My Tres Leches Cake is designed to be soft, perfectly moist, and NOT soggy! Itโs made with a homemade vanilla cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream. Youโll be amazed at how incredible this tastes! Recipe includes a how-to video.
The Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Tres leches cake or โThree Milksโ cake should be soft, moist, and super flavorful. My recipe checks every box, with a fluffy vanilla sponge cakeย soakedย in three different types of milk and topped with whipped cream. With all that liquid, itโs easy to assume this cake would be soggyโbut donโt 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 weโll 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 doesnโt become a soupy mess. Pound cake is too dense, and classic vanilla cake disintegrates. Ultimately, a variation of my grandmotherโs hot milk cake did the trick, and while the cake ingredients are almost identical, youโll notice the technique is quite different (as is the resulting cake!). Youโre going to love it!
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients in my recipe. Some of them may surprise you!
- Eggs. Weโll be using both the egg whites and yolks, but youโll need to separate them first. Whipping the egg whites adds airiness to the cake without making itย 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 Iโm firmly standing by this version. It produces a light but wonderfully flavorful cake thatโs 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. Weโll be using condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream along with just a drop of vanilla extract for our three milks. Weโll 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 doesnโt make the cake soggy or soupy.
SAMโS 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.
SAMโS TIP: If youโve never whipped egg whites to stiff peaks before, it simply means that the egg whites donโt fold over or fall back into themselves when you pull your whisk straight out of the mixture. If youโve made my meringues or white cake youโve 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 todayโs 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).
Kind of. I donโt recommend freezing the cake after youโve soaked it in the milk mixture. However, if youโd 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!
Letโs bake together!ย Iโll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe andย videoย below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me onย Instagram, and you can also find me onย YouTubeย andย Facebook
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- ยฝ cup (113 g) butter softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar divided
- 1 ยฝ 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
- ยฝ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 ยฝ cups (355 ml) heavy cream
- ยฝ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a 9ร13 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 mixerโs 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 peaksยน (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.ยฝ cup (113 g) butter
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 ยฝ 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 ยผ cup of the milk at a time and ยผ 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 9ร13 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, ยฝ cup (118 ml) heavy cream, ยฝ 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 ยฝ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, ยฝ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, ยฝ 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
ยนStiff 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.
Julia
Iโm attempting to make this cake today for my sonโs 30th birthday tomorrow, I have a question about how to tell if itโs done, does the touch test or toothpick test work, we recently moved and itโs my first experience with an electric oven! I have ruined a couple of cakes before someone suggested I turn the temperature down by 20 degrees and bake for less time (some things) Also what do you think about incorporating cinnamon into the cake batter, my son asked about it
Thanks for this great recipe, I am looking forward to eating cake!
Sam
Hi Julia! The toothpick test will work to tell if this is done. Cinnamon could work if you like that flavor in a cake. ๐
Julia
Hi Sam, the cake was amazing, I only added a very small amount of cinnamon, it was perfect just a hint of cinnamon, Thanks for sharing some Heaven with us!!
Iโm making yours and your grammas coconut cake for my motherโs 87th birthday next week, I canโt wait to try it ๐ have you ever toasted your coconut for this cake?
Sam
Iโm so happy you enjoyed the cake, Julia! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out! Iโm sorry for not seeing your comment sooner and itโs probably too late but you could absolutely toast the coconut for that cake. Enjoy!
Indializ
Followed it step by step and it was the best cake Ive ever made.
Brittney Ochoa
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead on heavy cream?
Sam
Hi Brittney! They are essentially the same thing, so yes that will be fine. Enjoy! ๐
Joe
Should I bake for 35-40 minutes or 40-50? The video and the recipe give different instructions.
Sam
Hi Joe! You will want to bake it for 35-40 minutes. ๐
Autumn
can i use coconut milk instead of the whole milk
Sam
Hi Autumn! I havenโt personally tried it but I think it could work.
C.
This isnโt a review of the recipe. I just wanted to point out that evaporated milk is measured using fluid ounces, not weight ounces. So 12 oz. would be equivalent to 355 ml of evaporated milk.
์นด์ง๋ ธ์ฌ์ดํธ
Traditional Tres Leches Cake is incredibly moist, but if you donโt want it to be too soggy, make sure you allow the cake to cool slightly before soaking it with the tres leches mixture. If the cake is too hot, it may absorb too much liquid.
