Tres Leches Cake 

This delicious cake, soaked in three types of milk, is called a tres leches cake and it’s a favourite of mine for a reason. With this easy-to-follow recipe, you’ll be able to impress your friends and family with your baking skills in no time. So grab your apron and get ready to bake up a mouthwatering treat that will leave everyone wanting more!

What is a Tres Leches Cake?

Tres Leches Cake, is a Latin American dessert that is a creamy, dreamy delight. It’s a light, fluffy vanilla sponge, soaked in a sweet milky mixture which makes the cake even softer. Finally this sweet dessert is topped with a fluffy whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at potlucks and celebrations, a delightful way to impress guests with your dessert-making skills (though it’s surprisingly easy to make!)

What does tres leches mean?

“Tres leches” literally translates from Spanish to “three milks.” This refers to the key ingredient in the tres leches cake: a soaking mixture made with three different types of milk. These milks are typically: evaporated, condensed and whole milk. The combination of these three milks is what creates the incredibly moist texture and a creamy sweet taste that tres leches cake is known for.

Tres Leches Cake – 3 Biggest Mistakes When Making Tres Leches Cake

There is nothing like a dreamy, rich tres leches cake and this is how you can achieve this at home!

1. Skipping the Cool Down: This is a crucial step! You might be tempted to pour the milk soak over a warm cake, but please don’t. A warm cake won’t absorb the milk evenly, leading to a soggy bottom and a dry top. Let the cake cool completely before adding the milk soak. Patience is key!
2. Overmixing the Batter: Tres leches cake is known for its light and fluffy texture. Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough and dense cake, the base for this cake is eggs which means we need to keep as much air as we can, for a soft, fluffy sponge.
3. Not Letting the Cake Soak Long Enough: The magic of tres leches is the perfect balance between cake and milk. Don’t rush this process! After pouring the milk soak, let the cake refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. This allows the milk to fully saturate the cake, creating that signature soft and creamy texture.

How to make a Classic Tres Leches Cake – step by step

1. Preheat an oven to 175 degrees celsius / 350 degrees F.
2. In 2 large bowls, separate your eggs placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in the other.
3. Next, add half of the sugar into the egg yolks and the other half into the egg whites. Set the egg whites to one side.
4. Add the vanilla and salt into the egg yolks and whip until light and fluffy. The egg yolk mixture should be a pale yellow color.
5. Next, pour the buttermilk into the egg yolks and gently fold, until well mixed.
6. Sift the flour and baking powder into the yolks and softly fold until fully combined and there are no streaks of flour left. Then, set this mixture aside.
7. Now, start whipping the egg whites until super light and fluffy. The egg whites should be able to hold a stiff peak and be completely white in color.
8. Add ¼ of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold, making sure not to lose too much air.
9. Then, VERY GENTLY fold in the egg yolks into the rest of the egg whites until fully combined.
10. Finally, pour the cake batter into an ungreased baking pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely.
11. For the milk mixture, simply combine the evaporated, condensed and whole milk in a bowl, with the vanilla. Mix well, until fully combined.
12. Once the cake is fully cooled, poke all over with a fork and pour over your three milk mixture. Make sure you get all the sides and that there are no dry spots on the cake.
13. Place the cake into the refrigerator and allow to soak for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
14. Finally, whip together the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy. And top the cake with the whipped cream and smooth into an even layer. Then decorate as you wish, slice and enjoy!

What does tres leches cake taste like?

A classic tres leches cake has a distinct milky vanilla taste, that isn’t too sweet. It’s a really soft and fluffy cake, soaked in a milky vanilla mixture and topped with sweetened whipped cream and sometimes also topped with cinnamon – for a warmer flavour profile.

How to decorate a tres leches cake?

Tres Leches cake is all about its light and fluffy texture soaked in a delicious milk mixture. Here are some really easy and classic ways to decorate:

• Cinnamon Sprinkle: A dusting of ground cinnamon adds a warm touch and complements the flavors beautifully. Sprinkle it over the whipped cream for a simple yet elegant look.
• Fresh Strawberries: A scattering of fresh sliced strawberries, adds a pop of color and freshness.
• Chopped Nuts: Toasted almonds, pecans, or chopped hazelnuts add a nice textural contrast and a nutty flavor. Gently sprinkle them onto the whipped cream for a festive touch.

