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Hiiiii!
Now that work has started to slow down and I can concentrate on being festive AF, I have decided to list some of my favorite Christmas/Holiday movies. And then maybe you can tell me your favorites because for the next couple of weeks I am preparing myself to just chill and watch movies. And maybe bake a few things, sparingly.
1. Little Women – Winona Ryder at her best. Kirsten Dunst SO YOUNG. Annie McDowell love her!
2. Itโs a Wonderful Life – I maybe know every word to this movie. Take a wild guess who currently reminds me of Mr. Potter? Lol.
3. Elf – I mean, itโs just a classic.
4. Home Alone – I still kinda almost cry at the end when he sees the old man in church.
5. Love Actually – Hugh Grant at his bestโI miss him, wish he was still acting.
Am I missing any? I feel like I must be. Oh I was going to put The Christmas Story on there but honestly that movie always creeped me out. The dad and his creepy-ass obsession with the leg lamp; the mom washing out the kid’s mouth out with soap; and them having a depressing Christmas. That movie is a bummer. Maybe itโs more honest than most Christmas movies but I need some magic.
Anywayyyzzz, welcome to the post where I’m reorganizing the beloved “tres leches cake.โ I like to think that maybe I simplified it with uno leche. Lol. The only leche thatโs in this cake is the horchata. In case you are unfamiliar with horchata, I will break it down for you in a list (because I love lists):
1. Mexico and Spain both drink/make horchata. As do several countries in central America.
2. The one Iโm referring to is the Mexican-style horchata, which is a rice drink. Some recipes have almonds in it. All recipes have cinnamon.
3. Some horchata recipes have dairy milk in them, some do not.
4. I like to buy horchata from Guisados because itโs nearby and their horchata is delicious. (Theirs has dairy in it.)
4. You could also use the horchata from Califia.
5. You could also make horchata, if you like. This recipe from Aaron Sanchez looks good, tho Iโve never tried it.
To be very honest with you, I had never tried horchata until I moved to Los Angeles. The countries my parents come from donโt drink it so I had no idea what it was. But once I tried it, I was down. It is so delicious.
This sponge cake is a great base. Itโs very dry when you bake it so it needs that moisture from the milk. It may seem like a lot of liquid when you pour it over the cake but the cake soaks it all up and it ends up being a delicious bite at the very end.
Remember, tell me your Christmas/holiday movie faves!
Horchata Tres Leches
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup milk
The Rest:
- 2 1/2 cups homemade or store or restaurant-bought horchata
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, for topping
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for topping
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for topping
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a stand-up mixer with paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and double in volume, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and the milk on low speed just until combined, then fold the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture.
- Clean and dry the egg yolk bowl. Add the egg whites and beat with the whisk attachment on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure they are stiff peaks or else your cake could deflate.
- Fold the egg white mixture into egg yolk and flour mixture.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. The cake may shrink a bit as it cools–that’s ok!
The Rest:
- After the cake has cooled, using a fork, poke a bunch of holes in the top. Pour the horchata on top; it may seem like a lot of liquid, but the cake will absorb it! Cover lightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to absorb, about 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve the cake, add the heavy cream and sifted powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the whisk attachment (you can also do this with a medium bowl and an electric hand mixer). Beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add it to the top of the cake and smear it around. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon (I used a sieve to get proper distribution).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a nice idea. La voy a hacer im going to try it!
Gracias
Love how squishy and fluffy this cake looks
it’s such a fluffy, spring-y cake!
Love how squishy and fluffy this cake looks
Annie Macdowell prefers Andie Macdowell; she wasn’t in Little Women, maybe you meant Trini Alvarado?
Your favorite movies are also mine!! You might want to try The Shop Around the Corner, released in 1940. Black and white, and so good!
You just reminded of my love for Little Women (and younger Christian Bale)! Holiday faves include: Die Hard and The Holiday ๐ Love how squishy and fluffy this cake looks
My all time favorite is Meet John Doe. I always cry and cry at the end. Even my husband finds it a bit emotional. It is a Capra like It’s a Wonderful Life, but I think it is much better. It was made before the war as Wonderful Life was made after the war. Find it, it’s worth it. My other favorite that doesn’t show up on holiday movie lists enough is The Bishop’s Wife. Cary Grant plays an unusual part in it. I won’t spoil it, you just have to watch it.
Thank you for another great sounding recipe.
All the movies you mentioned are on my list too! I watched The Christmas Story for the first time this year and was not really a fan – specifically because of the leg lamp obsession…creepy. My two other favorites are Scrooged (even though it’s a bit dark) and A Very Murray Christmas on Netflix. It’s not traditional, but it’s become one of my absolute favorites! When it came out two years ago, my then boyfriend (now fiance) was living in San Pedro for a few months and we watched it together when I visited him (we live on the east coast). Maya Rudolph is a cast member and we were able to go see her Prince cover band Princess during the same trip, which was the best! I associate A Very Murray Christmas with a lot of good memories, but I think I’d love it either way – it’s quirky and the music/cast is amazing. I hope you have a relaxing couple of weeks ๐
I just watched an old movie called “Beyond Christmas”, it’s been colorized, but anyway I thought I’d try watching it. It was so delightful, a real nice older movie. Worth a watch, especially if you’ve ever been in love.
BTW, how’s the new kitchen? I bet it’s making everything taste better too…
Sorry folks, I was trying to stop the first message from going out. Failed!