Pati's Mexican Table airs Saturdays at 3:30 pm on WTTW and is available to stream.

It's Hispanic Heritage Month, the perfect time to watch some Pati's Mexican Table as Pati Jinich explores the coastal Mexican state of Jalisco in an all-new season. You can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (and the recent Mexican Independence Day) with a luscious almond tres leches cake, courtesy of Jinich.

And don't miss her two-part special about the U.S.-Mexico border, La Frontera with Pati Jinich, on October 15 and 22 at 9:00 pm.

Almond Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de tres leches con almendras)

Ingredients

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (180g) cake flour
1 cup (96g) almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (170g) unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup (198g) sugar

For the Tres Leches Soak:
1 cup (227g) unsweetened almond milk
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

To assemble:
1 cup (340g) apricot jam or marmalade
1 cup (114g) slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
All of the Tres Leches Soak from above

Topping:
2 cups (454g) heavy cream
1/4 cup (28g) confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9"x13" pans; line with parchment and grease the parchment. If you only have one 9”x13” pan, you will need to bake the batter in two batches.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until creamy and pale. Add the oil, almond milk, and almond extract and continue whisking to combine. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture and mix gently until completely combined.

4. In a separate large bowl, using a whisk or a mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and whip until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, stirring until no streaks of white show.

5. Divide the batter among the two pans (about 560 grams per pan), gently smoothing the top. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out moist but not wet. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool completely.

6. To make the Tres Leches Soak: Whisk together the almond milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the cake.

7. Once the cakes have cooled to room temperature, transfer one 9”x13” layer to a large serving platter. You can also assemble and serve the cake from a clean 9”x13” pan if you don’t have a large platter.

8. Poke the cake all over with a fork, then slowly pour on about a cup of the tres leches soak. Spread the apricot jam over the surface. Sprinkle the toasted, chopped almonds over the jam. Place the second 9”x13” cake layer on top of the first layer and again, poke the cake all over with a fork.

9. Slowly pour half of the remaining tres leches soak over the cakes. Let the liquid seep in for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the remaining tres leches soak over the cakes, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

10. To make the topping: When ready to serve the cake, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and lime zest until the cream holds a medium peak. Spread over the top of the cake and serve.