Sam
That is correct. You want to let your cake cool for 30-60 minutes after baking as instructed. ๐
Paul
If I wanted to make a chocolate tres leches could I just add some cocoa powder to the batter or should I use a chocolate cake recipe instead?
Sam
Hi Paul! I havenโt experimented with making it chocolate so I canโt say for sure how it would work.
Erika
Hi โ If I wanted to make this pumpkin spice flavored how would you recommend I do that?
Sam
Hi Erika! I havenโt tried it myself so Iโm not sure how it will taste, but you could try adding some pumpkin pie spice to the cake. Iโm not sure how much you would want to add.
Michelle
I am making this recipe right now (just put it in the oven) and just realized I put in only 1/2 tsp of salt instead of 1 tsp. How will this affect the overall result / is there anything I can do to save it? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Michelle! It could reduce the flavor in the cake a bit, but if youโve already put everything in the oven thereโs not much you can do. It should still turn out for you. I hope you enjoyed it! ๐
Angel
Hi I am making this to take to work. Am I able to prepare the topping the evening before?
I am so looking forward to this.๐
Sam
Hi Angel! You can make the whipped cream in advance. It may need a slight whipping the next day before use. ๐
Amelia
Made this for a potluck at work and it was a HIT! Iโve never made tres leches before and I was so nervous it wouldnโt work out but everyone said it was amazing! I used a pumpkin spice mix to sprinkle on top instead of just cinnamon and I was about 1/4 cup short on heavy cream for the topping so I subbed the rest with half and half. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.
Mila
Delicious flavor on this cake. I followed the instructions and ingredients to the exact. I found that my cake after absorbing all the milk turned out very dense and lost its fluffiness. Very bummed about that. Iโm wondering if it was the amount of flour?
Sam
Hi Mila! Iโm not really sure what happened here. Itโs going to absorb all of the liquid but shouldnโt be dense.
Tanya
Hi! Can this cake be filled and stacked?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tanya! We havenโt tried stacking this cake, so weโre not sure how it would turn out.
Sam
I loved the cake, it was a hit for new years dinner. But, I wanted mine to be more wet than it was. How much more of the milk mixture would I need to make it that way?
Sam
Hi Sam! My cake is specifically designed to not be soggy. If you have any more liquid itโs going to make the cake a little bit soggy. You can however increase it if that is your preference. I donโt have an exact amount for you though.
Rae
I just made this cakeโฆ followed instructionsโฆ great flavor but the cake was very dense and not wet enough with the milk mixture, even after soaking overnight. Will attempt again
Sam
Iโm so sorry to hear this happened, Rae! The egg whites are important in this cake. If not mixed quite to stiff peaks, or if over-mixed it can result in a dense cake. ๐
Catherine A Jimenez
I made this, but cheated, I used a bix yellow mix. other than that I followed the ingredients for the milk and whipping cream
Patrick Reilly
Gracias, esta receta fue muy dulce, cremosa y rica.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you liked it! ๐
Hannah B
Hi! Iโm making this today and forgot heavy cream at the store. Could I use half and half in place of the heavy cream?
Sam
Hi Hannah! You could substitute the milk and heavy cream with half and half. ๐
khloe
it helped alot
Nico
So first things first, I want to say that the way you write the instructions is very appreciated. Not many people list the amount of ingredients with the instructions, itโs such a small thing but it makes it feel way less annoying not having to constantly scroll back up and down.
So for the cake itself, the flavor is delicious. A little on the sweet side, and also unfortunately more wet than Iโd like- but this is an easy fix, I would simply just use less of the milk mixture when soaking. But it came together very easily and it genuinely is very delicious, almost tastes like cereal milk.
Bruce
When I first tasted it, I was disappointed, because the cake was dense. It turns out that that is just how it is when itโs fresh out of the refrigerator. I tried it after letting it sit on the counter a little, and itโs amazing, as expected. Not all tres leches recipes use vanilla in every aspect โ cake, milk mixture, and topping. That put this one over the top. Most other recipes Iโve seen are much wetter, making them very hard to serve (but good to eat). Sam, with her endless recipe testing, hit on just the right recipe for a cake that has everything a tres leches cake needs without falling apart when you serve it.
I have found that a chopstick makes just the right size holes in the cake.
Tracy
Totally stealing the chopstick idea!, didnโt even think about that, THANK YOU!! and thank YOU Sam for a great recipe that I now get requests to make!! <3