Tres Leches Cupcakes

OK so... Cinco de Mayo is soon! Well, fine, I guess it isn't. But today is Fat Tuesday and what would the day be without a little indulgence?! I love a good Tres Leches cake and this one feels like a cloud melting in your mouth. What I imagine clouds taste like anyways (rain drops and roses and kitten whiskers and what not).


 The recipe is adapted from a Tres Leches cake recipe I found on foodnetwork.com from Alton Brown and can easily be topped with whatever frosting you like. I went with a whipped cream not to over power this delicate milk cake.


Enjoy...and I dare you to only eat one.  


Tres Leches Cupcakes:
(Makes 14-16 cupcakes)


3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit salt if using salted butter)
3/4 cup buttermilk**
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup lightly toasted flaked coconut (toast by placing a single layer of sweetened coconut on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes until golden brown)


**If you do not have buttermilk on hand, simply place 4 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar into a measuring cup and fill with milk until you reach the 1 cup mark. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes and there you have it... BUTTERMILK!


In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing until combined and pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Alternate between the flour mixture and buttermilk (starting and ending with the flour). 
In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter.
Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until toothpick inserted comes out clean). Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. 
Gently whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed and coconut milk. Carefully prick the cupcakes with a skewer all over the top and brush with the milk mixture. Let the cake soak it up then repeat... I would say a good 5-7 times until the cake cant take anymore! Refrigerate for 2 hours (if you are inpatient like me) or up to overnight before frosting.

 (You glutenous cupcakes, you!!)

Top with whichever frosting you like, sprinkle graciously with the coconut flakes and consume.