This authentic Tres Leches Cake recipe is simple to recreate. This light and airy vanilla cake is drizzled with a decadent three milk mixture creating an incredibly moist and tender cake! A tasty, sweet ending to any Mexican or Tex Mex meal.
All about this Tres Leches Cake…
I’m so excited to share with you one of my all time FAVORITE dessert recipes. This cake is such an easy, yet impressive dessert to make. It is the perfect ending to any meal. The cake is light and airy, then drenched in a truly decadent mixture of three milks.
- Sponge Cake: separating the eggs and beating the egg whites allows us to create a light and airy cake that is perfect for soaking up the milks.
- Perfect Texture: using the perfect amount of milks to pour over the top gives a moist tender cake without being overly soggy.
- Toppings: switch up the toppings on this cake to include fresh fruit or cinnamon. This allows it to be the perfect dessert for all your Mexican or Tex Mex meals.
Ingredients Needed:
How to Make (step-by-step):
- Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients.
- Step 2: Separate the eggs and mix the egg yolks with sugar to create a thick, creamy mixture.
- Step 3: Add the vanilla to the wet ingredients.
- Step 4: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet to create a smooth batter.
- Step 5: Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
- Step 6: Whisk the egg whites with a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Step 7: Combine the egg whites with the cake batter.
- Step 8: Mix until batter is smooth.
- Step 9: After baking the cake, use a fork to poke into the cake, this helps the milks soak into the cake.
- Step 10: Evenly pour the milk mixture over the top of the cake.
- Step 11: Top with fluffy whipped cream, then cover the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Expert Tips:
- Eggs: separating the eggs and beating the whites to stiff peaks is what helps this cake get a sponge like texture perfect for soaking up the milk mixture.
- Soak Time: after the cake bakes it will seem slightly flat, pouring the milks over the top and allowing at least 4 hours of chill time in the refrigerator will allow the cake to soak in all of the milk, expanding the size of the cake and giving a tender, moist bite.
- Spread Batter Evenly: once you pour the batter into the cake pan, spread the batter into a nice even layer to create a even cake top. This will help the milk pour evenly over the top which helps it to soak evenly into the cake.
FAQ’s:
The milks used in this tres leches cake recipe are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk (can be whole milk or 2%). Some recipes will substitute heavy cream or half and half in place of the milk. I don’t find it necessary in this recipe, since it’s decadent enough without it.
Due to the milks in the cake, this cake does need to be stored in the refrigerator. Cover the cake, to help keep in the moisture, and store in the fridge.
This cake can be stored in the fridge and saved for up to 4 days. It is best when eaten within the first 48 hours. After the 4th day, the cake does become slightly soggy.
Yes!! You can freeze this cake. BUT you can only freeze the actual cake. Before you drench it with the milk mixture. So after the cake has been baked, you can freeze it like you would any cake. Then when you are ready to use, bring to room temperature, drench with the milks, let it soak overnight, then top with the whipped cream.
More Tex Mex Dessert Recipes To Try:
Recipe first published February 5, 2019. Updated April 15, 2022 with new images and information.
Photography by the talented @KJandCompany.co