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients that go into this Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Eggs – is the base and structure for this light and fluffy cake

Sugar – provides sweetness and adds structure 

Flour – a must for the cake part of the tres leches cake

Salt – to balance everything out

Vanilla Paste or Extract – I am using Taylor & College’s Organic Vanilla Bean Paste, which adds so much flavour, depth and that classic vanilla smell

Buttermilk – adds moisture and tenderness to cake

Evaporated, Condensed, Whole Milk  – is the 3 milks in this classic tres leches soak

Double Cream / Heavy Cream – for that classic whipped cream topping

Icing Sugar – to help add some sweetness to the whipped cream topping

Tips and Tricks – Tres Leches Cake

• Skipping the Cool Down: This is a crucial step! You might be tempted to pour the milk soak over a warm cake, but please don’t. A warm cake won’t absorb the milk evenly, leading to a soggy bottom and a dry top. Let the cake cool completely before adding the milk soak. Patience is key!
• Overmixing the Batter: Tres leches cake is known for its light and fluffy texture. Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough and dense cake, the base for this cake is eggs which means we need to keep as much air as we can, for a soft, fluffy sponge.
• Not Letting the Cake Soak Long Enough: The magic of tres leches is the perfect balance between cake and milk. Don’t rush this process! After pouring the milk soak, let the cake refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. This allows the milk to fully saturate the cake, creating that signature soft and creamy texture.
• The recipe video is on my TikTok and IG – please tag @aceofspoons_ if you make this recipe

Tres Leches Cake

Hunar Baig

This delicious cake, soaked in three types of milk, is called a tres leches cake and it's a favourite of mine for a reason. With this easy-to-follow recipe, you'll be able to impress your friends and family with your baking skills in no time

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Latin American

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

• Stand Mixer or Hand Whisk
• 9*13 Baking Pan or Tray

Ingredients

  

Cake Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 250 g caster sugar (1 ¼ cups)
• 1 tsp Taylor & Colledge Organic Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)
• ½ tsp salt
• 80 ml buttermilk (⅓ cup)
• 130 g plain or all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

Three Milk Mixture

• 1 can evaporated milk (410g)
• 1 can condensed milk (397g)
• 125 ml whole milk (½ cup)
• ½ tsp Taylor & Colledge Organic Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)

Whipped Cream Topping

• 600 ml double cream or heavy cream (2 ½ cups)
• ½ tsp Taylor & Colledge Organic Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)
• 3 tbsp icing sugar or powdered sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat an oven to 175℃ / 350 ℉
• In 2 large bowls, separate your eggs placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in the other.
• Next, add half of the sugar into the egg yolks and the other half into the egg whites. Set the egg whites to one side.
• Add the vanilla and salt into the egg yolks and whip until light and fluffy. The egg yolk mixture should be a pale yellow color.
• Next, pour the buttermilk into the egg yolks and gently fold, until well mixed.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into the yolks and softly fold until fully combined and there are no streaks of flour left. Then, set this mixture aside.
• Now, start whipping the egg whites until super light and fluffy. The egg whites should be able to hold a stiff peak and be completely white in color.
• Add ¼ of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold, making sure not to lose too much air.
• Then, VERY GENTLY fold in the egg yolks into the rest of the egg whites until fully combined.
• Finally, pour the cake batter into an ungreased baking pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely.
• For the milk mixture, simply combine the evaporated, condensed and whole milk in a bowl, with the vanilla. Mix well, until fully combined.
• Once the cake is fully cooled, poke all over with a fork and pour over your three milk mixture. Make sure you get all the sides and that there are no dry spots on the cake.
• Place the cake into the refrigerator and allow to soak for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
• Finally, whip together the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy. And top the cake with the whipped cream and smooth into an even layer. Then decorate as you wish, slice and enjoy!

Notes

• Skipping the Cool Down: This is a crucial step! You might be tempted to pour the milk soak over a warm cake, but please don’t. A warm cake won’t absorb the milk evenly, leading to a soggy bottom and a dry top. Let the cake cool completely before adding the milk soak. Patience is key!
• Overmixing the Batter: Tres leches cake is known for its light and fluffy texture. Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough and dense cake, the base for this cake is eggs which means we need to keep as much air as we can, for a soft, fluffy sponge.
• Not Letting the Cake Soak Long Enough: The magic of tres leches is the perfect balance between cake and milk. Don’t rush this process! After pouring the milk soak, let the cake refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. This allows the milk to fully saturate the cake, creating that signature soft and creamy texture.
• The recipe video is on my TikTok and IG – please tag @aceofspoons_ if you make this recipe

Keyword Milk Cake, Tres Leches, Tres Leches Cake