This Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe takes you step-by-step on how to make a traditional Mexican cake soaked in three different types of milk and topped with a whipped cream frosting. Sprinkle with cinnamon and raspberries—or both! Video Included.
Recipe first posted on January 3, 2022 and last updated with clearer instructions on December 14, 2023.
If you are a lover of soft foods—I’m talking mashed potatoes, fideo, thoroughly soaked bread pudding—than you already have a soft spot (pun intended) for Tres Leches Cake.
Me too.
There are actually people who detest such texture (I know, it’s crazy) but all of them live in my house which means it is rare that I get to indulge in a creamy, decadent slice of soaked light sponge cake.
Like all things I can’t have, I crave it even more, which means I was determined to come up with my ideal version of Tres Leches Cake. If I’m going to make a cake that only I am going to eat, I might as well make the absolute best version, no?
I love this recipe so much it has inspired me to create a coconut milk version with my coconut tres leches cake, a strawberry version made with fresh strawberries, and a festive fall pumpkin tres leches cake. I highly recommend making them all.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Before you start typing me a comment to tell me that Tres Leches is not Mexican, let me first say, you are right, kind of.
Soaking a sponge cake dates as far back as the Middle Ages in England and probably anywhere sponge cake was being eaten as a way to repurpose stale cake.
As colonization spread to the Americas along with livestock then later food preservation the idea of soaking airy vanilla sponge cake in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk to make a cake with sweet milk flavor spread throughout Latin America.
Today, Pastel de Tres Leches is the most loved cake from Nicaragua to North America and for good reason. This milk cake is soft, sweet, and soaked in a creamy, absolutely delightful milk sauce.
Ingredients List
Lucky for us, the secret to a delicious Tres Leches Cake is more in the technique than in the ingredients list. Everything we need to make it can be found at any grocery store. Here’s what we need:
- Large eggs. These will get separated and whipped then folded back together again. It’s a similar technique we use to make the coating for chiles rellenos.
- Granulated sugar
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
- Cream of tartar. The cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites making them easier to hold their peaks.
- Cake flour
- Fine salt
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Evaporated milk. Evaporated (or canned) milk is a popular ingredients in Mexican sweets. It is used in everything from flan to arroz con leche.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Fresh raspberries or your favorite fresh fruit like strawberries or peaches.
How To Make Tres Leches Cake
Step one
Prep for baking. The first step in any baking recipe is to preheat the oven and grease the cake pans. This one’s no different. You’ll need to heat the oven to 350°F.
As for the cake pan, I like to make it in a 9 x 13-inch aluminized steel cake pan.
Step two
Separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and the whites in a separate medium bowl.
Beat the yolks with the extracts and sugar until very fluffy (you can also do this with a hand mixer).
Scrape the egg yolk mixture into a large bowl. Clean the electric mixer bowl and beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Increase the speed and continue beating a minute more until they holds stiff peaks.
Step three
Fold the eggs together. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolks being careful not to loose too much air. I like to add a third of the egg whites to begin with to lighten the yolks a bit, then the rest of the egg whites. You don’t have to stir them in completely at this stage.
It is okay to have a few big clumps of egg white.
Step four
Sift the flour over the top and bake. Combine the flour and salt in a fine mesh sieve and sift the flour mixture over the eggs. Fold the egg mixture over the dry ingredients, gently combining the ingredients.
Scrape cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and springy, about 20 minutes.
Step five
Mix the tres leches. While the cake is baking, combine the three kinds of milk: condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, plus the vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Step six
Poke holes. Use a skewer, toothpick, or fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the milk mixture all over the top and let soak at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Then cover and place in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, but best overnight.
Step seven
Top and serve. Whip remaining cream with a powdered sugar and vanilla and spread over the moist cake. Dust with a sprinkle of cinnamon and top with raspberries or your favorite fresh fruit.
Cut into squares and serve.
This easy tres leches cake is perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Christmas, birthdays, really anytime you are craving something sweet and delicious.
Why Are My Egg Whites Not Whipping?
The secret to a light and tender cake is airy egg whites. This is what helps it rise in the oven. Lots of recipes call for mixing flour, baking powder and salt but if you get nice peaks on the egg whites you won’t need the baking powder.
Here’s the steps to stiff peaks:
- Make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are spotless and dry. Any grease or dirt will interfere with the egg whites fluffing.
- Crack the whole egg into the mixing bowl being very careful not to break the yolks.
- Lift the yolk out gently with your hand and place in a separate bowl. Let the whites run through your fingers back into the mixing bowl. Again, be very careful not to break the yolks and make sure your hands are clean.
- Start whipping the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium. As they get thicker raise the speed to medium-high.
- Let whip until they turn opaque and thick, this should take anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Stop the mixer once the whisk is making ribbons through the egg whites. If the whisk leaves a peak when you take it out, they are ready.
- Don’t over mix, they can go from stiff peaks back to liquid if you whip them too long.
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Get out your mixing bowls!
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Tres Leches Cake
This Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe takes you step-by-step on how to make this traditional Mexican cake soaked in three different types of milk and topped with a whipped cream frosting. Sprinkle with cinnamon, add raspberries—or both!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting
- 2 pints fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F and arrange rack in the middle. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with baking spray and set aside.
- Beat yolks. Separate eggs by placing the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and placing whites in a clean medium bowl. Add sugar, almond extract, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract to the yolks and beat with the paddle attachment until thick and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Whip egg whites. Transfer yolks to a large mixing bowl and thoroughly clean and dry the bowl of the stand mixer. Pour egg whites into the stand mixer bowl and add cream of tartar. Whip the egg whites with the whisk attachment until they form stiff peaks, about 2-3 minutes.
- Fold the eggs together. Add about a third of the whites to the yolk mixture and gently fold in with a rubber spatula to loosen up the yolks. Add the remaining whites and gently fold them in until only a few pockets of whites remain.
- Sift flour over eggs. Combine flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a fine mesh sieve and sift the two over the egg mixture. Fold in flour until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and cake is starting to pull away from the sides.
- Combine milk mixture. Meanwhile, combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the cream, 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour milk over cake. Let cake cool 15 minutes then poke cake all over with a skewer or fork. Pour milk mixture over cake and spread evenly. Let cake cool for another 30 minutes at room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make whipped cream topping. Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until fluffy, firm peaks form.
- Decorate cake. Spread cream evenly over cake then dust with ground cinnamon. You can use as much or as little cinnamon as you'd like. I like to keep it on the light side, around a teaspoon total. Pile raspberries on top if you'd like and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- For a richer flavor: Add a splash of rum or brandy to the milk mixture.
- Cake flour: The light cake flour won't weigh down the eggs and makes the cake fluffy. To make your own cake flour using all purpose flour, start with one level cup of AP flour, remove two tablespoons of the flour, and add two tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder back in. Then sift the mixture together to be sure the ingredients are well distributed.
- Whipping egg whites. See post for details on how to ensure fluffy egg whites but most importantly don't let any of the yolk get into the egg whites before beating.
- Tres Leches. The sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are essential to the tres leches mixture but you could use whole milk, half-and-half, or coconut milk instead of the heavy cream.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 314Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 7g
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References
The Long Winding Origin Story of Tres Leches Cake from Food 52
Ella says
I made this for father’s day and my dad and the rest of the family loved it! I think the cake to whip cream ratio was perfect and I liked the addition of raspberries.
Kate Ramos says
Awesome Ella! Thanks so much for letting me know. So happy you loved it!