Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake – Also known as Three Milk Cake, this classic Mexican dessert is a sponge cake that is drenched in three types of milk, and topped with a generous layer of homemade whipped cream!

Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake literally means “three milks cake”.

It consists of a light and fluffy sponge cake that is soaked in a sweet, three milk mixture. The milks used are whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

This classic Mexican cake is then topped with a generous layer of homemade whipped cream.

Naturally, this cake stays moist and delicious for days, and can easily be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!

Looking for more cake recipes? Check out my Perfect Pound Cake, Chocolate Molten Cakes, and my Vanilla Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this cake. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

For the Cake:

• Cake flour: See my recipe notes below in the recipe card on how to make your own cake flour.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Large eggs: You’ll need 3.
• Caster/granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Unsalted butter: Melted.
• Greek-style yogurt: Sour cream can be used instead.

For the Milk Mixture:

• Whole milk
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Evaporated milk

For the Topping:

• Heavy cream
• Icing/powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

How to make Tres Leches Cake

To make this cake, simply grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined.

Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and yogurt, and whisk until combined.

Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch cake pan, and spread out evenly. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

For the milk mixture, grab a large measuring jug and whisk together the milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk until combined.

Poke holes all over the top of the cooled cake using a fork. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the entire cake.

Optional, but recommended: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to allow the cake to soak up the milk mixture.

For the topping, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken.

Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whip until medium to stiff peaks form.

Spoon the whipped cream onto the cake and spread out evenly. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.

Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

This Tres Leches Cake is:

• incredibly moist and delicious
• super quick and easy to throw together
• drenched in three types of milk
• topped with homemade whipped cream
• a crowd-pleaser for any special occasion!

How long will this cake last? This cake and any leftovers can be stored, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 3 – 4 days.

Can I freeze this cake? Yes, you can make this cake ahead of time, covered tightly and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before adding the milk mixture and topping.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!

Try these desserts next!

• Easy Chocolate Pudding
• Apple and Rhubarb Crumble
• No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Tart
• No-Churn Double Chocolate Ice Cream

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