Foodness Gracious - Week 91

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Recipes

The kids are back in school, which means you’re officially allowed to greet them at the door with either a hug, a snack, or—if you really want to win Parent of the Year—a slice of Chocolate Tres Leches Cake. Imagine the look on their faces when they realize homework is waiting… but so is this cold, chocolatey masterpiece. Balance, right?

At its heart, this dessert is all about contrast. The sponge cake is light and airy—like it could float away if you let it—while the sweetened condensed milk mixture is rich, velvety, and unapologetically indulgent. The two meet in a perfect marriage of texture and taste, each bite more decadent than the last.

Then comes the part nobody tells you is the secret: the chill. Once the cake has soaked up all that luscious milk and had time to rest in the fridge, something magical happens. The flavors deepen, the texture softens, and that first cold forkful feels like a tiny vacation for your taste buds.

And here’s the thing: this isn’t just dessert—it’s an event. A Chocolate Tres Leches Cake sitting in the fridge has a gravitational pull, drawing in anyone who opens the door “just to see what’s in there.” You might want to cut a slice ahead of time… purely for research purposes, of course.

So whether you’re celebrating a first-day-of-school milestone or simply looking for a sweet way to end the week, this cake is your answer. Light meets rich, warm meets cold—it’s all the best things in one pan.

Reviews

Some pans are just pans. Others? They’re legends in the kitchen. The Nordic Ware Classic Metal 9x13 Pan falls firmly in the “legend” category. Sturdy, sleek, and 2.5 inches deep, it’s ready for anything from lasagna to—yes—our Chocolate Tres Leches Cake.

Because let’s face it: when you’re making a cake that needs to soak up three kinds of milk, you want a pan that’s deep enough to hold it all without a drop escaping. This one does the job beautifully.

And here’s the best part: it goes from oven to fridge without complaint, making it perfect for those desserts (and casseroles) that need a little rest before the big reveal. It’s the pan you’ll reach for again and again—because it just works.

Be sure to check out all of our home kitchen product reviews!

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Responsibility

When you’re not in the kitchen whipping up something delicious, why not kick back and watch the pros (and the amateurs) work their magic? We’ve rounded up the best cooking and baking shows streaming on Netflix right now—yes, The Great British Bake Off made the list, but so did a few you might not have discovered yet.

This isn’t just about recipes—it’s about the drama, the creativity, the tiny disasters, and the big wins that make cooking shows so addictive. You’ll walk away inspired, entertained, and maybe just a little hungry.

So grab a blanket, pour yourself something nice, and click through to see which show should be your next binge. Who knows—you might even find your new favorite kitchen hero.

Learn more online at Foodness Gracious in our Responsibility section.

Foodness Fun - Trivia

Last week was all about the margarita, which led to a very interesting poll question to our Foodness Followers. Certain margaritas go great with salt, some go great with sugar. My wife prefers neither! Here was last week's poll question:

What is your Margarita glass rim of choice?
a) Salt
b) Sugar
c) Nothing at all

The winner of the poll with 68% of the vote was Salt! Turns out our Foodness Followers enjoy margaritas of all types, but lean to salt on the rim of their margarita glass.

Thank you for participating!