Tres Leches Cake – a light and fluffy cake that is soaked with three milks and refrigerated until it is perfectly moist. Top the cake off with whipped cream for a delicious and irresistible cake.
This Tres Leches Cake is the perfect way to end off your Cinco de Mayo celebration! For your main meal, you should try these Smothered Chicken Burritos, these White Chicken Enchiladas, this Mexican Corn Salad, and wash it all down with Virgin Frozen Margaritas!
I will take any excuse at all to celebrate with Mexican food. Which is why I just really love Cinco de Mayo. Tacos, enchiladas, burritos – my stomach is in heaven. And let’s not forget the desserts – Cherry Empanadas, Fried Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche Cheesecake – can you tell that this is one of my favorite foodie holidays?
And of course – Tres Leches Cake. This cake has been a favorite of mine for a long time now – not just on Cinco de Mayo. It starts with a homemade cake that gets soaked into the most delicious slice of cake ever. I’m totally a fan.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
From what I understand, the origin of Tres Leches Cake is not quite known. But it is a cake that has been popular all over Latin America.
Tres Leches Cake is a simple cake that is soaked in a mixture of 3 milks – aka tres leches. The milks soak into the cake, creating an ultra moist cake that is unique from any other cake out there. The majority of tres leches recipes use evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream, although it is not uncommon to see milk instead of cream. I have also seen recipes using coconut milk or even almond milk.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
This cake may seem complicated, but it is really pretty simple. Here is how you make it.
- Start by making the cake batter. Mix the dry ingredients together.
- In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add in vanilla, then your egg yolks. You want to have your eggs separated, as you are going to add the whites and the yolks at different points.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the cake.
- Beat the egg whites until they have stiff points.
- Now, this next step might seem a little wrong when you are making it, just because the batter starts off very thick and stiff. You want to incorporate the egg whites, but you don’t want to totally deflate them. So you’ll start by adding about 1/4 of the egg whites. You don’t have to be very light handed with this first addition – you just want to get the whites mixed in. This will lighten the batter just a bit. Repeat that step again, adding another 1/4 of the egg whites. Be a little more gentle this time. Continue gradually adding the egg whites, getting more gentle and trying not to lose all of the air from the whites.
- Once everything is combined, pour the batter into a prepared baking dish and bake until a tester inserted in the center is clean.
- Mix the milks together while the cake bakes.
- When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and poke holes all over in it. Pour the milk mixture over the top of the hot cake.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferrably overnight.
- When you are ready to serve the cake, top it with homemade sweetened whipped cream.
Does Tres Leches Cake Need to be Refrigerated?
This is one cake that you’ll want to keep in the refrigerator. First of all, it just tastes really good when it’s cold. But because of the milks and because of the whipped cream topping, you’ll need to keep this cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator as well. This cake will actually keep for a few days – I’d say 3-5 days – but just keep it covered and chilled.
More Tres Leches Recipes
Tres Leches Cupcakes
Red Velvet Tres Leches Cake
Tools Used to Make this Tres Leches Cake
I love that this cake is made in just a basic baking dish. I usually just use a Pyrex dish.
A mixer really helps with this recipe. You can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
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PinDescription
Tres Leches Cake – a light and fluffy cake that is soaked with three milks and refrigerated until it is perfectly moist. Top the cake off with whipped cream for a delicious and irresistible cake.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the flour and mix just until combined.
- Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter. The batter is really thick, so it will be a little bit harder to stir the egg whites in. Take another 1/4 of the egg whites and start to gently fold them in. Once they are mostly combined, add another 1/4 of the egg whites, folding the in as gently as possible. Then fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipping cream.
- As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, take a skewer or fork and pierce the cake generously. Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
- Place the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl and beat until soft peaks start to form. Slowly start adding the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.
- Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.
Nutrition
- Calories: 463
- Sugar: 46 g
- Sodium: 168 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
Keywords: tres leches cake
Sarah says
May 7, 2008 at 4:07 pmI just had someone ask me to make a tres leches cake the other day. I don’t have a recipe, so I will have to try this one. Thanks!
Elle says
May 7, 2008 at 4:10 pmThat sounds like so much fun…and the cake sounds sweet but delish! Great to get together with family, too.
glamah16 says
May 7, 2008 at 4:19 pmI love Tres Leches.
Augustina says
May 7, 2008 at 6:13 pmI like your “collage” of Mexican dishes! and your cake looks so good!! i’ve never had a tres leches cake before but now i’m eager to give this recipe a try.
Gloria says
May 7, 2008 at 7:06 pmTHis dessert is so yummy, I love tres leches!!xxGloria
Maddy says
May 7, 2008 at 7:16 pmYum! I had tres leches cake a short while ago as well, and it was sadly, not as good as I had hoped. I can’t wait to try this recipe and satisfy my lingering craving 🙂
Sylvie says
May 7, 2008 at 8:01 pmI’ve been meaning to make a Tres Leches Cake since I had one in a Cuban restaurant in NYC. Yummy.
Indigo says
May 7, 2008 at 8:39 pmI’ve never had a tres leches cake! (I just tried to type ‘leaches’ then; I’ve never had that either o__O). Ridiculous, for someone who loves cake like I do. This looks great!
And I love photo collages ^__^
tapsfe says
May 7, 2008 at 10:38 pmThat cake looks delicious thanks for the recipe
Erinn says
May 7, 2008 at 10:53 pmMexican, New Mexican, any kind of Mexican food and I’m in. This tres leches cake looks delicious and I bet it tasted good too! Just started reading your blog recently and I love your photos and recipes.
