A great recipe for the best Tres Leches Cake Recipe! Made with a soft vanilla cake, drenched with sweetened milk, and topped off with homemade whipped cream (and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon), this cake is a show stopper! Recipe includes plenty of tips and a how-to video for flawless results!
The Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Tres Leches Cake. Have you tried it? Simply translated to “Three Milks” cake, this is a fluffy vanilla cake that’s been drenched in three different types of milk (in our case condensed, evaporated, and heavy cream, with just a drop of vanilla). This is a cake that took me a long time to perfect. It has a long history, undecided origins, and is a bit different from some of the other cake recipes that I’ve shared.
Because we’ll be soaking it with milk, the base of this cake is critical (and is what took me the longest to perfect). This cake layer is what will make or break your entire Tres Leches dessert experience. We need a cake that’s light and airy (we’ll be poking holes through it, too, but want it to easily saturate with our three milks) but sturdy enough to hold onto that liquid and be completely moist and saturated without becoming a soggy, soupy mess. In the end I ultimately went with a variation of my grandmother’s Hot Milk Cake, and while the cake ingredients are almost identical you’ll notice the technique is quite different (as is the resulting cake!).
Creamed butter and whipped egg whites add a delicate levity and airiness to the cake, while not making it so delicate that it dissolves from the moisture of our three milks. Many Tres Leches Cakes do not use butter, but after a lot of testing I’m firmly standing by this version. It produces a light but wonderfully flavorful cake that’s spongy, but sturdy enough to absorb all of the milk.
Ingredients needed to make the cake portion of Tres Leches Cake
How to Make Tres Leches Cake:
Below I’ve highlighted all of the steps. Each corresponds with a numbered photo in the collage below. (PS: are these steps/photos helpful? I always like to have a visual so have been trying to share more of these step-by-step pictures).
- Beat your egg whites (just the whites! Don’t throw out the yolks though, you’ll need them in step 2) and 1 cup of sugar to thick, stiff peaks. If you’ve never whipped to stiff peaks before, it simply means that the egg whites don’t fold over or fall back into themselves when you pull your whisk straight out of the mixture (if you’ve made my meringues or white cake you’ve done this before!). For a visual, see photo #1 below or check out my video below the recipe.
- Set aside your egg whites, then beat together butter and remaining 1 cup of sugar until creamy. Beat in egg yolks (one at a time) and then vanilla extract.
- Whisk together dry ingredients then alternate stirring 1 cup of milk and the dry ingredient mixture into your into egg yolk/butter mixture.
- Gently fold in egg whites. Do this part by hand with a spatula (don’t use an electric mixer).
- Be sure to stir until there are no lumps or pockets of egg white in the batter.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, then allow cake to cool for an hour.
- Use a large fork or a wooden skewer to poke holes all over your cake! The more holes, the faster your three milks mixture will absorb.
- Whisk together your three milks! Condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and just a splash of vanilla extract. Make sure everything is well-combined (sometimes the condensed milk likes to settle on the bottom of the bowl since it is heavy and thick).
- Pour slowly and evenly over your cake.
Don’t Forget Your Frosting
Once you’ve prepared and soaked your cake, you’ll want to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in your fridge. It will need to sit for at least three hours (preferably overnight!) to absorb all of that milk mixture.
Once it’s chilled, you can prepare your frosting.
Some Tres Leches cakes use a meringue topping, but personally I like to use a delicate, lightly sweetened whipped cream. Wait until your cake is ready to serve (or at least until its had time to sit and absorb the milk) before topping with whipped cream.
I like to top off my Tres Leches Cake with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, but this is optional.
Where did Tres Leches Cake Originate?
The true origins of Tres Leches Cake are actually widely disputed. Many Latin American countries have been named as possible points of origin, and some sources even cite Nestle as perpetuating this milk-heavy recipe as a way to sell more of their condensed and evaporated milk (a delicious marketing ploy, if you ask me).
I found this article that did a deep dive into its possible origins, and thought some of you fellow food nerds might like to check it out, too.
Can I Freeze Tres Leches Cake?
