My Tres Leches Cake is designed to be soft, perfectly moist, and NOT soggy! It’s made with a homemade vanilla cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream. You’ll be amazed at how incredible this tastes! Recipe includes a how-to video.
The Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Tres leches cake or “Three Milks” cake should be soft, moist, and super flavorful. My recipe checks every box, with a fluffy vanilla sponge cake soaked in three different types of milk and topped with whipped cream. With all that liquid, it’s easy to assume this cake would be soggy–but don’t worry, my recipe has been tested and perfected to be perfectly balanced and NOT soggy!
This is a cake that took me a long time to get just right. Because we’ll be drenching it with a mixture of milks, the base of this cake is critical (and is what took me the longest to perfect).
It needs to be light and airy, but sturdy enough that it doesn’t become a soupy mess. Pound cake is too dense, and classic vanilla cake disintegrates. Ultimately, a variation of my grandmother’s hot milk cake did the trick, and while the cake ingredients are almost identical, you’ll notice the technique is quite different (as is the resulting cake!). You’re going to love it!
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients in my recipe. Some of them may surprise you!
- Eggs. We’ll be using both the egg whites and yolks, but you’ll need to separate them first. Whipping the egg whites adds airiness to the cake without making it so delicate that it dissolves from the moisture of our three milks.
- Butter. 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.
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour. Cake flour could be substituted if done properly.
- Milks. Precisely three of them. We’ll be using condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream along with just a drop of vanilla extract for our three milks. We’ll also need whole milk for the cake itself.
- Heavy cream. Some recipes use a third milk for the tres leches mixture, but I actually prefer heavy cream. It creates a perfect consistency and doesn’t make the cake soggy or soupy.
SAM’S TIP: I like to top off my cake with a sprinkle of cinnamon (freshly ground, if you have it!), but this is optional.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make It
- Whip the egg whites and 1 cup of sugar to stiff peaks, then set this aside.
- Beat together the butter and remaining 1 cup of sugar until creamy, then stir in the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together dry ingredients, then alternate stirring the whole milk and dry ingredients into your into egg yolk mixture.
- Gently fold in egg whites, then pour into a prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for an hour, poke holes all over, and slowly drizzle with the three milks mixture.
- Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight before frosting with whipped cream and serving.
SAM’S TIP: If you’ve never whipped egg whites 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, check out my video below.
With most of my cakes I encourage you to play around with different frostings on top, but not so with today’s recipe. You need something light that pairs well with the milks-drenched cake and the whipped cream frosting is a classic for a reason!
Frequently Asked Questions
The true origins of this 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).
Here’s an article that discusses the origins of tres leches cake if you’re a fellow food nerd like me and would like to take a deep dive!
Kind of. I don’t recommend freezing the 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.
Traditionally this cake is made with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. However, I found that using whole milk tends to make the cake a bit more soggy than is desirable, so for my tres leches cake recipe I use heavy cream instead.
This cake would be a great dessert after enjoying some taco salad or chips and queso!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- ½ cup (113 g) butter softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (235 ml) milk
LECHES TOPPING
- 14 oz (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 12 oz (340 g) evaporated milk
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a 9×13 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).5 large eggs, 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 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.½ cup (113 g) butter
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon 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).1 cup (235 ml) milk
- 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 9×13 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.14 oz (397 g) sweetened condensed milk, 12 oz (340 g) evaporated milk, ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream, ½ teaspoon 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.1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread whipped cream over tres leches cake and sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
- Slice and serve! Enjoy!
Notes
¹Stiff Peaks
Stiff peaks simply means that if you lift the beater straight out of the batter, the peak that forms will not recede back or melt back into itself. It should hold a tall, stiff peak, and if you turn the beater upside down the peak that has formed on the end of it should hold its shape as well. See photo in post or video for visual!How to Store
Store Tres Leches cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.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.
Related Recipes
Recipe originally published September 2019, it has been updated to include more information but the recipe is unchanged.
C Prevost
I work in an office full of Latinos and Latinas, we have pot lucks for everything. Two of them mentioned they love Tres Leches cakes, I have never eaten it, but I have been working on my baking, so decided to go for it. I watched several videos, but yours was so well done. I wish I could post a picture of my cake, it came out so beautiful. The sponge cake was soft and bouncy and then perfectly moist after the Tres Leches, not too soggy.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the cake turned out nicely for you! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 🩷
Benjamin Barthel
The most amazing Tres Leches Cake I’ve ever made! Thank You So Much for sharing the recipe. This one is going directly into my vault of all-time favorites. What a treasure it is
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Benjamin! 🙂
Monica Feist
Do you think this recipe would work in cupcakes?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Monica! It could get pretty messy and complicated to make this recipe as cupcakes. You’ll have to be a bit careful and definitely use foil and not paper liners, which would absorb the three milks. Hope that helps!
Channelle
I’ve made this recipe before and it was a huge hit! I was planning to make mini cakes in small aluminum baking cups (1.37 x 2.55 x 2.75 inches). I would be making 50. Would I need to double this recipe?
Sam
Hi Channelle! This would probably make about 24 regular sized cupcakes so you can use that to help determine how to alter the recipe. 🙂
Monica Feist
Oh my gosh was this cake a hit! It went so fast. I watched the video twice and went very slowly through the recipe. It came out perfectly!
