Tres Leches Cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-count muffin tins with foil cupcake liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Separate egg yolks and whites into separate bowls.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light in color. Add the milk and vanilla, beating and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to combine.

Step 3

Add the flour mixture, mixing just to combine. The batter will be thick.

Step 4

Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed using an electric mixer until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Step 5

Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter so as not to deflate the egg whites. Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners.

Step 6

Bake for 15-16 minutes until golden brown on top and the cupcakes bounce back to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely.

Step 7

Pierce the tops of each cupcake several times with the tines of a fork to create holes down into the cupcakes. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk, then transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Step 8

Soak each cupcake with the milk mixture, a little at a time, until all of the milk has been soaked up. It may seem like too much at first, but if you do a little on each cupcake, then let it soak in while you move on to the others, you can return to the first ones and repeat the process a couple of times until all of the milk mixture has been soaked up. Refrigerate for two hours.

Step 9

Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon onto the tops of the soaked cupcakes, then sprinkle with a dusting of ground cinnamon. Top with sliced strawberries or maraschino cherries, then serve.