Tres Leches Cake is a classic dessert that never overstays its welcome.
If you’ve never had tres leches cake before, the name gives it away. It’s a cake soaked in a mixture of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk (“three milks”). Worried that a cake soaked in liquid might turn out soggy? Don’t be. Even after a generous dousing, the cake stays light and bouncy. The sponge holds the milk like a sponge should, but it’s not heavy or sludgy. It’s perfectly sweet with a homemade whipped cream topping and dusting of cinnamon to tie it all together.
Tres leches cake is a staple dessert on Mexican restaurant menus, and a popular treat for birthdays, weddings, holidays, and other celebrations. Homemade, it’s a bit of a labor of love—the cake requires a fairly generous cooling time and overnight soak—but it’s so worth it in the end. This is comfort food with elegance; it will wow when it hits the table. Served chilled, it’s also an excellent refreshment after a warm, filling meal.
My favorite variations
There are a number of ways you can change this tres leches cake recipe for a brand new dessert every time. The core method remains the same, but swapping out ingredients once you get the hang of it can be a fun way to experiment. Here are a few ideas:
- Piña colada tres leches cake: Add some crushed pineapple into your cake batter, swap out the whole milk for coconut milk, then top with coconut flakes.
- Pumpkin tres leches cake: Add pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to your cake batter for a seasonal treat.
- Dairy-free tres leches cake: Swap out the dairy products for coconut milk, condensed coconut milk, and cream of coconut, then top with a vegan whipped cream.
- Cuatro leches cake: Add an additional leche ingredient by topping your tres leches cake with dulce de leche.
How do I store leftovers?
Cover your leftover cake tightly and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because of the milk mixture, it should not be left out at room temperature for long. I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture changes once thawed.
Serving suggestions
Serve your tres leches cake as the grand finale to a Mexican-inspired meal. Make a main dish of Easy Green Chicken Enchiladas, Beef Tamales, or Steak Burritos with homemade Avocado Crema. When you’re ready to enjoy your cake, top it with fresh strawberries or raspberries, and serve it with horchata or coffee.
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 eggs separated
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For The Milk Soak:
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
For The Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Ground cinnamon for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Separate the eggs. Place whites in one bowl and yolks in another. Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until the yolks and sugar make a smooth, pale yellow mixture. Pour in the milk and the vanilla essence and mix together.
- In a separate large bowl, use a whisk or a mixer to beat the egg whites into stiff peaks. As they begin to thicken, add in the rest of the sugar.
- Combine the flour mixture and the egg yolk mixture until smooth. Then gently fold in the stiff egg whites.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased baking dish and level on top. Then place in the center of the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool completely, around 2 hours.
- Next, mix the evaporated milk, whole milk, and condensed milk together. Then, using a fork, poke holes all over the cake and pour the condensed milk mixture over the cake. Place the cake in the fridge and allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture overnight (8 hours). If in a rush, soak for at least 1 hour.
- When you are ready to serve your cake and the milk mixture is all absorbed, make the whipped cream topping. Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into stiff peaks. Pour onto the cake and smooth out. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy.
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