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Tres Leches Cake
4.9 from 123 votes

Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake is a moist, rich dessert made with a light cake soaked in a mixture of three milks: whole milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk combined with sweetened condensed milk. The cake is topped with a whipped cream mixture and garnished with strawberries, producing a creamy, tender texture and a balanced sweetness that characterizes this traditional treat.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Additional Time
12 hrs 45 mins
Total Time
13 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 20
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups (200g) cake flour scoop and level to measure
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) butter unsalted, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 5 egg at room temperature, large
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Milk mixture
  • 1 1/4 cups (295ml) milk (anything but skim)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
Topping
  • 2 cups (473ml) heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • strawberries for garnish, fresh, sliced or cinnamon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch or 12 by 8-inch baking dish, set aside. 
  2. Sift cake flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add in baking powder and salt and whisk 20 seconds, set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy.
  4. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending until well combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla. 
  5. Add in flour in 3 additions mixing just until combined after each addition. Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer and scape down sides and bottom of bowl and fold until evenly incorporated. 
  6. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer (it will seem like a thin layer).
  7. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 24 - 28 minutes. 
  8. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack, about 45 minutes. Once cool pierce cake many times all over with a long-pronged fork.
  9. For the milk mixture: In a large mixing bowl whisk together milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, the sweetened condensed milk and the evaporated milk until blended.
  10. Pour evenly over cake then cover and chill at least 6 hours*** or up to 3 days.
  11. For the topping: In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or using the stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment) whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. 
  12. Add in sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread over chilled cake. 
  13. Cut cake into slices and serve cold garnished with strawberries or dust with cinnamon if desired. Store cake in refrigerator.

Notes

  • Use cake flour for a tender crumb; alternatively, combine all-purpose flour with cornstarch.
  • Allow at least six hours for the milk mixture to fully soak into the cake for optimal moisture.
  • You may reduce the sugar in the cake batter to 2/3 cup for a less sweet flavor.
  • Quickly bring eggs to room temperature by covering them in warm tap water for five minutes before mixing.
  • This recipe produces a shorter cake slice, suitable given the richness of the dessert.