Pastel de Tres Leches con Coco

Last night I had dinner with some friends and I made dessert.  I had read this recipe before in the Gourmet Cookbook, and had always wanted to give it a try.  It turned out to be a little time consuming because there seems to be a lot of steps.  I,of course, made some changes and substitutions, but I think it turned out delicious.  It's not really a cake I would recommend if you are all about the presentation.  It works better to serve it in the pan you soaked the cake in. 

Pastel de Tres Leches con Coco
(Three-Milk Cake with Coconut and Fresh Fruit)

from Gourmet

For the cake

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar

For the milk syrup

2 (14oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (stirred well)
1/3 cup light rum

Put the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.  Butter the paper and sides and dust with flour.  Cook butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown (5-7 minutes).  Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool, stir in vanilla.
Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt into another bowl, then sift again.
Combine eggs and sugar in a mixer bowl or other large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water) and heat, whisking constantly until lukewarm.  Remove bowl and beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until thick, pale and tripled in volume, about 10 minutes or about 6 minutes in a stand mixer.  Sift half the flour mixture over eggs and fold gently but thoroughly, then fold in remaining flour.  Transfer 1/3 cup batter to a small bowl and fold butter into it until incorporated, then gently fold butter mixture into remaining batter.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.  Bake until cake is springy to the touch and top is golden about 15-17 minutes.

Meanwhile make the milk syrup:  Whisk together all the ingredients in a large glass measuring cup or bowl with a spout until combined.  Transfer 1/3 cup syrup to a small bowl and reserve, refrigerated for garnish.

Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then prick all over with a skewer or wooden pick.  Run a knife around edges of pan, then invert a second 9inch round cake pan over cake and flip cake into it.  Remove the parchment paper and prick cake all over with skewer again.  Pour milk syrup over cake and gently press with a spatula to help saturate it.  Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until most of syrup has been absorbed, at least 4 hours.  Top with unsweetened whipped cream, fresh fruit and toasted coconut.  When serving drizzle reserved milk syrup on plate as a garnish.