This Tres Leches cake is an ultra soft and moist cake that is soaked with a mixture of three “milks” and topped with a thick layer of fresh whipped cream. It’s an easy and delicious cake that is perfect for a crowd, and perfect for serving up for Cinco de Mayo!
If you haven’t tried a Tres Leches cake before now is your chance, this cake is light, soft, and so delicious. You’ve got a rich vanilla cake that is poked all over the top with a fork, then you pour the mixture of sweet milks over the top to give it all that sweetness and moisture in each bite of the cake. Then it’s topped with whipped cream, and it all comes together for a delicious, and easy cake, that you will just love!
The cake sits overnight soaking in the sweet milks making it so moist, it practically melts in your mouth.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres Leches is Spanish for “three milks”, so basically this is an ultra light and soft vanilla sponge cake that is soaked in a mixture of three milks, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk.
It is a popular cake in Central and South America and is a perfect dessert for celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
What do you need to make a Tres Leches Cake?
- cake flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- sweetened condensed milk
- evaporated milk
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon sugar
How to make Tres Leches Cake?
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until it’s light and fluffy.
- Then add in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter for 30 seconds after each addition. Then add in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture into the butter, and gently fold them together using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides until the are well blended.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan.
- Bake the cake for about 22 to 25 minutes.
- Poke the top of the cake all over.
- Then whisk the three milks together and pour them evenly over the top of the cake. Put the cake back into the oven (it should be off, but still warm) for about 10 minutes. Cover the cake and let it sit out until it reaches room temperature, then transfer it to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Whisk together the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to make the heavy cream. Stop when you have stiff peaks. Then spread it over the top of the cake evenly. Sprinkle the top of the whipped cream with cinnamon, or cinnamon sugar.
Serve the cake now, or chill longer before serving.
How to store Tres Leches Cake?
Because of the milk poked in the cake, and the whipped topping on the cake, tres leches cake must be stored in the fridge. The cake actually tastes best after being stored in the fridge for several hours, or overnight, so it’s a great make ahead dessert.
Cover it with plastic wrap, or with a secure lid, and it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips for the Best Tres Leches Cake:
- I love topping the cake with fresh berries, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries are delicious. Add the berries to the cake right before serving so they stay fresh and the colors of the berries don’t bleed into the whipped cream topping.
- Using a bamboo skewer seems to work best for making the holes, but a fork may also be used.
- All purpose flour can be used instead of cake flour, but the cake flour definitely yields a finder crumb.
This Tres Leches is so soft and moist. It’s a deliciously light cake, and is the perfect dessert for your next party. This cake is so tasty, and is so much better than any store bought Tres Leches cake you might get!
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Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Sponge Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Three Milks:
- 28 oz sweetened condensed milk (2-14oz cans)
- 10 oz evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cinnamon sugar (for garnish)
Instructions
For the Vanilla Sponge Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, and sugar and cream them together until they are light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture for 30 seconds after each egg is added.
- Add the vanilla and beat it well into the mixture.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg and butter mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to fold all the flour in until well blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 22 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a bamboo skewer, or fork to poke the cake all over the top.
For the Three Milks:
- Whisk the three kinds of milk together in a large bowl, then pour them over the top of the warm cake.
- Return the cake to the oven (it should be off, but still warm) for an additional 10 minutes. This helps the milk absorb into the cake.
- Cover the cake and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer the cake to the fridge for at least 2 hours, before frosting.
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to a medium sized bowl, and whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon sugar.
- Cover the cake and place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Lynnette says
How much sugar is in the cake
Aimee says
So sorry, I guess that’s important huh?! It’s 1 cup and I updated the recipe 🙂