Tres Leches Cake

Octavio Peña
Octavio Peña
I’m a freelance writer from San Jose, CA that loves writing about food through various lenses. I develop recipes for Serious Eats, Food & Wine, and The Kitchn, and test recipes for The New York Times and upcoming cookbooks. As a food reporter, I cover the Bay Area’s food scene for KQED, Eater SF, and Metro Silicon Valley. When I’m not eating, I like to roam national parks with my dogs and practice my photography.
Follow
published Sep 16, 2024
Be the first to leave a review!
angled shot of a full tres leches cake in the pan with some pieces taken out, showing the milk at the bottom, and a slice being taken out
Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

It’s so light and fluffy, you’ll want all of the leftovers for yourself.

Serves16 to 20

Prep25 minutes

Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes

Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
angled shot of a single slice of tres leches cake on a flat, blue plate
Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

Tres leches is a sponge cake that’s soaked in a combination of three milks — typically whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Growing up, tres leches was my cousin Damean’s birthday cake of choice; I unfortunately couldn’t handle it due to my lactose intolerance. After many years of resisting temptation, I finally got myself lactase pills. Now I look forward to taking home as many leftover slices as I can.

The origin of tres leches cake is disputed: Some claim it’s from Nicaragua while others believe it’s from Mexico. Regardless of its birthplace, the dessert quickly became popular across Latin America. Many recipes riff on the traditional recipe by experimenting with different milks or mix-ins like chocolate or pumpkin spice (we even have a recipe for tres leches tiramisu). My recipe stays true to the classic, but if you’re looking for a fun twist, try infusing the soaking liquid with your favorite cereal. 

Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

Why You’ll Love It

  • It’s easy to make. Even though the recipe comprises three elements — the cake, the soaking liquid, and the whipped cream — each one is a cinch to make. 
  • It’s fun to eat. The sponginess of the cake paired with the cloudlike texture of the whipped cream makes for the airiest of desserts (but it’s sturdy enough to soak up the three milks without getting soggy). The hardest part is waiting to eat it!

Key Ingredients in Tres Leches Cake

  • Milk. The cake is soaked in a combination of whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Whole appears twice in the recipe — once in the batter and again in the soaking liquid. 
  • Heavy cream. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups for making a fluffy whipped cream to top it all off. 
  • Eggs. Separate the eggs, then thoroughly beat the egg whites, which incorporate a lot of air into the cake and ensure it isn’t dense.
Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

How to Make Tres Leches Cake

  1. Make the batter. Whisk flour and baking powder together. Separate the yolks and egg whites. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form and transfer to another bowl. In the now-empty bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, whole milk, vanilla, and salt, add the flour mixture until combined, then fold in the whipped egg whites. 
  2. Bake the cake. Bake until the cake is lightly browned around the edges and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan. 
  3. Soak the cake. While the cake cools, make the soaking liquid by combining milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Poke holes in the cake and let it soak in the milk mixture for a few hours or up to a full day.
  4. Make the whipped cream topping. When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cake. 
  5. Serve the cake. Cut the cake into squares and top with a dash of ground cinnamon.

Helpful Swaps

Cereal. Submerge 1/2 cup of your cereal of choice in the milk for 20 minutes to infuse the soaking liquid with its flavor. Remove and discard the cereal, then combine the cereal milk with the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. I like using Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which I find complements the flavor of the tres leches cake well. 

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips 

Refrigerate leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Ben Weiner
Comments

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

It’s so light and fluffy, you’ll want all of the leftovers for yourself.

Prep time 25 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes

Serves 16 to 20

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 6

    large eggs

  • Unsalted butter

  • 2 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 1 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 1 cup

    whole milk

  • 2 teaspoons

    vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

For the soaking liquid:

  • 1 (14-ounce) can

    sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 (12-ounce) can

    evaporated milk

  • 2 cups

    whole milk

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 1/2 cups

    cold heavy cream

  • 1/4 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon

    vanilla extract

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

Make the cake:

  1. Separate 6 large eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks in a small bowl. Let sit until room temperature.

  2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan, preferably metal, with parchment paper. Coat the parchment paper with unsalted butter.

  3. Place 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

  4. Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and wipe out the bowl and attachment.

  5. Transfer the yolks into the now-empty bowl. Add 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute.

  6. Add the egg whites to the yolk mixture. Fold together by hand with a flexible spatula just until combined; do not overmix. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and smooth out the top.

  7. Bake until the cake is lightly browned around the edges and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Make the soaking liquid:

  1. Place 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, and 2 cups whole milk in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Poke holes all over the cake with a toothpick or skewer, going all the way to the bottom. Evenly pour the soaking liquid over the warm cake. Cover and refrigerate until all the liquid is absorbed and the cake is chilled through, at least 4 to or up to 24 hours.

Make the whipped cream:

  1. When ready to serve, place 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt in a stand mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until medium peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.

  2. Spread the whipped cream over the cake in an even layer and dust with ground cinnamon.

Recipe Notes

Cereal milk flavoring: You can flavor the soaking liquid by soaking the milk and 1/2 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal together for 20 minutes first. Remove and discard the cereal with a slotted spoon before whisking in the canned milks.

Storage: Refrigerate leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Filed in:
Dessert
mexican
Latin American
dairy
pantry
baked goods