Creamy, sweet and absolutely heavenly, Tres Leches Cake is a light and fluffy sponge cake soaked with three kinds of milk. Topped with swirls of whipped cream, berries or cherries, this beloved Latin American cake is fit for any celebration.
You couldn’t ask for a more luscious dessert than tres leches cake. If you’ve been around here for a while, you will know I am always saying I don’t have a sweet tooth. Well that “fun-fact” about me is quickly dispelled when I am around a tres leches cake. A creamy, pudding-like cake, that is soaked in a milky custard and is one of Latin American’s most popular and beloved desserts.
Dangerously easy to make, this moist, melt-in-your-mouth tres leches cake uses common pantry ingredients and delightfully serves a crowd. Best of all, it’s a make-ahead dream because it can, and should, be served the day after you make it so it has a chance to soak up the delicious milk bath. Even once assembled, it will last days in the refrigerator.
- Why You Should Make This Cake
- What Is Tres Leches Cake?
- A Sturdier Sponge Cake That Will Not Sink
- Ingredients And Notes
- Variations
- How To Make Tres Leches Cake
- Tips For Separating Eggs
- Tips For Soaking The Sponge Cake
- Tip For Whipping The Cream
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Make Ahead, Storing, And Freezing Suggestions
- More Delicious Desserts To Try
- Tres Leches Cake
After years of eating, and making, tres leches cake, this is the recipe I feel proud to share with you. It has been tested and perfected and just like everyone who has ever tried it, you will fall head over heels with it after your first bite.
Why You Should Make This Cake
- Easy to make
- Can make it ahead
- Serves a crowd
- Lovely for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch
- Heavenly flavours and texture
- Keeps well for days
- Both kids and adults love it
What Is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres leches, which means “three milks” in Spanish, is a traditional, much-loved, celebratory Latin American dessert that consists of a basic sponge cake made without any butter or oil. The simple, light and airy cake is then submerged in a bath of three milks: evaporated, condensed and whole milk or cream.
Once chilled for at least two hours, but preferably overnight to ensure the cake has soaked all the milk mixture, it is then topped with a thick layer of lightly sweetened whipped cream. This may seem excessive but it is a welcome relief to the rich and sweet syrupy-soaked cake.
Rum is a common flavouring in Hispanic Caribbean sweets and I love to add a generous splash of (Dominican) rum to the milky mixture which, to me, makes the cake taste extra heavenly. But if serving it to children, or alcohol-avoiding friends, do omit it, of course.
Lastly, the soft and moist cake should be served sitting in a puddle of the three milks, garnished with berries or cherries. Chef’s kiss, my friends.
A Sturdier Sponge Cake That Will Not Sink
The most common method for making a tres leches sponge cake is to whip the egg whites and yolks separately and then fold them together. This creates a very light and airy sponge cake that is perfect for soaking a lot of liquid. The problem with this method is that the sponge cake will rise beautifully while baking, then deflate like a soufflé as it cools. This means your cake will often sink in the middle and shrink significantly from the sides. The taste and texture will be fine, but you end up with a pretty thin cake.
To prevent the cake from sinking, some recipes suggest you cool the cake (still in the pan) upside down. This hasn’t worked for me and in fact, one time half of my cake fell out of the pan — a disaster.
The solution is to make a sturdier cake with a firm crumb, but porous enough to still absorb the liquid. In this recipe, we are still separating the eggs, but the egg whites are beaten with all of the sugar until very stiff, and then the yolks are added one at a time. This method also eliminates the need for whipping the eggs in separate bowls plus the fastidious step of having to fold the egg whites in gently.
Some recipes advise against greasing the pan so the cake can rise without slipping back down. With this method, it is okay to grease and lightly flour it—the cake will not deflate or slip down.
Ingredients And Notes
You will be happy to know that this Latin American dessert uses just a few simple ingredients that can be bought at any grocery store.
- Flour – Here we are just using all-purpose flour. No need to use cake flour or add cornstarch to regular flour.
- Eggs – For this recipe we are using 5 large eggs. As mentioned, the egg whites and yolks will be separated to make the sponge cake.
- Baking powder – This will give the cake lift and make it fluffier.
- Vanilla extract – Optional, but a good quality vanilla will add a wonderful aroma to the sponge cake, which also prevents it from tasting too eggy.
- Salt – All cakes benefit from a little salt to balance the sweet flavours.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten the cake and also keep it nice and moist.
- Tres leches (three milks) – Whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk make up the three-milk syrup we use to drench the cake. I sometimes use a mix of heavy cream and milk instead of just milk for the soak, but all milk works fine too. You will also need some milk to make the sponge cake batter.
- Heavy cream – For the topping.
- Optional garnish – Cherries are a classic Latin American topping for tres leches cake. But strawberries, or other berries are likely a little more popular, especially this time of year when they will be in season real soon.
Variations
This is a cake that is incredibly hard to mess up. Make it a few times following the recipe as written so you get the hang of it, then feel free to tweak and alter it to create some exciting variations. Here’s a few ideas:
- Sprinkle the frosted cake with a little cinnamon. I have never done this but a lot of people like it with a bit of cinnamon.
- Make it dairy-free. For a cooking class I taught years ago, I made a dairy-free tres leches cake using coconut milk, dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, and unsweetened almond milk. It was delicious.
- Top the cake with a merengue. Instead of whipping cream, many tres leches cakes in Latin America are topped with a lightly toasted meringue. The billowy white clouds make it even more of a show-stopping dessert.
How To Make Tres Leches Cake
Like most traditional tres leches cakes, this one is soaked, frosted, and served in the same pan it was baked. This makes it a lot easier to prepare because you don’t have to worry about un-molding the sponge cake or finding a large, deep enough vessel to soak it in.
