweet Whipped Cream. To assemble dessert, cut cake in pieces. Place a dollop of Sweet Whipped Cream on each slice. Garnish with meringue twigs and banana slices.

Makes 12 servings.

Meringue: Preheat oven to 250øF. Warm bowl and beaters in warm water, then dry thoroughly. Beat 3 egg whites (room temperature) with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Add 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and blend in quickly and gently by hand. Transfer meringue to pastry bag (or plastic zip-top bag with 1/2-inch snipped off one corner) and pipe strips of meringue onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until meringue is dry. Break meringue into pieces and set aside.

Milk Topping: Whisk together 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can sweetened, condensed milk, 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup banana liqueur.

Sweet Whipped Cream: In a well chilled bowl using chilled beaters, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form.

Nutritional analysis: per serving: 618 calories, 28g fat, 201mg sodium, 184mg cholesterol, 40% of calories from fat.

Cake mix method: You can also make a good tres leches cake using a cake mix. We adapted a Duncan Hines yellow cake, adding 2 additional eggs, well beaten; omitting the oil; and cutting the water from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup. The result is a larger, denser cake that doesn't soak up the Milk Topping quite as readily, but still produces an acceptable dessert. Omit the banana liqueur from the Milk Topping, if desired, or replace with another flavor.

** Dallas Morning News -- Food section -- 20 Mar 96 ** Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor

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