Tres Leches cake is a beautifully-light sponge cake that is sure to please. Soaked in a sweet mixture of three milks, and topped with whipped cream, it’s utterly delicious! This homemade dessert is so easy to make, and its perfect texture will make every bite a delight.
Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
If you’re looking for a simple yet delicious dessert to serve for any occasion, this easy tres leches cake will serve you well!
The light flavor, airy yet moist texture, and fluffy whipped topping make every bite just perfect. This is a great sheet cake to make ahead of time, for holidays, birthdays, or any day that needs a little celebration.
A dusting of cinnamon on top adds a beautiful twist of flavor, or serve it up with fresh berries.
Why You’ll Love this Tres Leches Cake Recipe:
- LIGHT & AIRY: This sponge cake is beautifully light, airy, and fluffy, while still being moist and creamy. It’s truly the most delectable texture!
- EASY: Making this dessert is so simple and straightforward. Just whip up the cake, let it soak in the three milk mixture, and it’s ready to serve.
- FAMILY FAVORITE: Everyone will love this delicious cake! It has such a simple flavor, yet it’s so addicting. Serve it up on birthdays or holidays for a surefire hit.
This homemade tres leches cake is a favorite for Cinco de Mayo celebrations! As a traditional-style dessert from Latin America, it will be right at home.
Quality Ingredients
For this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Unbleached White All Purpose Flour. We use this in every baking recipe that calls for all purpose flour and it has never let us down.
The ingredients when baking are so important. I trust Bob’s Red Mill completely and cannot recommend them enough.
I love the resealable bag and trusted name. Bob’s Red Mill prides itself on quality and it shows
Here are some of my favorite recipes using Bob’s products:
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat oven and prepare a baking pan.
- Combine ingredients to make the cake batter, and pour into the pan.
- Bake, and then let cool on a wire rack.
- While the cake cools, combine the three milks.
- Poke holes into the cooled cake, and pour the milk mixture over it.
- Let the cake cool at room temp, then cover and refrigerate to chill.
- Before serving, combine ingredients to make the whipped topping. Top, sprinkle with cinnamon, slice, and serve!
Tres leches cake is a light and airy Latin American sponge cake that is soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with a whipped cream frosting. “Tres leches” is Spanish for “three milks”. The three milks in this recipe are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy whipping cream.
Yep! But I promise you won’t miss it. The milk mixture makes this cake extremely moist without needing any butter or oil.
Although I have not personally tried it, I believe you could make this cake gluten-free by using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
If your tres leches cake came out a bit flat, it is likely that the batter was overmixed. The main leavening agent in this cake is egg whites, so it is important to whip them well and gently fold them into the batter. If the batter is overmixed, the egg whites will deflate and the cake will end up dense and flat.
If your tres leches cake is not absorbing the milk after several hours, it is possible that the batter was overmixed. Overmixed batter loses its airy, spongey texture, which makes the cake heavy, dense, and non-absorbent. Be sure to poke the cake all over with the skewer to help it absorb the mixture.
No! Tres leches cake should be super moist, but not soggy. To prevent the milk mixture from pooling, be sure spread the cake batter evenly before baking. A level cake will absorb the mixture more evenly.
This cake is the perfect thing to serve up for any occasion, or for no occasion at all! It makes a great birthday cake, but would be just as welcome on Christmas or another holiday.
Make Ahead Instructions
Tres leches cake can be made up to 2 days in advance of when you plan to serve it. In fact, I find that this cake is best made the day before, as this gives it plenty of time to soak up the milk mixture! Store the cake tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover tres leches cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that after 2 days, the whipped cream topping will begin to deflate.
Freezing Instructions
The only part of tres leches cake that can successfully be frozen is the cake itself. Do not soak in the milk mixture or top with whipped cream before freezing. To freeze, tightly wrap the cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before soaking and topping.
Decorating Tres Leches Cake
The traditional topping for tres leches cake is a whipped cream frosting and a dusting of ground cinnamon. However, you can also serve the cake with fresh berries! Strawberries are traditional, but blueberries, raspberries, or a mixture of all 3 would be delicious! You could also top this cake with a drizzle of caramel, chocolate sauce, or dulce de leche!
Tips for the Best Tres Leches Cake
- Be sure to spoon and level the dry ingredients to prevent a dry, dense cake.
- Cold eggs are easier to separate into whites and yolks than room temperature eggs.
- To whip the egg whites, use a clean bowl and ensure there are no yolk remnants in the whites. Any fat will hinder the whipping.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter to prevent deflating.
- When pouring the cake into the baking pan, spread the batter evenly to create a level cake that will soak up the milk more evenly.
- Let the cake soak in the milk mixture for at least 4 hours before serving. This will allow the cake ample time to soak in the milk evenly and become moist and tender.
- Do not top the cake with whipped cream until it has fully chilled; otherwise, the whipped cream will melt into the cake.
- I recommend waiting to top the cake with the whipped cream until just before you plan to serve it, especially if you are preparing it in advance.
- If you plan to leave this cake out for an extended period of time in warm conditions, you may wish to use stabilized whipped cream to prevent deflating.
More Cinco de Mayo Dessert Recipes We Love
More Kid-Friendly Cake Recipes to Try:
- Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Italian Cream Cake
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake
- Cookies and Cream Cake
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Equipment
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Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour 136 grams
- 1½ teaspoons Bob’s Red Mill Baking Powder 6 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large eggs 250 grams, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams, divided
- ⅓ cup whole milk 76 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ½ teaspoon almond extract 2 grams
For the Milk
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 396 grams (1 can)
- 12 ounces evaporated milk 340 grams (1 can)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream 114 grams
For the Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream 227 grams
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 14 grams (use more if desired)
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
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In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, 1½ teaspoons Bob’s Red Mill Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale yellow, about 3-4 minutes.5 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar
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Add in the milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix to combine.⅓ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
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With the mixer running, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then set aside.
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Add the egg whites to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With the hand mixer still running, slowly pour in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
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Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter, taking care not to deflate them.
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread evenly, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs but no wet batter.
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Set the cake on a wire rack to cool. Do not remove it from the baking pan.
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Meanwhile, stir the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy whipping cream together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounces evaporated milk, ½ cup heavy whipping cream
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Once the cake has cooled, use a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
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Pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake, let cool for 2 hours at room temperature, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for another 2 hours.
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Just before serving, whip the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar into medium-soft peaks. Spread over the cake. Use a small sieve to dust the cake with cinnamon. Slice and serve!1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, Ground cinnamon
Notes
- Be sure to spoon and level the dry ingredients to prevent a dry, dense cake.
- Cold eggs are easier to separate into whites and yolks than room temperature eggs.
- To whip the egg whites, use a clean bowl and ensure there are no yolk remnants in the whites. Any fat will hinder the whipping.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter to prevent deflating.
- When pouring the cake into the baking pan, spread the batter evenly to create a level cake that will soak up the milk more evenly.
- Let the cake soak in the milk mixture for at least 4 hours before serving. This will allow the cake ample time to soak in the milk evenly and become moist and tender.
- Do not top the cake with whipped cream until it has fully chilled; otherwise, the whipped cream will melt into the cake.
- I recommend waiting to top the cake with the whipped cream until just before you plan to serve it, especially if you are preparing it in advance.
- If you plan to leave this cake out for an extended period of time in warm conditions, you may wish to use stabilized whipped cream to prevent deflating.
- Serve this cake as is or topped with fresh berries or a drizzle of caramel, chocolate sauce, or dulce de leche.
Nutrition
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