Tres Leches Cake is a classic Mexican dessert soaked in a mixture of three milks and topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Moist, creamy, and delicious, tres leches cake is perfect for any celebration!
Growing up in a Mexican household, tres leches cake has always been the ultimate celebration cake. Do you have a quinceñera coming up? How about a wedding, birthday party, baptism, or graduation? Then it’s time to make a tres leches cake!
It’s my go-to cake for anything and everything, including a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and I know you’ll love it!
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres leches cake is a popular Mexican dessert made from a light sponge cake that is soaked in a mixture of three milks and topped with whipped cream. Tres leches literally means “three milks” in Spanish, hence the cake’s name.
Tres leches is decadent and creamy thanks to the sweetened three-milk mixture made from sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and evaporated milk. It’s still very light and airy due to the sponge cake’s texture, which is similar to angel food cake in that the egg whites are whipped and then folded into the batter.
It’s typically topped with fresh strawberries and a pinch of cinnamon but is also sometimes garnished with chopped nuts or just left plain with whipped cream.
Ingredients You Need
- Whole milk: Regular milk helps balance the sweetness of the sweetened condensed milk, adds moisture, and helps create a lighter texture.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This milk is thick, sweet, and adds moisture.
- Evaporated milk: This milk is not sweet but has a caramel-like flavor. It adds a rich and creamy texture.
- Eggs: The egg yolks and eggs white are separated and whipped before folding into the batter. This create that beautiful light and airy texture that allows the three-milk mixture to really penetrate the sponge cake.
- Flour and baking powder: All-purpose flour and baking powder bring the batter together.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in the cake batter and in the whipped cream topping to sweeten things just a bit.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract: Both of these staple ingredients add those warm Mexican flavors to this cake.
- Heavy whipping cream: Used to make the delicious whipped cream topping.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
Make the cake batter. Beat together egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl, then combine it with flour, baking powder, cinnamon salt, vanilla extract, and a little whole milk until it forms a smooth batter.
To make the sponge cake light and airy, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until shiny peaks form, then gently fold them into the cake batter. The air bubbles and volume of the meringue help keep the sponge fluffy and not dense, even after soaking in the three-milk mixture.
Bake, cool, and poke. Bake the cake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Once the cake has cooled, poke holes all over the top with a fork, making sure to drive the fork all the way to the bottom. This will help the three-milk mixture soak fully into the cake.
Soak. Pour the three-milk mixture all over the top of the cake. I like to mix together the milks first to ensure that they get soaked in evenly.
Rest. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. This helps the cake completely cool and gives it enough time to absorb as much of the milk mixture as possible.
Prepare the topping. You only need a pint of heavy cream, a few tablespoons of sugar, and some vanilla extract to make the whipped cream. Beat everything together with a mixer until soft peaks form.
Serve. Once the topping is ready, slather it on top of the cake, sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top, cut it into slices, and serve with fresh strawberries if desired.
More Tres Leches
There’s nothing like the classic tres leches cake, but if you want to try something new, try these other delicious versions!
Recommended Tools
- Stand mixer. One of my favorite baking tools. So helpful and can be used for so many different things!
- Measuring cups. A good set of glass measuring cups is essential in any kitchen!
- Mixing bowls. These glass mixing bowls are the ones I use all the time when I cook anything. They’re also freezer and microwave safe!
Store and Make Ahead
Tres leches cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to make it ahead of time for a party or celebration, I recommend leaving the whipped topping off until right before serving so it’s as light and fluffy as possible.
Ingredients
For the cake
- cooking spray, olive oil, or butter, for greasing
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 5 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk, divided
- 16 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
For the topping
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- *Optional* Ground cinnamon and strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, olive oil, or butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and ¾ cup of the granulated sugar on high using a handheld or stand mixer for about 2 minutes until the yolks are pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla extract and ½ cup of the whole milk and beat together on low until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the large bowl of flour and mix together with a fork until just combined to form a batter.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed using a handheld or stand mixer until soft peaks form. With the mixer still running, gradually add in the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar and beat until the egg whites are shiny and stiff.
