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Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Apr 28, 2020 admin

This Tres Leches Cake recipe makes a delicious authentic Mexican dessert. Make this simple milk cake for any occasion – it’s easy!

A piece of tres leches cake on a plate with a fork.

The Spanish word, Tres leches literally translates to “three milks”, which is exactly what is in the ingredients of this light sponge cake. In Mexico, it is a popular dessert to serve at any celebration.

It’s a beautiful vanilla cake, soaked in a sweet blend of milks, with a topping of luscious fresh whipped cream. This cake is quite possibly the best poke cake on the planet.

Ingredients for authentic tres leches cake

For the most authentic flavor, use the ingredients below, without substitutions except where noted:

For the cake:

Cake flour — This flour is lighter than all-purpose. It has less protein, so it makes for a fluffy and wonderfully tender cake.
Sugar
Butter — Use unsalted butter for the best results.
Eggs
Baking powder
Salt
Vanilla extract — Use the best quality extract possible; Mexican vanilla is even better.

For the milk glaze:

Evaporated milk — This is essentially concentrated milk.
Condensed milk — This milk is reduced and then sugar is added. It has a thick, syrupy consistency
Half and half – For those not familiar, this is a dairy product in the U.S. that falls between whole milk and heavy cream. If you cannot get it where you leave, substitute half whole milk and half heavy cream.

For the whipped cream topping:

Heavy cream — Be sure to use unsweetened heavy whipping cream
Sugar — Granulated sugar!
Vanilla extract – Again, best quality possible.

Ingredients for tres leches cake prepped and labeled on a counter.

How to make the tres leches cake recipe

This is a pretty simple vanilla sponge cake recipe. You’ll use a creaming method to bring everything together.

Step by step photos of making tres leches cake batter.

Step by step photos of the final mixing of tres leches cake batter and pouring into pan.

Preheat your oven and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl.
Beat the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed, until it’s light and fluffy. To make the job easier, be sure to soften the butter first.
Reduce the speed and add the sugar, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture into the mixer in three batches. Be careful not to over mix the batter; it will cause the cake to be dry.
Pour the batter into your cake pan and spread it into an even layer.
Bake the cake. Wait a few minutes after you remove it from the oven, then transfer the cake to a cooling rack for 30 minutes.

After it’s cool, you’ll use a wooden skewer or fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.

Poking holes and pouring milk glaze over tres leches cake.

Preparing and adding the milk glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half in a four-cup measuring cup.
Pour the milk glaze evenly over the fully-cooled cake, being sure to fill all the holes you poked into it.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Spreading whipped cream over the top of tres leches cake.

Making the whipped cream frosting:

When you realize how easy it is to make the best whipped cream you’ll ever taste, you’ll never want to buy it again.

Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed.
Beat the mixture on low until you reach soft peaks.
Increase the speed to medium until the mixture is luscious and thick.
Spread the whipped cream over the cake and refrigerate until serving time.

Pan of tres leches cake with strawberries around the border.

A Few Tips!

Cake Flour – Cake flour contains less protein than all-purpose flour and will create a fluffier, more tender cake. Substituting all-purpose flour will affect the texture of the cake. If you do not have cake flour or can’t get it, make this substitution: whisk together ¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch for each cup of cake flour.
Half & Half – This is a dairy product sold in the U.S. If you cannot get it where you live, substitute equal amounts whole milk and heavy cream.
Thin Cake – You’ll notice when the cake comes out of the oven that it is not exceptionally high, but don’t worry! Once it absorbs all of that liquid, it will plump up beautifully.
Poking Holes – Try not to hit the bottom of the pan when you poke your holes, which will keep the most liquid in the cake. Some will naturally seep out as it soaks, but by not penetrating the bottom of the cake, you keep the most liquid possible inside the cake.
Pour Slowly! – When pouring the milk mixture over the poked holes of the cake, go as slowly as possible. If you rush the process, the cake won’t be able to absorb everything. Even if it takes you 10 to 15 minutes, take it slowly. Drizzle a little bit evenly over the surface, let it sink in, then do a bit more. It is well worth the patience!
Serving Suggestions – You can serve the cake as is, chilled of course. In Mexico, an authentic tres leches cake recipe isn’t as sweet as this one, so in Mexico, they serve it with slices of fresh fruit on top; most often, slices of strawberries, peaches, mangos, and pineapple. Toasted coconut and pecans are also popular toppings.
Storage: The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Make-Ahead – This is a fabulous make-ahead recipe because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours after you pour over the milk mixture, and overnight is even better! For the best flavor and texture, I recommend serving it the second day, but leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for another couple of days.
Freezing Instructions – You can freeze the plain cake after it has baked, but not the soaked, assembled cake (it would be too mushy). To freeze the cake, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the recipe to poke holes, pour the milk mixture, and top with whipped cream.

Close up photo of cut tres leches cake in pan.

If you make this recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much!