Trilece - Tiffin And Tea (2024)

Trilece is a popular dessert in which a very light sponge cake is soaked in 3 kinds of milk - Evaporated Milk, Condensed Milk and Double Cream.

It is topped with whipped cream and a dark Caramel. It is similar to the infamous Tres Leches Cake of Mexico.

This version hails from Albania and is also popular in Turkey.

Trilece

Trilece is very similar to Mexican Tres Leche/Milk Cake, but with an added layer of golden Caramel on top of it. YUM!

The cake, cream and caramel can be store brought.

What people love about this cake is that is has a very light texture and melts in the mouth.

Thewhipped egg whites in the battercreate this wonderful airy cake. Using the eggs to create volume, reminds me a little of a Genoise sponge.

After baking it is pierced all over with a fork/skewer and a mixture of 3 milks is poured into it - In this case, I use evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk or cream.

Ingredients in Trilece

Plain Flour - You need very little in this recipe.

Baking Powder - For a little rise.

Salt - To marry the flavours together

Eggs (Separated) - This is where most of the volume comes from.

Vanilla - I use homemade Vanilla Extract for a good hit of Vanilla.

Milk - For moisture.

Evaporated Milk, Condensed Milk and Double Cream- For the Milk Soak.

Sugar - Caster Sugar is used here.

How to make Trilece

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180 C and butter a casserole dish or a deep oven tray.

I used a 9 x 13 inch baking tin.

Combine the plain flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form.

This take around 1 - 2 minutes.

With the machine still running, add 50g/1/4 cup caster sugar and beat on high until egg whites are stiff (1 minute).

Beat egg yolks with 150g or 3/4 cup Caster sugar on high speed, until yolks are a pale yellow (This takes 2 minutes).

Stir in the milk and vanilla.

Gently add the flour to the egg yolk mixture and fold in slowly.

Then gently fold in the egg white mixture.

Pour into your prepared dish and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Once cooled for 15 minutes, pierce all over with a fork.

In a large cup combine double cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Leave for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl combine double cream and sugar and whip on high until thick.

This takes around 3 - 5 minutes. Keep a very close eye on it though. Reserve some and add to a freezer bag and place in the fridge.

Make a Caramel by heating the sugar and water till it is a deep golden colour. This will take some time.

Remove from the heat and pour in cream a bit at a time stirring all the time.

Pour the caramel bit by bit over the cream and spread as you go.

Snip a hole in the corner of the freezer bag.

Pipe line horizontally across the cake on top of the caramel.

Use a co*cktail stick to feather the cream dragging it down vertically through the lines of cream. See video in notes.

The cream in this version was whipped.

Top tips for Trilece

PREP

Take all your ingredients out of the fridge/cupboards before you start.

Preparation is really important in this recipe.

FLOUR

Add the flour in batches sifting it over the egg mixture.

Mix with a spatula in a circular motion, making sure that there is no flour pockets at the bottom of the mixing bowl.

MILK

Because the topping is a sweet caramel sauce we make a less sugary milk syrup.

CARAMEL

When making the caramel, I tend not to stir the sugar and water as it will begin to crystallise.

If this happens, lower the heat a little, the crystals will eventually melt again. It is best not to stir though.

You can add Butter to the Caramel if you like. Around 20g instead of Double Cream.

You can also add a cornflour slurry by combining 2 tbsp Cornflour to 3 tbsp of water in a cup. Mix through and add to the caramel at the end. I prefer it without.

You can also buy the Caramel in some Supermarkets. It looks like the picture below.

BATTER

Fold the batter very gently with a metal spoon or spatula until well incorporated.

If you mix it vigorously all the volume created from the egg whites will disappear and it needs that for the super light texture.

REST

Let the cake rest 30 min – 1 hour after pouring on the syrup so it can absorb every drop.

It actually tastes much better with soaking time.

BAKE

Bake in either an oven tray or pyrex rectangular dish.

STORE BROUGHT CAKE MIX

Do not use a brought cake mix in this recipe as some of them do not absorb the 3 milk mixture without becoming soggy and it won’t hold. Although there is a Trilece Cake mix that is available now which is fine to use.

CREAM

When the cream is added to the top, adding the caramel after may feel like a bit of a challenge without mixing the two, so go gently with an offset spatula.

You can refrigerate in between but in my experience, this doesn't make much difference.

I watched a Youtubevideo to give myself confidence to just go for it.

I used a very thick cream that had been in the fridge, to feather.

I have also made it with cream that hasn't been thickened.

You can make a smaller hole in your piping bag and do a thinner pipe as is traditional.

How to store Trilece

To keep the cake moist, store in the fridge (covered) or leave on the counter top for several hours.

If you have leftovers (which I promise you won’t), they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can Trilece be made ahead of time?

You can make Trilece 1-2 days in advance.

Making it ahead of time will actually make it taste better because the cake will have a chance to absorb all of the milk up.

You can either add the cream and caramel on the day you make it or leave that bit till the day you are likely to need it. Both ways work.

Can Trilece cake be frozen?

This cake can be made ahead of time.

Cool completely and cover the dish with 2 layers of cling film before freezing for up to 2 months.

Do not add the syrup though.

When you want to use the cake, thaw in the fridge over night and add the milk syrup, whipped cream and caramel the following day.

You will not be able to freeze the cake once the syrup has been poured in.

Turkish Recipes:

San Sebastian Cheesecake with Condensed Milk

Menemen with Feta - Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Turkish Simit - Turkish Sesame Bagel

Turkish Pide with Minced Meat - Turkish Pizza

More Cake Recipes:

Pistachio Milk Cake

Milk Cake

Chocolate Milk Cake

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

Stem Ginger Banana Upside Down Cake

Sticky Orange traybake

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