Delicious Tres Leches Pastel (Cake) Recipe
Tres Leches Cake is one of those desserts that makes people stop after the first bite. This light, airy sponge cake is soaked in a rich blend of three milks, creating a texture that’s incredibly moist, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Topped with fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or fresh strawberries, it’s a simple yet irresistible dessert that always disappears fast.
I always come back to this recipe when I want a dessert that feels impressive without being too complicated. It has that homemade comfort I adore, and once it’s topped with fluffy whipped cream, cinnamon, and fresh strawberries, it looks just as good as it tastes.
If you love easy and simple dessert recipes like this one, then you may also enjoy this chocolate bundt cake, chocolate chip cupcakes, and this cottage cheese cheesecake.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ultra Moist Cake: Every bite is soaked with a sweet milk mixture that makes this cake incredibly soft and tender.
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses easy-to-find pantry and fridge staples.
- Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert: I can prep it ahead of time and let it chill while the flavors soak in.
- Beautiful for Serving: The whipped topping, cinnamon, and strawberries make it feel bakery-worthy with very little effort.
Ingredients
This is a list of the ingredients that you need to homemade tres leches recipe. You can find the full list of the ingredients and amounts needed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Eggs: The eggs help create a light and fluffy cake with plenty of structure.
- White Sugar: This adds sweetness and helps the yolks whip up smoothly.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar brings extra moisture and a deeper caramel-like flavor.
- Milk: A little milk keeps the batter soft and easy to mix.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds warm flavor that works perfectly with the milk mixture and topping.
- Unsalted Browned Butter: If you haven’t learned how to brown butter, it’s simple and gives the cake a rich, nutty flavor that makes it extra special.
- Salt: Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor in every layer.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour keeps the crumb soft, light, and delicate.
- Baking Powder: This helps the cake rise and bake up fluffy.
- Evaporated Milk: This adds richness without making the soak too heavy.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is what gives the cake its signature sweetness and creamy texture.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream whips into a soft, fluffy topping that finishes the cake perfectly.
- Powdered Sugar: This sweetens the whipped cream while keeping it smooth.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warmth and a classic finishing touch.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries add color and a bright, juicy contrast to the rich cake.
How to Make This Tres Leches Cake Recipe
This is a quick overview of the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe. You can find the complete list of instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, white sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add the vanilla, browned butter, and milk. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the salt, baking powder, and cake flour. Fold everything together until fully incorporated, then set the batter aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer on high speed until they become light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake bakes, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a fork. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the warm cake, pausing if needed so the liquid has time to soak in. Let the cake rest for 2 hours so it can absorb all of the milk mixture.
- Once the cake is fully cooled and soaked, spread the whipped topping evenly over the top.
- Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sliced strawberries before serving.
Substitutions and Additions
- Berry Topped Version: Swap the strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or a mix of fresh berries.
- Cinnamon Lovers Version: Add a little cinnamon to the whipped topping for extra warmth in every bite.
- Caramel Twist: Drizzle caramel sauce over the top before serving for an extra decadent dessert.
- Holiday Style: Garnish with sugared cranberries or pomegranate seeds for a festive presentation.
Sandra’s Pro Tips
- Use room temperature eggs so they mix more easily and whip better.
- Fold the egg whites in gently so the batter stays airy and light.
- Pour the milk mixture over the cake slowly to help it soak in evenly.
- Chill the cake before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for the softest crumb.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this tres leches cake recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Separating the eggs helps create a lighter sponge cake. The whipped egg whites give the cake lift and help it hold the milk mixture without becoming too dense.
Yes, and I actually think it tastes even better after it has had time to chill and soak. You can make it a day in advance and add the topping before serving.
That usually just means the cake needs a little more time to absorb it. Pour slowly and pause between pours so the liquid can soak in properly.
Yes, but homemade whipped cream gives the cake a fresher flavor and softer texture.
Other Delicious Cake Recipes You May Enjoy
Delicious Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- Hand mixer
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Cake
- 5 eggs separate whites and yolks
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsalted browned butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Tres Leches Milk Mixture
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped Topping Frosting
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- Cinnamon
- Strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare a 9×11 baking pan with baking spray or grease and lightly flour.
Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, white sugar and brown sugar. Whisk together until combined.
- Then add the vanilla extract, browned butter and milk. Whisk once more until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; salt, baking powder and cake flour. Gently fold this together into the prepared batter until completely incorporated. Set aside this batter.
Whip Egg Whites
- In a separate bowl, add the egg whites separated from earlier. Take a hand mixer and beat on high speed until the whites become a fluffy cloud. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Then transfer the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Gently fold together until the whites are mixed into the batter.
- Transfer this batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the milk mixture for the cake to soak in later.
Tres Leches Milk Mixture
- In a mixing bowl or blender, add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and regular milk along with the vanilla. Mix thoroughly until all three milks have blended into one.
- Once the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and use a fork or the end of a wooden spoon to poke small holes all over the tres leches cake.
- Pour the milk mixture slowly over the cake, and it will begin to seep into all the holes in the cake. If the milk puddles, then stop pouring and first allow it to soak into the cake, before continuing to pour the rest.
- Let the cake sit for 2 hours to soak up all the milk mixture.
- During the last 30 minutes, make your whipped topping and slice the strawberries for the cake garnish.
Whipped Topping Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt all at once.
- Use a hand mixer to blend these ingredients together until combined and a whipped topping with soft peaks has formed.
Decorate and Garnish
- Spread the whipped topping all over the top of the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on top and place sliced strawberries throughout the top layer of the tres leches cake.
Notes
Slice strawberries right before garnishing cake.How to Store Tres Leches Cake
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: This cake is best served cold or at room temperature, so I do not recommend reheating it.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cake without the whipped topping for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then add fresh topping before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
