Today we have a tres leche cake recipe! Tres leche cake is a dessert that everyone will love, made from basic ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry. It doesn’t get any easier (or yummier) than that! This tres leche cake recipe will give you the best dessert. A dessert that is fluffy, sweet, and moist! Your family and friends are definitely going to love this tres leche cake recipe… you’ll be asked to make it again and again and again!

Tres Leche Cake Recipe
I love tres leche cake. There is a bakery near me where I would buy a tres leche cake for every event…and sometimes on the weekend. It was that cook. But I realized, it would probably make sense for me to learn how to make a tres leche cake to save money…and that way I can have it anytime I want. And luckily for me this tres leche cake recipe isn’t hard to make.
WHAT IS TRES LECHE CAKE?
Tres leche cake is Spanish dessert, made from basic cake ingredients, like eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. It’s an easy and delicious cake recipe that will make everyone happy (and if your family’s dessert palate is anything like mine, that’s not always an easy thing to accomplish!).
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Ingredients Needed To Make This Delicious Tres Leche Cake Recipe
These ingredients are fairly straightforward.
Swap out all of the dairy ingredients for non-dairy options, and use a vegan egg replacement if you want to make vegan tres leche cake!
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk, whole or 2%
Milk Syrup:
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Serving:
- Fresh fruit
- Cinnamon and sugar mixture

HOW TO MAKE A TRES LECHE CAKE
This is the BEST tres leche cake recipe and it’s super easy, too!
Step 1
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2
Then, coat a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.

Step 3
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. All the dry ingredients go into a bowl first. Make sure it is a large bowl, not a small bowl.

Step 4
Then, in 2 small bowls, separate egg whites and yolks.

Step 5
In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with ¾ cup granulated sugar until pale yellow.

Step 6
Next, stir in 1/3 cup milk and vanilla extract.

Step 7
Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and stir gently to combine.

Step 8
In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.

Step 9
Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Step 10
Fold egg white mixture into batter gently just until combined.

Step 11
Spread evenly in prepared pan.
Step 12
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
Step 13
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack
Step 14
Place large mixing bowl and beater in freezer to chill for frosting

How to Make Tres Leche Cake Milk Syrup

Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract until well combined.

Step 2
When cake is cool, poke small holes in cake using a fork or skewer.

Step 3
Next, slowly drizzle milk syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in.

Step 4
You will now need to use all of the milk mixture.
Step 5
Set aside.

Making Tres Leche Cake Frosting
Step 1
First, remove bowl and beaters from freezer.

Step 2
Next, add whipping cream to bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. You can also use your electric mixer.

Step 3
Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Step 4
Then, frost cake.
Step 5
Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 6
Store leftovers in refrigerator.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE TRES LECHE CAKE
The only thing you will need to do to make gluten free tres leche cake, is to replace the flour with gluten free all-purpose flour!
That’s it!
As always, double check the ingredients of all processed ingredient labels to be sure the products are gluten free.
This cake makes me think of a sponge cake, its so light. And the poke holes really lets the 3 types of milk in and the whipped topping on top of the cake….yum.
Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe Storage
Once you make your cake you may have leftovers. If so, make sure you put a lid on your cake or cover it with plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge, that will keep it fresh longer. It should last about 3 days in the fridge. And while it can technically last a little longer, your whipped topping is going to deflate and become more liquidy which may create a soggy cake.
Can I use whole milk instead of heavy cream in my tres leche cake recipe?
Yes, traditionally tres leche cake is made with whole milk, but be away your cake will be very moist, bordering soggy. A lot of tres leche cake recipes call for evaporated milk, heavy cream, or half and half instead.
How long will by tres leche cake last?
If stored properly, covered with a lid or plastic wrap and in the fridge, your tres leche cake should last about 3 days.
Which In Latin America Is The Tres Leche Cake From?
The answer is unclear and debated. Some say Nicaragua is the birthplace of the tres leche cake while most believe Mexico created the tres leceh cake.
Tres Leche Cake

Tres leche cake is an easy and delicious cake recipe, made from simple pantry ingredients you most likely already have!
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk, whole or 2%
- Milk Syrup:
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Frosting:
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- Toppings:
- Fresh fruit
- Cinnamon and sugar mixture
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt .
- In 2 small bowl, separate egg whites and yolks.
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with ¾ cup granulated sugar until pale yellow.
- Stir in ⅓ cup milk and vanilla extract.
- Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and stir gently to combine.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold egg white mixture into batter gently just until combined.
- Spread evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
- In a medium bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract until well combined.
- When cake is cool, poke small holes in cake using a fork or skewer.
- Slowly drizzle milk syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in.
- You will now need to use all of the milk mixture.
- Set aside
- Remove bowl and beaters from freezer.
- Add whipping cream to bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Frost cake.
- Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator
Milk Syrup:
Frosting:
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- You have to try these delicious Mardi Gras cake ideas!
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- Try making this yummy Jello Poke Cake recipe.
- Don’t miss out on this cool Pineapple Upside Down Cake from us!
What’s your favorite cake recipe? Let us know in the comments we’d love to hear from you.
This tres leche cake recipe looks so good!