Tres Leches Cake stands out with its light, airy sponge and milky sweetness. It combines three types of milk to create its signature softness. I love how it balances richness and freshness in every bite.
Contents
Tres Leches Cake recipe
Tres leches cake is a beloved dessert from Latin America. “Tres Leches” means “three milks” due to its milk mixture. The cake is soaked in a mixture of three types of milk. This makes the dry cakes tastier, especially in areas with limited access to fresh dairy.
Tres leches cake can be customized in over 10 unique ways. People add fruits (strawberries, lemon, pineapple), flavors (chocolate, coffee, or mocha), pumpkin spice, or herbs. Others prefer coconut milk, eggnog, rasmalai, or caramel sauce as toppings. Nuts like pistachios or almonds are also popular.
This cake is often enjoyed with dry sparkling wine or coffee cocktails to enhance its flavors. Non-smoky mezcal, cognac, or rum-based drinks also complement the cake’s richness.
For non-alcoholic pairings, you can try coffee or milkshake. Desserts like flan or fresh fruits, such as strawberries, offer a light, refreshing contrast.
Here is how to make tres leches cake:
Tres Leches Cake
Nutrition
Ingredients
For the cake
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g plain flour I used a gluten-free blend
- 1 tsp baking powder gluten-free, available in most supermarkets
- 4 eggs
- 75 ml milk
For the sauce
- 400 ml condensed milk
- 200 ml evaporated milk
- 200 ml double cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180oC and grease and line a cake tin.
- Separate the eggs – put the whites into a large bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until thick and peaks form.
- Fold in the sugar gently and then fold in the egg yolks one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour (sieve first), baking powder and milk, then fold this into the egg mixture.
- Transfer to the tin and bake for about 40 mins, until risen and golden.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by lightly whisking together half the condensed milk, half the double cream and all the evaporated milk.
- As soon as the cake is out of the oven, skewer all over and pour the sauce over so that it soaks into the cake. Leave to cool for 5 mins in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Make the cream topping by whisking together the rest of the cream and the condensed milk until thickened.
- Once the cake is cool, spread this on top and decorate as desired.
Notes
SIMILAR RECIPES
Variations
There are numerous variations of this classic Tres Leches Cake.
- Traditional variations
- Coconut tres leches cake uses coconut milk for a tropical twist.
- Chocolate cake soaks chocolate cake in milk for indulgence.
- Tres leches layer cake has cake layers filled with dulce de leche.
- Cake with rompope uses rompope to add a festive flavor.
- Fresh berry pastel de tres leches add fresh berries for a refreshing contrast.
- Unique twists
- Tres leches pumpkin flan combines tres leches with pumpkin flan.
- Banana tres leches cake soaks banana sponge in the milk mixture.
- Coffee version infuses coffee into cake and milk soak.
- Dirty horchata variation uses horchata flavors instead of milk.
- Salted caramel cake features salted caramel in its soaking mix.
- Red velvet cake combines red velvet with a three-milk soak.
- Guava infusion adds guava to the cake and glaze.
- Tres leches Cookies and cream cake mixes Oreos into batter and topping.