Heat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 9×13 baking pan.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and beat on medium high until the eggs are really stiff and glossy, about 5-6 minutes.
Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On medium speed, add the egg yolks one at time, followed by the vanilla extract, if using. Scrape down the sides again. On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture a third at time, alternating with the milk. Stop mixing as soon as most of the flour and milk has been incorporated with the eggs. Remove the bowl from the machine and if there is any visible dry flour, gently finish mixing it by hand. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small spatula until it is spread evenly. Bake until the cake is lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Transfer baking dish to a wire rack and let cool completely. While the cake cools, combine the three milks and rum, if using, in a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a pouring spout).
Once the cake has completely cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. I stop just short of reaching the very bottom of the cake. Be sure to prick all the edges and corners as well. Slowly drizzle all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture over entire cake. It will look like there’s too much milk at first, but don’t worry, the cake will absorb it all.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Refrigerate remaining 1/2 milk mixture to use later for serving. When ready to serve the cake, make the whipped cream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer. Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
Slice the cake into squares, and serve with a drizzle of reserved milk mixture on the bottom of each plate. Garnish with strawberries or cherries, if you wish.
Tips For Separating Eggs
Separate the eggs while they are still cold. This sponge cake batter, and the egg whites will whip up fluffier with room temperature eggs. However, eggs separate more easily when they are cold. or best reults, separate them immediately after taking them out of the refrigerator. Once separated, let them sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes to come to room temperature.
If any yolk gets into the egg white, do not use it. Even just a speck of yolk in your egg whites can hinder the whisking process. To avoid any accidental bit of mold landing in the egg whites, separate each egg white into a cup or small bowl before transferring it to the mixer bowl.
Make sure the beaters and bowl are spotlessly clean. Any residue of grease will prevent egg whites from beating up properly.
Tips For Soaking The Sponge Cake
Use a fork and be generous with the amount of holes you poke. A wooden skewer will work but I find a fork creates the most holes throughout the cake. The more holes there are, the quicker the cake will drink up all the milky syrup.
Add the milk mixture slowly. To ensure the entire cake is soaked evenly, pour the milk mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, one section of the cake at a time.
Let it soak for at least 2 hours. To avoid any dry sections in the cake, make sure you give the cake enough time to drink up all the liquid. 2 hours is the minimum amount of time you should give it, overnight is best.
Tip For Whipping The Cream
Chill everything to whisk the cream. The cream will whip up faster if the cream, mixing bowl, and whisk attachment are really cold. I place the bowl and whisk in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before whipping it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fo this sponge cake I like to use a glass or ceramic 9×13 pan. If all you have is a non-stick metal cake pan, that should work fine as well, just make sure not to grease the pan.
Once you pour the milk mixture over the cake, let it soak for at least 2 hours, covered in the refrigerator. An overnight soak is more ideal to ensure the cake has soaked up all the delicious sauce.
You can freeze tres leches cake but not after it has been soaked. Wrap the baked, and cooled, sponge and freeze for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead, Storing, And Freezing Suggestions
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make, and soak, 1-2 days in advance. In fact, it is recommended you make this cake the night before so it has time to soak up the milk mixture.
- To store: Tres Leches Cake will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4-5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: The baked and cooled cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before pouring the milk mixture on top.
More Delicious Desserts To Try
***If you give this Tres Leches Cake recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- Butter and flour for greasing and dusting pan
- 1 1/2 cup (185 g) alI-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
For the tres leches sauce
- 1 12-ounce 354 ml can evaporated milk
- 1 14-ounce (396 g) can sweetened condensed milk *see notes
- 1 cup (240 g) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream or use all whole milk
- 2 oz dark rum about 4 tbsp (optional)
For the topping
- 2 cups (475 ml) 35% cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- optional for serving: sliced strawberries or maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter and flour a 9×13 baking pan.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and beat on medium high until the eggs are really stiff and glossy, about 5-6 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On medium speed, add the egg yolks one at time, followed by the vanilla extract. Again, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture a third at time, alternating with the milk. Stop mixing as soon as the milk and most of the flour has been incorporated with the eggs. Remove the bowl from the machine and if there is any visible dry flour, gently finish mixing it by hand. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an off-set spatula until it is spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer baking dish to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. I stop just short of reaching the very bottom of the cake. Be sure to prick all the edges and corners as well.
- Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, heavy cream, and rum (if using) in a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a pouring spout). Slowly drizzle all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture over entire cake (I like to pour the milk mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, one section of the cake at a time). It will look like there’s too much milk at first, but don't worry, the cake will absorb it all.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Refrigerate remaining 1/2 milk mixture to use later for serving.
- When ready to serve the cake, make the whipped cream. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer. Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
- Slice the cake into squares and serve with a drizzle of the reserved milk mixture on the bottom of each plate. Garnish with strawberries or cherries, if you wish.
Notes
- Condensed milk – In Canada, condensed milk cans contain 300 grams versus the 396 grams sold in the United States. If you are in Canada, the 300 grams of condensed milk make the milk mixture plenty sweet so you do need to adjust the amount.
- Let the cake soak for at least 2 hours. To avoid any dry sections in the cake, make sure you give the cake enough time to drink up all the liquid. 2 hours is the minimum amount of time you should give it, overnight is best.
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make, and soak, 1-2 days in advance. In fact, it is recommended you make this cake the night before so it has time to soak up the milk mixture.
- To store: Tres Leches Cake will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4-5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: The baked and cooled cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before pouring the milk mixture on top.
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