Brenda Porter
DAIRY FREE
I was stressing about which recipe to use for this. I am so glad I picked this one; It was moist, nice and tall, and not mushy. I made this cake according to directions except for the milks. My granddaughter recently needed to cut out dairy, so I used dairy alternatives. I used almond milk for the cake mixture. For the “Tres Leches” topping, I used 1 can of coconut cream (not cream of coconut), 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk, and 1/2 cup almond milk. For the topping, I followed the directions on the cream of coconut can and refrigerated it overnight, scooped out the solids and whipped it, adding a little of the liquid back in, along with the the vanilla, and some powdered sugar. The topping held up better than expected. While I read the topping should be done right before serving, It held up through the next day. I will do it ahead next time. Yummy coconut taste too!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for sharing, Brenda! The coconut taste sounds delicious here. We hope your granddaughter loved the cake 😊
April G
Hello!
I am planning on making this cake on two 8 inch pans. I am wondering if the cakes would hold up and not sink or crumble if stacked.
Thank you!
-April
Sam
Hi April! It becomes a pretty moist cake with the milks added on at the end so I’m not sure how it will hold up to stacking
April G
Makes sense. Thank you for the reply!
Beka B
i actually made this recipe and stacked the cakes! i just made sure to refrigerate the cakes after filling them with the leche topping. it helped them soaked it up enough to hold it still!
i also made sure to use a ton of the whipped cream topping around the whole cake to make sure it would help it together. it worked better than i expected:)
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for commenting, Beka! 😊
Carissa Blankenship
Ha ha I’m reading this comment as I just put my 9 x 13 pan of batter in the oven. I’ll definitely try stacking them next time – that sounds excellent. (a tasty way to get even more of that fabulously yummy whipped cream topping!)
I’ve made this cake once before, and even though I messed up the egg whites and sugar mixture (it didn’t form stiff peaks because I got a little bit of yolk in it), it was still as delicious as could be and was gone within a day by my family of 4 (plus a curious friend or two who stopped in and loved it as well!). I’ve shared this recipe with a couple people already. Love this so much!
Paula Rangel
Can you tell me why after I bake the cake it smells like eggs and how to prevent that from happening please.
Sam
Hi Paula! I would just want to make sure that you only used 5 eggs here. Is it possible the egg yolks were over-mixed or the cake was over-baked?
Aubrey
What adjustments would I need to make at high altitude (5300-5500ft)?
Sam
Hi Aubrey! Unfortunately I am not familiar with high altitude baking so I can’t say for sure if there are any alterations that are needed. If you do try it, I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Rob
My daughter wanted a tres leche cake for her birthday as this is her favorite dessert. I made it but substituted the cinnamon topping with sliced strawberries and it turned out amazing. Great recipe Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it was a hit, Rob! Thanks for using our recipe 🩷
Sandra
This is a great-tasting cake. I will make it for my family’s Easter celebration every year. Thank you for sharing your receipt.
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sandra! 🙂
Alyce
This cake was fantastic. the crumb was tender and moist but not a soggy mess! It had a nice milky taste but not too sweet. The whipped cream with strawberries was a perfect icing. I wasn’t sure I could commit to the cinnamon, so I just lightly dusted the berries. That hint of cinnamon gave it a little flair. I will probably add more next time; and yes, there will be a next time. The few additional steps were well worth the effort!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed our recipe, Alyce! 🥰
Nimfa Silva
I just realized your recipes are always my go-to for desserts. ❤️
They’re always a hit!
Although it’s been a while since I made this and I messed up with the mixing flour and milk and the whites lol. Actually I made 2 mistakes that and a little yolks on my whites that why it’s not turning into meringue. Oh well! Eggs are not cheap this days 😑 I’m just gonna pray it’s still be good. Lol
Tera
Absolutely amazing!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you love it, Tera!
Liz
Amazing recipe – can this be de-moulded?
Sam
Hi Liz! This is a softer cake so it won’t be ideal for removing from the pan. 🙁
Riana
This is the first cake I have ever made from scratch and everyone who i have made it for has loved it. I have made it a total of 5 times now because people keep asking for it. It is so delicious! I also adore the way the recipe is written with the ingredients under each step. Super helpful!! Definitely my go to website for recipes now!
Lisa B.
The ONLY thing I might do differently is to do the bowl with the eggwhites last so they are as fluffy as possible. This recipe is an absolute keeper! The instructions are spot on. I can see how much time was spent working it all out! I have never had tres leches cake before so I cannot comment on its faithfulness to the ‘original’, but I just dont care because this came out so delicious! the entire group of 9 at taco night agreed. Folding technique is pretty important here as you are making 3 bowls of stuff plus a cup of milk then folding them together in specific sequence until you have it all in one bowl. Pay attention to details and you will be rewarded. 10/10.
Inga
Made this cake yesterday and refrigerated for 18 hours. While the taste is good, the cake itself came out very dense and the milk mixture did not absorb throughout. I followed the recipe to the T.
Sam
It sounds like the cake may have been over-baked 🙁
Steve
My daughter wants to make this cake over the weekend. I was dreading trying to find a good recipe. I have had really good luck with your recipes in the past so was mucho pleased when Sugar Spun Run showed at the top of my search.
tx Sam
noemi
Would it be possible to make the cake in a nine-inch springform pan? If so, what alternations should be made ?
Sam
I’m not sure how it would fit in a springform pan.
Sharon Welliver
This is the best recipe for this cake.