This tres leches cake is a dreamy vanilla sponge cake, soaked in a sweet milk mixture and crowned with easy homemade whipped cream. One bite, and it’ll disappear fast!
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I have a confession to make. Every time I make this tres leches cake recipe, my husband and I don’t even use plates – spoons and the cake are all we need. Nothing can stop us; it’s just that good!
This cake is my husband’s favorite dessert for a reason. A traditional dessert in Latin American, “tres leches” means three milks (sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk) soak into a light, airy cake topped with fresh Whipped Cream for a rich, moist, and creamy dessert like my irresistible Icebox Cake and Eclair Cake recipes.
I hear your stomach growling…let’s get baking!
Why You’ll Love This Tres Leches Cake Recipe
- It’s BETTER made ahead: yes, I said it. This cake gets better with time!
- Topping ideas: from fresh fruit, to cinnamon or cocoa dusted, to served with a dollop of ice cream or sorbet, this cake will look as beautiful as it tastes.
- Not too sweet: sponge cakes can often be too sweet, but this recipe is just right.
- Super moist and soft but not mushy: this cake is ultra moist, but it will stand up to the tres leches without disintegrating!
- Feeds a crowd: made in a 9×13” baking dish, you’ll have 12 or so pieces for your next family or friends gathering.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you need to make the best tres leches cake! Serve as-is or dusted with cinnamon and dotted with fresh berries.
- All-purpose flour – you only need a small amount of flour to make this light, airy sponge cake. Too much flour will weigh it down, making it dense and preventing it from soaking up the milk mixture.
- Eggs – the cake’s structure comes mostly from lots of eggs!
- Granulated sugar – sugar does more than just sweeten the cake. It helps stabilize the whipped egg whites so the cake stays airy and tender.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla adds delicious warmth and depth of flavor to the cake and whipped cream topping.
- Baking powder – while the whipped eggs give most of the rise, baking powder provides a little extra lift so it’s light, fluffy and stable enough to soak in all of the milks without collapsing.
- Salt – salt enhances flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk – one of the tres leches (three milks), sweetened condensed milk adds richness, sweetness, and body.
- Evaporated milk – one of the other three milks, evaporated milk adds creaminess without extra sugar.
- Whole milk – whole milk lightens the milk mixture so it’s not too heavy or cloying. Whole milk is also used in the cake batter itself to enhance moisture and tenderness.
- Heavy cream – I find heavy cream, instead of whipping cream, creates the best, stable whipped cream that will last longer!
- Powdered sugar – a dash of powdered sugar sweetens the whipped cream just enough.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
Here’s an outline of the steps to make the best tres leches cake, with photos to help you along the way! For the full recipe and measurements, check out the recipe card below.
Step 1: Grease a 9×13” baking pan and preheat oven to 350℉.
Step 2: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the egg whites to soft peaks.
Step 4: Slowly add in ¼ cup granulated sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Scoop out into another bowl, and set aside.
Step 5: In the scooped out bowl, beat the egg yolks with ½ cup granulated sugar until pale and thick.
Step 6: Stir in whole milk and vanilla.
Step 7: Mix dry ingredients into egg yolk mixture until just combined.
Step 8: Gently fold in the egg white mixture in 2 batches until combined.
Step 9: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes.
Step 10: Cool completely in the pan.
Step 11: Use a fork to pierce the cake all over.
Step 12: Whisk sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk together. Pour the milks all over the cake, right to the edges.
Step 13: Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Step 14: Place heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form.
Step 15: Frost cake with desired amount of whipped cream, and enjoy!
My Pro Tip
Storage and Freezing Tips
To store: Store tres leches cake in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days. The cake is best on days 1-2.
To freeze: While you can freeze the cake itself for up to 3 months wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, it’s best to avoid freezing soaked or topped cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cake needs to soak for at last 1 hour, but it’s best to let it soak for 4+ hours for best results!
Yes, you can use box cake mix! Choose a sponge cake or angel food mix for the best results, but a white or yellow cake mix works too. Bake the cake slightly under what you normally would so it’s extra moist and absorbent.
Serve with fresh fruit (especially berries!), cinnamon or cocoa powder, Candied Pecans, or a dollop of ice cream or fruit sorbet!
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love!
If you’ve tried this Tres Leches Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
BEST Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer (stand mixer preferred)
- 9"x13" baking pan
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Tres Leches Mixture
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- ½ cup whole milk
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, (not whipping cream) cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon or berries, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13” baking pan (no need to flour). Preheat oven to 350℉.
- For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the egg whites to soft peaks, about 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Slowly add in ¼ cup granulated sugar and beat to stiff peaks, about 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed. Gently scoop the egg white mixture into another bowl, and set aside.
- In the scooped out bowl (no need to rinse), beat the egg yolks with ½ cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in 1/3 cup whole milk and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla.
- Mix dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture until just combined.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg white mixture in 2 batches until combined. Do not deflate!
- Pour/scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan for at least 2 hours.
- Use a fork to pierce the cake all over, all the way down to the bottom of the pan, every ½ inch or so apart.
- In a pourable container, whisk sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk together. Slowly and evenly pour the milks all over the cake, right to the edges. Use all of the milks! They will seep into the cake over time.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (ideally 4+ hours).
- Place heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of mixer. Whip over medium-high speed for a few minutes (3-5 minutes) until stiff peaks form.
- Frost cake with desired amount of whipped cream, and serve as-is or garnished with cinnamon or berries.
Video
Notes
- To separate yolks from whites, crack the egg and gently pass the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves, letting the white fall into a bowl below.
- You can speed up the cake cooling process by placing the cake in the fridge after it’s cooled on the counter for 1 hour. Cool in fridge for 30 more minutes, and you’re ready to go!
- You can use heavy cream instead of whole milk in the milk mixture (not cake batter) if you prefer a richer result!
- While you can soak the cake for just an hour before frosting and enjoying, it’s best to wait 4 hours (or overnight) for best results!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
One cup of flour seems too little?
I make Tres Lecheโs all the time, but I always use a box cake mix.
Are the measurements correct and using one cup only?
Hi Tina,
Great question! Yes, one cup of flour is correct for tres leches. Itโs a sponge cake, so itโs intentionally light and airy (and lower in flour) so it can soak up all that delicious milk mixture without getting dense. Box mixes usually have more flour and additives built in, which is why the amounts feel different, but this homemade version turns out perfectly fluffy and absorbs the tres leches even better. I think youโll love how it comes out. ๐
Grace
I must admit, that I had never heard of a Tres Leches Cake. I looked at this recipe because I was curious. It sounded so good, I decided to give it a try. I am a total fan! I have added this recipe to my list of top favorites!
๐ Woohoo! Love hearing this. Thanks for letting me know!
Grace
I have to be honest that Iโve never understood the tres leches โthingโ until I tried this recipe. So moist and addicting. My family demolished it for dessert in one sitting!
So glad I converted you to the “tres leches” side! HA!
Grace
The best tres leches I’ve had!! Seriously good.
Hehe I agree!!
Grace