The BEST authentic homemade Tres Leches Cake. An ultra light cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. This simple Mexican dessert is one of our favorites!
Every person in my family would rank Tres Leches Cake in our top favorites of all time! I love that it’s not overly sweet, it’s super easy to make, I can make it in advance, and its absolutely delicious! We make it really often, especially when we’re having a bunch of other Mexican food favorites to serve with it.
Tres leches literally means, “three milks” and Tres Leches Cake is an ultra light sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture. It’s popular in Mexico and Latin America and throughout the United States as it’s often available at Mexican restaurants.
The cake is similar to an angel food cake. The whipped egg whites in the batter make it extra light and spongy. After baking the cake you poke holes in it with a fork and pour three types of milk over the top–evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk–hence the name “tres leches”.
Tres Leches Cake
The BEST authentic Tres Leches Cake. An ultra light cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. This simple Mexican dessert is one of our favorites!
Prep: 90min
Total: 130min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 433 kcal, Carbohydrate 50 g, Protein 9 g, Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 13 g, Cholesterol 152 mg, Sodium 171 mg, Sugar 41 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs (, separated)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (, divided)
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon (, for topping)
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the eggs into two other mixing bowls.
- Add 3/4 cup sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Add 1/3 cup milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently just until combined (don’t over-mix).
- Use electric beaters to beat the egg whites on high speed. As the begin to whip into stiff peaks, gradually mix in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined.
- Pour batter into un-greased pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool completely.
- Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a small bowl. Once the cake has cooled use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the the top of the cake, making sure to pour near the edges and all around. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow it to soak up the milk.
- In the meantime, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks. Smooth over the top of the cake. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries, if desired. Enjoy!
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Tres Leches Cake has a soft and ultra-moist crumb. It is soaked with a 3 milk mixture and topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Prep: 30min
Total: 120min
Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 415 kcal, Carbohydrate 45 g, Protein 8 g, Fat 23 g, Saturated Fat 14 g, Cholesterol 148 mg, Sodium 153 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 35 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 eggs ((large))
- 1 cup sugar (divided into 3/4 and 1/4 cups)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 9 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup berries (to garnish, optional)
Instruction:
- Gently fold in egg white mixture with the spatula until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- In a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a pouring lip), combine 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 12 oz evaporated milk and 9 oz condensed milk. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake.
- Pour 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream and 2 Tbsp sugar into a large chilled mixing bowl and beat on high speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until thick, whipped and spreadable. Spread over the cake with a spatula then decorate with berries if desired.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
FAQ
What liquids are in tres leches?
It has 3 kinds of milk poured over the cake: evaporated milk, heavy whipping cream, and sweetened condensed milk.
Why is my tres leches cake so soggy?
How long will tres leches cake stay fresh?
What can I use instead of condensed milk in tres leches cake?
What is this? Simply mix 1 cup of heavy cream with ¼ cup of sugar to get a creamy rich alternative. You can use this as a 1:1 exchange for sweetened condensed milk in any recipe.
