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.
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. 🙂