Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish or spray with baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Separate the eggs into two separate bowls, a medium one for the yolks and a large one for the white. Beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy and doubled in size, about 1 minute. While beating, slowly pour in ¼ cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 cup sugar to the egg yolks and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in two batches, until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool until slightly warm. (The cake will fall and shrink as it cools. This is normal!)
For the Syrup:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk until well combined. Poke the cake all over with a fork. Slowly pour the syrup over the cake. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
For the Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat the cream and sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread over the cake. The cake can be covered and refrigerated for 3 days before serving. Garnish with strawberries, if desired.
Video
Notes
When folding the egg whites into the flour mixture, turn the mixture in on itself with a cutting motion, not stirring. This way, you do not deflate the egg whites.
When whipping the egg whites, make sure there’s no water or liquid in the bowl as it’ll prevent the egg whites from forming peaks.
I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a dense cake.
Eggs are much easier to separate when cold, but egg whites whip up easier when closer to room temperature. I recommend separating them in advance if you have the time so that the egg whites can come to room temperature.
Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
Careful not to overmix the batter, or you’ll overdevelop the gluten, and you’ll end up with a tough cake.
When you poke the holes in the cake, take care not to poke through to the bottom of the cake. If you poke to the bottom, the syrup will run out the bottom.