- Add the egg white mixture to the batter and fold together very gently using a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl until just combined and no white streaks remain.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes while you make the three milk mixture.
- In a medium bowl, add the remaining ¼ cup of whole milk, all of the sweetened condensed milk, and the evaporated milk. Whisk together to combine.
- Gently run a knife or spatula along the sides of the cake pan to unstick the sides. Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Slowly pour the three milk mixture all over the top and sides of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the cake fully cool and absorb the liquid.
- While the cake is chilling, make the whipped cream topping. Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Beat on high speed using a handheld or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and sprinkle a dusting of cinnamon on top if desired. Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve.
Video
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
Photos by Erin Jensen of The Wooden Skillet.
My daughter requested a tres leches cake for her birthday. I found your recipe and made it for her and the family…it was a big hit! Thank you for your recipe.
Dear Isabel, I followed your directions exactly and my cake was delicious and perfect! I had my hispanic friends over for dinner and made if for dessert. They were very impressed! I have made your tamales and and some other recipes of yours. Always delicious! Thank you for sharing.
This was amazing!
I’ve always loved this cale and wanted to make it but it felt very overwhelming. Isabel’s instructions were easy to follow, the cake was delicious and impressed my honduran neighbors! I didn’t have evaporated milk and used cream instead and it worked fine!
What an easy and satisfying recipe!!! I had most of the ingredients in the panty minus 2, so a bonus, cost efficient. My entire family loved it! Needless to say, I can’t wait to try the other Tres Leches Cake!
Made this recipe with my daughter and had so much fun… the cake was delicious and super moist, just like I like I love a tres leche cake!
Made this cake for my birthday! I let it sit overnight & throughout the next day and it came out perfect! My entire family loved it and is even requesting it for the holidays. Thank you!!
One of my favorite desserts ever! I topped it with whipped cream, cocoa powder and chocolate shavings. Delicious!
This Tres Leches Cake — !que rico! Ha! I made exactly as written, using Mexican vanilla, and it was perfect. And perfectly easy. I made it on a Fri night, allowing the sponge to soak up all the leche goodness, until serving it at a Sunday lunch. Everybody loved it! Oh, the one thing I didn’t do was top with strawberries, just sprinkled with cinnamon. Thanks Isabel!
I made this cake for Easter exactly as the recipe calls for and it was fantastic!!! My mother in law said I am in charge of dessert at all family get togethers from now on. The cake is delicious, the directions are easy to understand and follow and the results are amazing. I was so proud of myself, I have been making so much from this site and it was finally time to leave a review. If you are thinking of making this jump right in, follow the steps and impress your family. Thanks Isabel
Any suggestions to make this as a 6inch cake?
Hi Cari! This recipe can fill 4 six-inch cake pans. I hope this answers your question!
How far in advance is it okay to soak the cake before having it? Thank you!
Hi Melissa! I personally think the longer it sits the better it gets! So you can make it 1-2 days ahead of time so it really soaks up the flavor of the milk mixture.
Is 1 Tbsp the right amount of baking powder? It seems excessive.
You said it’s similar to a sponge they have zero bp. I’m cooking for my new grandson by marriage and can’t blow this cake. Love your site.
Beginning to use your recipes. Thank you for sharing your delicious family history.
Hi Renee! Yes, that’s correct. The texture of this sponge is a little different than the traditional sponge cake since it has to absorb the three milk mixture, but rest assured it will come out delicious!
Made this cake for super bowl Sunday and I didn’t even get to try it because it was all devoured so fast! But everyone said it was amazing! Even though it was my first time ever making a tres leches cake the recipe was so easy to follow and was very simple to make. This will definitely be my go to recipe for all the parties from now on!