Kind of. I don’t recommend freezing Tres Leches Cake after you’ve soaked it in the milk mixture. However, if you’d like to make this cake in advance you can bake the cake, cool it completely, and then tightly wrap it and freeze as you would any other cake.
Several hours to 1 day before you are ready to serve, thaw the cake and then follow the instructions in the recipe for drenching with milk and topping with whipped cream.
How Long Does Tres Leches Cake Last?
Once the cake is fully assembled I recommend enjoying within 2-3 days. Make sure to store Tres Leches cake refrigerated and covered!
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
- Coffee Cake
- Vanilla Cake
- The Best Cheesecake
- Hummingbird Cake
- Or check out more of my Best Cake Recipes!
Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make this Tres Leches Cake recipe in my own kitchen! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- ½ cup butter softened (113g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar divided (400g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk (235ml)
LECHES TOPPING
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (397g)
- 12 oz evaporated milk (340g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (118ml)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (355)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with baking spray. Set aside.
- Place egg whites in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer and use an electric mixer or your stand mixer’s whisk attachment to beat until foamy. Gradually increase mixer speed to medium-high and add just 1 cup (200g) of sugar, adding about 2 Tablespoons at a time and allowing about 10 seconds after each addition. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until egg white mixture is thick and glossy and you achieve stiff peaks¹ (much like you are making a meringue).
- If you used a stand mixer, scoop egg whites into a separate clean bowl and set aside and carry on using the same bowl for the next step (no need to clean the bowl). If you used an electric hand mixer, just grab a new bowl at this point.
- Place softened butter and remaining 1 cup (200g) of sugar in bowl. Beat until creamy and well-combined.
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a spatula and stirring by hand, alternate adding milk and flour mixture to your egg yolk mixture (I usually do this in about 4 parts, about ¼ cup of the milk at a time and ¼ of the flour mixture at a time).
- Once milk and flour have been stirred into egg yolk mixture, grab your egg white meringue from earlier and use a spatula to gently fold meringue into batter. Make sure it is completely combined and no white spots of egg remain, but use a gentle hand to not deflate the egg whites or over-mix the batter or you'll have a dense cake.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared 9x13 pan and transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Once cake has finished baking, allow to cool for about 30-60 minutes.
LECHES TOPPING
- Once cake has cooled (do not invert it, leave it in the cake pan), prepare topping by whisking together condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
- Use a large fork or a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake (poke down to the bottom of the cake pan). Pour milk mixture slowly and evenly over cake. Cover and transfer cake to refrigerator and allow to chill for at least several hours or overnight.
- Once ready to serve, prepare whipped cream:
WHIPPED CREAM
- Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until thickened and you achieve stiff peaks and a Cool Whip consistency.
- Spread whipped cream over tres leches cake and sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.
- Slice and serve! Enjoy!
Notes
How to Store
Store Tres Leches cake covered in the refrigerator. Tres Leches cake will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Juliet
Hi Sam can you please tell me if I can make this cake using cake flour? And if yes, will this reduce the baking time? If I open the oven to check while baking will it mess up anything? It’s for my daughter’s birthday:-) Many thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Juliet! You can use cake flour, but make sure to use the proper substitution. The baking time shouldn’t change; just check it close to the time it is supposed to be done, and you should be good! We hope your daughter loves her birthday cake 🙂
Becca
I saw someone request a chocolate version, yes please!
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thanks Sam!
Sam
I will certainly add it to my list of things to make. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Joselyne
Would this recipe work for 2 8 inch pans and how many cupcakes would this make
Sam
Hi Joselyne! It would work in 2 8″ pans though I am not sure exactly how long it would need to bake so I would keep an eye on it and you would want to serve the cake right in those pans (I just want to note that it would be tricky to serve this cake as a layer cake…). It would make approximately 24-30 cupcakes, but due to the nature of tres leches cake you’ll have to be a bit careful and definitely use foil and not paper liners, which would absorb the three milks. I hope that helps!
