Featured Foodie: Mexican Chocolate Lore and More

I'm so happy that my featured foodie this week is Teresa, from Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. I know it seems like "Teresa" week over here, but she gave me two awards this past week and I had to blog about them, plus it was her turn to be featured. In addition to being a fabulous cook, she's also written two cookbooks. Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook, is filled with wonderful Mexican recipes and her self-published ebook, Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes, is filled with delectable desserts as well as some chocolate coffee drinks.

Here's what she has to say about being a foodie: My joy of cooking stems from watching and learning all my Mom and Grandmother
(Mi Chita) had to offer. They were phenomenal. All Corderos, my brothers, my children, my nephews and nieces are exceptional cooks. It's quite funny to see everyone trying to outdo the other.

Her favorite recipe is her Chocolate Tres Leches Cake. I'll let her explain it to you. Tres Leches Cake, or 3 Milk Cake, is a popular dessert offered in Mexico. With the growing population of Hispanics in North America, this delicious cake is now offered in ever growing numbers of restaurants across the United States as well. The three types of milk that are poured over the warm cake are: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk or cream. Of course no one said I couldn’t make it in chocolate, did they? So, here is my version of a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, just for you. Enjoy.

For the Cake:

6 eggs, separated
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
3 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cups milk
2-teaspoons vanilla

For the Tres Leches Sauce:

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 ½ disks Mexican Chocolate, melted (these can be melted in microwave oven for about 1 ½ minutes or over a double boiler)

Combine sauce ingredients and blend well.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly grease and dust with cocoa powder, 2 (9 inch) cake pans.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk and vanilla.
Beat 6 egg whites until stiff. Reduce speed and gradually add brown sugar to beaten egg whites. After sugar dissolves, add yolks. Beat for 3 minutes.
On medium low speed, alternate flour and milk mixture to eggs until blended. Pour equally into 2 prepared cake pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
While still warm, poke holes into cake layers with a wooden skewer. Pour sauce over both layers and allow to cool in refrigerator.

Ganache:

¾ cups whipping cream
1 1/3 cups chopped Mexican Chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat cream in small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Place chopped chocolate in medium size bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir with wooden spoon until melted. Add vanilla. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Also place beaters in refrigerator to chill. Remove from fridge and whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency.
Carefully remove first cake layer from pan and place on cake plate or board. Spread ½ cup ganache on top. Place second layer over the first and completely frost cake with remaining ganache. Garnish if you like with edible flowers or chocolate covered strawberries or, as in my case, Amaretto Cherries. These are cherries that have soaked in Amaretto in the fridge for a couple of hours, drained and allow to dry naturally. Use your imagination to decorate this cake in any way you and your family would like. Enjoy.

Be sure to visit Teresa's chocolate blog and say hi.