Susan from Food Blogga says
May 7, 2008 at 11:03 pmI never need an excuse to stuff my face with Mexican. Now if I could also follow my fish tacos tonight with a hunk of your cake, life would really be good.
My Sweet & Saucy says
May 7, 2008 at 11:11 pmBoy do I wish I was at your party for Cinco de Mayo…looks like you had some great food there!
My Sweet & Saucy says
May 7, 2008 at 11:11 pmBoy do I wish I was at your party for Cinco de Mayo…looks like you had some great food there!
Elle says
May 8, 2008 at 12:30 amLook at all of that food! What a great feast–and your cake is beautiful. Deborah!
Katie says
May 8, 2008 at 1:46 amWOW! WHAT a spread of food! And that cake looks FANTASTIC!
Kristen says
May 8, 2008 at 1:54 amIT looks like ya’ll enjoyed quite the feast. What a great way to celebrate… and that cake. Mmmmm! I love Tres Leches.
Kate / Kajal says
May 8, 2008 at 2:00 amC’mon u gotta invite me over the next time u having a mexican feast. I adore that stuff, but yet never make enough of it myself.
A cake with condensed milk and evaporated milk …hmm should taste divine 🙂
Jenny says
May 8, 2008 at 2:14 amI love all of the cinco de mayo recipes going around. Your little cake looks so yummy! Great post!
Kelly Mahoney says
May 8, 2008 at 2:16 amI’ve heard that more people go out for Cinco de Mayo than St. Patrick’s Day.
PheMom says
May 8, 2008 at 3:20 amOh yum!!! I love party food – especially mexican!
nicole says
May 8, 2008 at 4:38 amLooks good!I love when there is an excuse for people to get together and eat good food.
Ginny says
May 8, 2008 at 4:42 amI’ve honestly never had it but everyone always raves about it…mmm…going on the list!
Grace says
May 8, 2008 at 9:17 am“when my family gets together, there is always food involved. a lot of food. way too much food.”
i hear ya. sometimes i overlook how lucky i am to be part of a food-loving family, and that’s just wrong. 🙂
oh, and your tres leches cake is tres bien. (yep, i used french and spanish in the same sentence, how ’bout that!)
Patricia Scarpin says
May 8, 2008 at 12:49 pmDeb, I have read and heard so much about tres leches cake but haven’t tried it yet. Yours looks so tender and yummy!
Cate says
May 8, 2008 at 2:15 pmMy mouth is totally watering – everything looks so good!
tapsfe says
May 8, 2008 at 2:38 pmcoool!!
chou says
May 8, 2008 at 2:42 pmThe first time I had tres leches I wasn’t thrilled–but then someone brought a homemade version to a party and I decided to rewrite my mental hard drive to “love it”.
Gabi says
May 8, 2008 at 5:15 pmYou are lucky to have a family that comes together with such great food! Tres Leches cake is definitely one not to miss!
Shari says
May 8, 2008 at 5:49 pmYou’re lucky to have a family who loves food as much as you do! That cake looks delicious, even if it did sink! Your collage of pictures at the beginning is great!
Madam Chow says
May 8, 2008 at 6:01 pmThanks for the recipe – I’ve been thinking of trying a tres leches cake, but didn’t know which recipe to use!
Emiline says
May 8, 2008 at 8:30 pmI’m so glad this recipe worked for you.
I wouldn’t doubt that the Emeril recipe wasn’t any good. I’ve had bad luck with his recipes.
The cake looks great! I love Mexican food, I really really do.
The whoopie pies look good also. I’ve never been to a Costco before. Can you believe that? We don’t have them here.
Jessy and her dog Winnie says
May 8, 2008 at 8:43 pmAll that mexican food looks amazing!
kat says
May 8, 2008 at 10:47 pmOh I’m glad you were able to make it work. We had Tres Leches cake for our birthdays the other night, so yummy!
Kevin says
May 8, 2008 at 11:48 pmThat looks like an amazing feast!! I like the sound of that cake. I have not used condensed milk or evaporated milk all that much.
RecipeGirl says
May 9, 2008 at 3:27 amWhat a bummer that you had to try two recipes to get it all to work out. Thankfully you got a good result in the end. I never think to look on Allrecipes.
Suzana says
May 9, 2008 at 9:51 amTres Leches Cake has been on my baking list for a while – can’t wait to give it a go. Thanks for the recipe, Deborah!
Veron says
May 9, 2008 at 12:39 pmWhen my family gets together there is always a lot of eating too. That cake looks delicious and is made more appetizing by that strawberry and cream!
Bellini Valli says
May 9, 2008 at 12:53 pmI would have bought a cake from the store after the first mishap. Glad we have the second recipe that is a sure fire winner to go with the Mexican theme.
Ann says
May 9, 2008 at 1:48 pmI have never made this cake but always wanted to. It goes on The List. 🙂
Ruth Elkin says
May 9, 2008 at 1:51 pmWhat a great cake to bring to the feast! Sorry the first recipe didn’t work out though.
Kelly-Jane says
May 11, 2008 at 2:53 pmI’ve had this on my to try list for ages, as long as the red velvet – more even. I’m really pleased to hear how well it went down, and it looks great!
Rosie says
May 11, 2008 at 4:00 pmCan I be your neighbour I could nip in for cake oops I mean sugar!!
Lovely sounding cake – yummy 🙂
Rosie x