Coconut Tres Leches Cake
User Reviews
4.5
Coconut Tres Leches Cake
Description
The Coconut Tres Leches Cake starts with a yellow cake base, either mix or homemade, baked in a 9x13 pan until golden with a firm yet tender crumb. After cooling, it's thoroughly pierced to help absorb a luscious milk syrup made by blending cream of coconut, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. This combination infuses the cake with sweet coconut richness and moistness.
Once soaked, the cake is garnished with sweetened whipped cream, ripe banana slices, and toasted coconut flakes, which add creaminess, freshness, and a crunchy toasted note. The heavy cream and evaporated milk contribute to the cake’s dense, tender texture while the cream of coconut lends a distinct coconut sweetness and flavor.
Locating cream of coconut may require looking in the Asian foods aisle or alcoholic drink mixers section. Using this specific ingredient rather than canned coconut milk is important for the characteristic flavor and sweetness of this dessert.
Ingredients
Cake:
- yellow cake mix or other preferred cake mix or homemade yellow cake recipe, make-ahead
Milk Syrup:
- 1 (15-ounce) (15-ounce) can cream of coconut
- 1 (12-ounce) (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
Garnishes:
- 2 medium banana ripe
- cream see instructions below, sweetened
- 1 cup coconut flakes spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 350 degrees until golden brown, 7 minutes, or toast it in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop, toasted, sweetened, flaked
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside. Place the make-ahead cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes (if using another cake mix or recipe, bake according to box or recipe instructions).
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it is lightly golden and is slightly pulling away from the edges, 30-34 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, make the milk syrup: in a blender, combine the cream of coconut, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla and process until smooth.
- Pierce the cooled cake all over the top with the tines of a fork or a thin wooden skewer. We are talking all over! The more pokes, the more the syrup will soak into the cake. Using a large spoon or ladle, spoon some of the milk syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake, then continue spooning the syrup on top until all of it has been used up. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed and might be pooling on the top but that’s ok because it will absorb as it refrigerates.
- Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until all of the syrup is absorbed, 2 hours. Cut the bananas, if using crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Slice the cake and serve it with sliced bananas, sweetened cream and toasted coconut, if desired.
- For the sweetened cream, pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a large (preferably chilled) glass bowl and beat it on high speed until thickened 1 ½ minutes. Stop the machine and add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Makes 2 cups.
Notes
- Cream of coconut is different from canned coconut milk; it is sweetened and thicker, found often in Asian or liquor mixer sections.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15Servings (9X13-inch pan)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Serving | |
| Calories | 387kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 56g | 19% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 28mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 297mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 38g | 76% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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