Tres Leches Cake

This is a recipe for a classic version of tres leches cake. It’s vanilla sponge cake soaked with the traditional three sweet milks and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. It’s light, not overly sweet, and incredibly moist with not a dry spot in sight.

Overview

• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Components Used: Chiffon Cake, Basic Whipped Cream

A tres leches cake is a uniquely special cake. Tres leches is Spanish for “three milks”. These three sweet milks soak into the cake making an exceptionally moist cake. It’s kind of like bread pudding but it’s not chewy in any way – it’s light and airy.

For my version, I wanted to stick with the traditional flavor of vanilla sponge cake, soaked with the classic three milks, and topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. There are many variations out there that flavor either the cake itself or the milk soak but this is my favorite.

It’s made into a sheet cake so it’s incredibly easy to serve to guests, add a birthday candle, or bring over to a potluck. Top each slice with a fresh berry or maraschino cherry!

What is Tres Leches Cake?

There are a few different interpretations but most traditionally, it is a vanilla sponge cake that has been soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with light whipped cream and cinnamon. It is most commonly served in Mexico and Latin America while becoming increasingly popular in the United States.

Components in Tres Leches Cake

Chiffon Cake: The classic cake base for a tres leches is some type of vanilla sponge cake. While you can use other types of cake, I recommend using my chiffon cake batter flavored with vanilla for an ultra light, tender, and ultra fluffy tres leches cake.

If preferred, you can use a white cake or vanilla cake batter as the base of this recipe. Whichever style of cake you prefer, it will be delicious combined with the milk soak and whipped cream topping.

Three Milks: Tres leches is Spanish for three milks. Those three milks are most commonly evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk although I’ve seen a few recipes using heavy cream instead of milk. I recommend using whole milk to keep it light but you can substitute with heavy cream if that’s what you have on hand.

I do not recommend using a lower fat milk like 2% or skim milk.

Whipped Cream Topping: The light texture of whipped cream combines perfectly with the lightness of this cake. For this tres leches recipe, I reduced the sugar in my basic whipped cream recipe because I want to cut down on the sweetness and make it lighter.

How to make tres leches cake

There are 3 components that make up this recipe: chiffon cake, three milk soak, and whipped cream topping.

To make the chiffon cake, we will be using (you guessed it) the chiffon cake mixing method. Let’s go over it!

Prepare the baking pan

First, start by lining a rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Use a bit of non-stick spray underneath to keep the parchment paper from sliding around. Leave the long side of the parchment paper hanging over the edges so that it will be easier to lift the baked cake out of the pan for serving.

Spray another light coat of non-stick spray over the top of the parchment paper and over the unlined edges of the pan. This is optional, you can simply coat the interior of the pan with non-stick spray instead of using parchment paper.

Make the cake

The Chiffon Method calls for mixing the ingredients in three parts: dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and egg foam – and then combining them all together.

Mise en place is extra important with this method. Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting.

Combine Dry Ingredients

A basic chiffon cake combines cake flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cake flour is used to keep the cake light and tender, however, all-purpose flour can be substituted.

For the fluffiest chiffon cake, sift the dry ingredients to aerate them and remove any possible lumps. Then whisk the ingredients together to combine them well.

Combine wet ingredients

Combine all the wet ingredients into a separate mixing bowl. For a chiffon cake, this includes melted butter, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and egg yolks.

The oil keeps the cake very moist while the butter adds some flavor. I also use buttermilk to add a slight tanginess and to activate the baking soda.

Whisk them together and set aside until you are ready to combine all of the components.

Make the Meringue

A simple meringue made of egg whites and sugar, also known as French meringue, is made to be folded into the batter. The egg white foam leavens the cake and creates a very light and fluffy texture.

Whip the egg whites to medium peaks and then slowly start streaming in the sugar and whip until you reach stiff peaks.

Combine the 3 Components Together

Using a rubber spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. You don’t want to over-mix the batter.

Add about a quarter of the egg whites and stir them completely into the batter. This will lighten the batter and make it easier to fold the rest of the egg whites in. Add about half of the rest of the egg whites and gently fold it into the batter being careful not the deflate the whites. Add the rest of the whites into the batter and continue folding in until combined.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake as instructed. The cake will be lightly browned and springy when gently pressed in the center with a finger.

Place the baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely before moving on to the next step. This will take at least 1 hour or more.

Soak the cake

Whisk together the three milks into a mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup. I find it easier to pour the mixture over the cake if it’s in a measuring glass with a spout.

The three milks include canned evaporated milk, canned sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. It doesn’t matter if the whole milk is cold or room temperature.

Did you know you can make your own sweetened condensed milk? Make it from scratch with only two ingredients. Follow my recipe and method here.

When the cake is completely cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over it. Be sure to cover the entire surface including the edges – the more holes the better.

Slowly pour the milk mixture over the top of the cake letting it soak in. Cover the area evenly, it may take a few minutes for it to fully soak in. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

You need at least 1 hour for the milk mixture to fully soak through the cake but you can go up to 24 hours if you want to prepare the cake ahead of time.

Make the topping and serve

When ready to serve, make the whipped cream. It’s best to make it right before serving so the whipped cream is fresh and stable. Make the whipped cream by whisking the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar in either a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl with hand mixer until you reach medium peaks.

Spread it evenly over the top of the cake. You can either spread it on top while the cake is still in the pan (this is ideal if you plan to transport it) or you can first remove the cake from the pan by lifting up the long sides of the parchment paper and placing on a cake plate or wooden board.

I opted to remove the cake from the pan before adding the whipped cream so it’s easier to make nice, clean slices. After adding the whipped cream, sprinkle ground cinnamon all over the top. Slice the cake into squares and serve cold.

For a decorative touch, add a strawberry, raspberry, or cherry to each slice!

Storage

Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

FAQ

Is tres leches cake soggy?

A well made tres leches cake should be perfectly creamy and moist all over without any dry spots. It should not be soggy or falling apart.

Can I make tres leches cake in advance?

To prepare this dessert in advance, I recommend making the sponge cake and soaking it the day before serving. This time gives it ample time to soak through. It will stay perfectly moist. Right before serving, top with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious sheet cake recipes.

• Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Classic Chocolate Cake
• Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake