Tres Leches Cake

16 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours

Tres Leches Cake is a classic Mexican cake recipe. Soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Try it today!

Tres Leches Cake isn’t your regular sheet Cake. It isn’t even close. It’s like your classic Easy Vanilla Cake recipe (my favorite cake) that’s been taken up about 5 notches because you add condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, whipped cream, cinnamon and extra eggs for richness. Did I mention a cup of sugar to round things out? I don’t hold back in this recipe!

Sabrina’s Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Tres Leches Cake translated literally means three milks because the cake itself is soaked with three types of milk: Condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy whipping cream.

My version of Tres Leches Cake also happens to be extra light while still having all these rich flavors because of the sponge cake as the base of the cake. A sponge cake is a cake that is made by separating the eggs and beating the egg whites to create a lighter batter. This helps to give the batter extra lift and soaks up even more of that indulgent sweet milk mixture. I finish my cake with a thick layer of Easy Whipped Cream and a dusting of cinnamon!

Kitchen Tools and Equipment

  • 9×13 Cake Pan: Use a high-walled 9×13 cake pan for this recipe. This makes the cake the perfect thickness to soak up the milks. You don’t want a shallow pan or the milk mixture could spill out.
  • Electric Mixer: Because we are beating the egg whites and the butter/sugar mixture, I highly recommend using an electric mixer for this recipe. Trying to make it with a whisk and a bowl will result in a sore arm and you will probably not get the airy mixture we need for the cake.

Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients: 1 ½ cups Flour is mixed with the leavening agents which are 1 teaspoon Baking Powder and ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda. I’m using regular all-purpose flour.
  • Wet Ingredients: The ½ cup Unsalted Butter should be unsalted and room temperature. The ⅓ cup Whole Milk adds moisture. 1 cup Sugar sweetens the cake while 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract adds that classic flavor.
  • 5 large Eggs, Separated: Be sure to separate the egg yolks from the whites as these will be added separately to get the right texture. Use an empty water bottle that’s clean to suck up the yellow yolk. Squeeze a bit of the air out, put the mouth of the water bottle over the egg yolk, and let it get vacuumed into the bottle. Super easy and mess-free!
  • The Three Milks: You’re going to mix ½ cup Heavy Cream, and 14 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk which is thick and sugary, and finally 12 ounces Evaporated Milk for creaminess without the added sugar.
  • Topping: I topped my cake with 4 cups of Whipped Cream which makes a nice thick layer then I sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon over top for a nice pop of color and bit of warmth. You could also use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream.

How to Make

Time needed: 4 hours.

  1. Cake Base

    Bake a rich vanilla cake in a 9×13 cake pan.

  2. Prep Cake for Tres Leches

    Remove from oven while hot and poke holes with a fork all over to let the milk mixture soak in nicely.

  3. Make Tres Leches Mixture

    Whisk together condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream and pour over the cake.

  4. Cool Cake

    Let the cake cool completely in the fridge for about 3 hours.

  5. Top and Serve

    Top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon before serving. Enjoy!Tres Leches Cake whole finished cake in cake pan with towel around the top left.

Recipe Card

Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake is a classic Mexican cake recipe. Soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Try it today!
Yield 16 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 large eggs , separated
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 4 cups Whipped Cream , (recipe)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray or butter and flour it.
  • Sift together your flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.
  • In a large stand mixer whip your 5 egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (if you remove the whisk the tip of the egg white stands instead of falling). Transfer the egg whites to a clean large bowl.
  • Add the butter and sugar to your stand mixer bowl on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add in the egg yolks one at a time, then add in the vanilla and milk.
  • Add in the flour mixture until just barely combined, then fold into the egg white mixture gently.
  • Pour into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • While the cake is baking whisk together the heavy cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
  • Remove from the oven, pierce all over with a fork.
  • Pour the milk mixture over the cake, then cover and chill for at least 3-4 hours.
  • Top with whipped cream and sift ground cinnamon on top before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 1mg

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes, the cake is actually better when made ahead. Chill it in the fridge for several hours or overnight to allow the milk mixture to fully absorb into the sponge cake. Top with the whipped cream and cinnamon just before serving.

Nutritional Facts

Nutrition Facts
Tres Leches Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 340 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 126mg5%
Potassium 230mg7%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 599IU12%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 180mg18%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Chef’s Note: An Indulgent Dessert

Tres Leches Cake definitely isn’t a diet-friendly or light dessert, but who doesn’t love to indulge once in a while? This super moist, super sweet cake is the perfect dessert recipe for special occasions when you really want to treat yourself and your guests!  The triple-milk-soaked cake and creamy sweet topping are so decadent on their own, but of course you can always up the indulgence! When I’m serving for a holiday or party, I like to spread a fruity sauce, like my Raspberry Sauce, over the cake before adding the whipped cream. It also goes great with fresh strawberries or a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or chocolate syrup.

Three Types of Milk for Tres Leches Cake

Let’s take a quick minute to understand the differences in the milks you’re going to be using to soak this Tres Leches Cake.

Condensed Milk

Sweetened condensed milk is cow’s milk that has had about 60% of its water removed like evaporated milk, but it also has sugar to sweeten it and give it a thick syrupy texture. Condensed milk is often used to flavor desserts, make caramels, and sauces. You can even turn an unopened can into dulce de leche with a pan of boiling water.

The main difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk remember it comes down to the sugar content. Evaporated milk has no sugar added while condensed milk does.

If you are shopping in the store and you see cans that say “sweetened condensed milk” or “condensed milk” you can buy either one. They are both the same product.

Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is the healthier cousin to condensed milk. It is a cow’s milk that has had 60% of its water removed. It contains 6.5% milkfat compared to whole milk which contains 3.5 % milkfat so if you want you can use it in recipes for an added indulgence where you would be using whole milk.

Evaporated milk is really an unsung hero in your pantry. While I wouldn’t drink it like a glass of milk, you can add it to coffee or to your recipes in place of milk when needed. It’s pretty inexpensive and lasts a long time in the pantry, so I always have a couple cans on hand.

You can also reconstitute evaporated milk with water to make a 1 to 1 substitute for whole milk, or add a bit more water to make it lighter. One thing that I don’t recommend is using it in place of heavy whipping cream, since it doesn’t have near enough milk fat.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Heavy whipping cream is the king of all dairy when it comes to indulgence. With the highest content of milk fat, second to only butter, it will be doing double duty in this recipe in the milk mixture and as a topping in the form of whipped cream.

Heavy cream is best kept as cold as possible before using, so keep the heavy whipping cream in the refrigerator until just before making your whipped cream. Since it doesn’t have any ingredients to stabilize it, if your cake sits out at room temperature the whipped cream will begin to break down.

If you’d like to have your cake sit out longer you can use Cool Whip or a stabilized Whipped Cream in its place. The recipe below includes cream cheese and powdered sugar to add stability, and the added sugar will help to offset the tangy flavors of the cream cheese.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
  • ¾ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ice cold
  1. In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on low until just combined then on high for 1 minute until completely smooth, then remove from the bowl.
  2. Add in the heavy whipping cream and beat on low-medium speed until soft peaks form, add in the cream cheese mixture then turn on the mixer to medium-high until light and fluffy, for 30 seconds.

How to Store

  • Storing: Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: Freeze the soaked cake without the whipped cream topping. Wrap in plastic and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the fridge overnight to avoid curdling and top with whipped cream before serving.

Frequent Questions

Why is my cake dry?

If the milk mixture didn’t soak in fully, try letting it rest longer in the fridge. Make sure you’re using the full amounts of the different types of milks.

Can I make my own evaporated milk?

Yes! You can actually make your own by simmering 2 ¾ cups of milk down until it becomes 1 ½ cups.

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Variations

  • Coconut Tres Leches: For a fun tropical flavor, substitute coconut milk for evaporated milk and use coconut extract instead of vanilla. Top with a half cup of toasted coconut flakes.
  • Chocolate Tres Leches: For a simple addition, add ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture to make a chocolate cake base. If you want a super chocolaty version, check out my Mexican Chocolate Tres Leches Cake recipe.
  • Spiced Tres Leches: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the dry ingredients to give it a slight spiced cake base that goes great with the milky flavors.

More Indulgent Treats

1 image pin of a portion of Tres Leches Cake on a plate

Photos used in previous versions of this post.

Mexican tres leches cake
Tres Leches Cake in pan

Pan of Mexican Tres Leches Cake

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Amazing cake. Made this for Church Potluck. It was devoured in minutes.
    Asked to make again. Thanks, Great job. Love