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A classic Mexican dessert made with a vanilla sponge cake soaked with three kinds of milk — heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk and topped with fresh sweetened whipped cream. An authentic Mexican dessert recipe!
Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, which is a big deal in our home. Since we are diehard Mexican food fans, it is our excuse to eat a huge Mexican feast. Our two favorite Mexican desserts are definitely Tres Leches Cake and Caramel Flan. My brother lived in Mexico for many years and this was a dessert he ate over and over again as it is one of the most well known desserts in Mexico. It is about time to share our favorite tres leches cake recipe!
This Tres Leches Cake is a moist, airy sponge cake that is soaked with three kinds of milk, giving it a signature, almost custardy interior. The slight sweetness of the milks and the fluffy whipped cream topping create a dessert that is decadent.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres Leches Cake also known as Pan Leches Cake is made with a homemade vanilla sponge cake soaked with heavy cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. It is topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It is a popular dessert in Mexico.
Tres Leches Cake starts with making a homemade sponge cake. It is a simple cake that doesn’t even call for traditional butter or oil. An important step is to whip the eggs and sugar for 8-10 minutes, until light and fluffy. This incorporates air into the batter which helps the cake to rise. It also helps to dissolve the sugars.
The cake is baked until slightly golden and then using a fork, press holes all over the cake. It is imperative to poke every part of the cake as the milk will seep into the holes and create a super moist cake. Once it is covered in holes, the three kinds of milk are poured over the cake. The cake will need to chill to allow the tres leches to fully saturate the cake.
When ready to serve, fresh whipped cream is spread all over the cake. You can top it with fresh sliced strawberries or dulce de leche.
Tres Leches Cake Ingredients:
The Tres Leches dessert starts with a baked sponge cake. Tiny holes are poked into the cake, and three milks are poured on top of it to soak into it. The cake is then topped with sweetened fresh whipped cream.
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Whole Milk
Tres Leches:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
- Heavy Cream
Fresh Whipped Cream:
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
Garnish:
- Top it with fresh strawberries or dulce de leche.
What are the 3 milks used in Tres Leches Cake?
The three milks — evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whose milk make the “tres leches” soak. Evaporated milk gives thickness without too much sugar, condensed milk brings sweetness and a caramelized note, and heavy cream makes it extra rich and creamy.
What are some topping ideas for tres leches cake?
Fresh Berries, especially strawberries, since they have the perfect tang to offset the sweetness.
Toasted Coconut Flakes, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, or Sweetened Flaked Coconut.
Sprinkle of Cinnamon or a drizzle of Dulce de Leche Caramel.
How to make Homemade Tres Leches Cake:
Scroll down to find the recipe card with recipe amounts and instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Fold in cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in whole milk and stir just until combined.
- Butter 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour cake batter into the pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a light golden color. Do NOT overbake the cake but do make sure that it is fully cooked through by placing a toothpick or cake center into the center of the cake. The toothpick should not have any wet cake batter on it.
- Using a fork, poke holes all over the cake, making sure to pierce the entire cake. Try to create small, evenly spaced holes, and avoid slicing or tearing the cake.
- In a medium-size bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream.
- Pour in 1/2 cup increments all over the cake and let seep into the cake until all the milk has saturated the cake. See below for tips on making sure you don’t end up with a soggy cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in powdered sugar. Spread all over the cake. Cut into pieces and serve. May top with fresh strawberries or caramel.
Tips and Tricks for making Tres Leches Cake:
- Whip the eggs and sugar in a mixer for 8-10 minutes. This is what gives the cake extra loft and helps to create a smooth texture. It is easiest in a stand mixer but you can use a hand mixer as well.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and alternate with the whole milk. It is important to use milk with fat in it so skim milk wouldn’t work in this cake. If I don’t have whole milk on hand, I will do a mix of 1% milk and heavy cream.
- Bake just until slightly golden. Don’t overbake as tres leches cake is known to be a moist cake.
- Poke holes all over the cake. You want to cover every square inch of the baked cake. Mix the three types of milk in a bowl and slowly pour all over the cake, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for the leches to saturate the cake, before adding more.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours but preferably overnight. When ready to serve, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form and stir in powdered sugar. Spread all over the cake. Top with fresh sliced strawberries or dulce de leche caramel.
Let it CHILL
Don’t rush it. Giving the cake time to soak up the milks in the refrigerator is crucial for the signature texture of the tres leches cake.
How to keep my tres leches cake from getting soggy:
This is a moist cake but if you are concerned about it becoming soggy, here are some suggestions…
Don’t add all of the 3 milk mixture at once. Start by pouring only about three-quarters of the tres leches mixture over the cake. Let it rest and observe how much the cake absorbs. If it’s still drier than you’d like, add more, little by little. This approach prevents accidental oversoaking.
Use a skewer or fork to create small, evenly spaced holes, and avoid slicing or tearing the cake. Too many or overly large holes can lead to certain areas becoming overly saturated with the 3 milks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
Do I need to poke holes in the cake?
Absolutely. This allows the milks to seep in evenly, ensuring each bite is moist.
Can I reduce the sweetness?
You can reduce or omit some sweetened condensed milk and add a bit more of the other milks, but the signature sweetness is part of the tres leches cake.
How do I keep it from getting soggy?
This cake is meant to be moist. However, if you’re concerned about texture, start by pouring in about ¾ of the milk mixture, then add more as needed.
Can tres leches cake be left out?
No. Since it is made with three milks plus fresh whipped cream, it needs be kept chilled in the refrigerator.
How long should tres leches cake soak?
Tres Leches Cake needs to soak for at least four hours, but preferably overnight, to allow the milks to soak into the cake and the flavors to meld together.
Storage Instructions:
- Refrigerate: Because of the dairy-soaked cake and whipped cream topping, store covered in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 3 days.
More Mexican Dessert Recipes:
If you are looking for more Poke Cake Recipes, check out my Coconut Poke Cake Recipe and my Strawberry Cream Poke Cake Recipe.
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Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk
Tres Leches:
- (1) 14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- (1) 12-ounce can Evaporated Milk
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (may only need 1 cup of heavy cream)
Fresh Whipped Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (or more depending on sweetness preference)
Garnish:
- Fresh Strawberries sliced
- Dulce de Leche Caramel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Fold in cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in whole milk and stir just until combined.
- Butter 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour cake batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a light golden color.
- Using a fork, poke holes all over the cake, making sure to pierce the entire cake. In a medium-size bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Pour in 1/2 cup increments all over the cake (you may not need to use all of the tres milk mixture) and let seep into the cake until all the milk has saturated the cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in powdered sugar. Spread all over the cake. Cut into pieces and serve. May top with fresh strawberries or caramel.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband loves this recipe, it is his favorite cake! This is a great recipe!
i usted whole milk with a bit of sugar instead of heavy cream because i didn’t have any and it turned out GREAT. this recipe is perfect.