Matthew
. I have not made this yet but plan on it as Tres Leches is one of my favorite cakes to buy from the local bakery. But I do have a question for you Sam. I’ve noticed a lot of your recipes note mixing in an egg at a time in batter. Is there some science behind doing this? Just curious. Thank you in advance.
Sam
Hi Matthew! I hope you love this! It really depends on the recipe, but generally I do it to help incorporate the eggs without over-mixing the batter. If you add them all at once they tend to hold their shape and require a lot more mixing to incorporate them. I hope this helps! 🙂
Suraiya
I don’t have heavy cream where I’m at. What would you suggest as a substitute that would provide the same consistency please
Sam
Do you have double cream? That would work. 🙂
Suraiya
Unfortunately no, no heavy cream no double cream, even whipped cream here is in powder form. Also I wanted to ask would this bake well in 12 by 10 pan
Sam
Hmmm for the topping to pour on you may be able to use 2 parts evaporated milk and one part condensed milk. For the frosting I don’t really have a good suggestion. 🙁
Bethany
Hello, I need to make a full Sheet size cake. How can I readjust the recipe for this size?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Bethany. This recipe makes enough for a 9×13 inch pan, which holds roughly 10 cups of batter. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to increase the recipe by 50% or even double it. Your baking time will also change increased with pan size, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Enjoy! 🙂
Faseeha Yaseen
HI. Is the cake base too sweet ?
Sam
I don’t think so. 😉
Rita Beyenhof
I made this cake for a memorial pot luck. It was awesome. I had 2 cousins take 2 pieces each. I’m making it again in 2 weeks. You are an amazing cook!!!
Jackie
Wow, Sam! What an amazing, authentic recipe! I love it! 🤩 its a family favorite!
Question: how would I be able to transfer the cake without breaking?
I want to serve on a nice plater next time rather than the baking dish.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Jackie! Moving it is going to be tough since it is so moist. You could try flipping it onto a serving platter but I’m not sure how it will go. 🙁
Claire M.
Put the cake on the serving platter before adding the milk. You can always clean up the edges of the serving after after adding thr milk and topping.
Sue
This cake was the best. All my friends loved it and I am making it again for another gathering. I’m a chocolate cake lover but this tops chocolate.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sue! 🙂
A Wynn
This cake came out wonderful. It is a dense cake, but enjoyably so. We topped with fresh strawberries when we served it.
User error had me drizzling the milks not slowly enough and ended up with runoff to the edges, so my middle didn’t saturate as well. This was completely all me, I only mention it to keep others from doing the same 😅
Overall I’ll use this recipe again next time. I love her recipes and have had a lot of success with them.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Kat_Michelle
It’s not my favorite recipe. Cake was dense—I allowed it to cool for 30 min rather than 60 (an option as per the instructions). Maybe wait longer before applying the 3 milks. Frosting is good. Let it set out a bit before serving so cake is at room temperature. I’ll keep looking for a better recipe but it’s not terrible.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened! The cake can become dense if the egg whites are over-mixed. I hope you’ll give it another shot. I think you’ll like it. 🙂
Krystal T
This turned out delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Krystal! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
Sara
Hi Sam, how would I go about making this into a layer cake? Also, whenever I put cakes made with egg whites into the refrigerator they tend to become really really dry. Is it okay to let the cake soak overnight at room temperature? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sara! I would worry that this cake would fall apart as a layer cake. This cake needs to be refrigerated. Just be sure to not over-bake it and cover it tightly when putting it in the refrigerator. Good luck! 🙂
Miranda
Can you do a chocolate version?
Sam
Hi Miranda! I will add it to my list of recipes to make. 🙂
Katie
It went great! It’s for someone else, so I couldn’t taste it! The cake itself baked up really nice! It looks really good! I baked it for about 25ish minutes.
Katie
Hi there! I’m halving the recipe for an 8 by 8 cake. What would the cook time be?
Thanks!
Katie
Sam
Hi Katie! I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure. Just keep an eye on it. Good luck! I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Indu
Hi, can the cake be baked in glass container? Will the temperature and timing change
Thank you!
Sam
You can use a glass dish your bake time may be reduced by a few minutes. 🙂