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!

Square slice of Tres Leche Cake with fresh strawberries on a white plate with a fork
This is the best tres leche cake recipe! It’s super easy, and you most likely have all the ingredients in your pantry.

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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Supplies Needed To Make Tres Leche Cake - milk, cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, eggs, flour, sugar!
You will need: milk, cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, eggs, flour, sugar!

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 
Two slices of Tres Leche Cake with fresh strawberries with a pan of tres leche cake
Top your tres leche cake with fresh fruit for a pop of color and added flavor!

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- Add flour, baking powder, and salt and other dry ingredients in a bowl to make your Tres Leche Cake
Add all your dry ingredients into a bowl.

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- Separate your egg whites and your egg yolks to make your Tres Leche Cake
Separate your egg whites and egg yolks.

Step 4

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

Step 5- Mix your egg yolks and your sugar together to make your Tres Leche Cake
Beat your eggs and sugar together until pale yellow.

Step 5

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

Step 5- Mix in 1/3 cup of milk and vanilla extract to make your Tres Leche Cake
Stir in 1/3 cup of milk and vanilla extract.

Step 6

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

Step 7- Add your egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and combine gently to make your Tres Leche Cake

Step 7

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

Step 8- In a large bowl, beat your egg whites until you have a soft peak. to make your  Tres Leche Cake
In a large bowl, beat your egg whites until you have a soft peak.

Step 8

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

Step 9- Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually and beat until you have hard peaks for your Tres Leche Cake
Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually and beat until you have hard peaks.

Step 9

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

Step 10- fold your egg white mixture into your batter gently to make your Tres Leche Cake
Fold your egg white mixture into your batter gently.

Step 10

Fold egg white mixture into batter gently just until combined.

Step 11- Spread evenly in prepared pan to get ready to bake your Tres Leche Cake
Spread evenly into a prepared pan.

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

Milk syrup supplies cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and cinnamon Tres Leche Cake
In my opinion, this is the yummiest part of tres leche cake!

How to Make Tres Leche Cake Milk Syrup

Step 1 of milk syrup- In a bowl add sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk as well as vanilla and cinnamon for your Tres Leche Cake
In a bowl add sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk as well as vanilla and cinnamon

Step 1

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

Now it is time to poke holes into your Tres Leche Cake
When the cake is cool poke holes in it like a poke cake.

Step 2

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

Pour the milk syrup over the cake letting it soak in your Tres Leche Cake
Drizzle the milk syrup over the cake.

Step 3

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

Use all the milk mixture on your tres Leche Cake
Make sure you use all the milk mixture.

Step 4

You will now need to use all of the milk mixture.

Step 5

Set aside. 

Now it's time to make the topping! for your Tres Leche Cake
Now it’s time to make the topping!

Making Tres Leche Cake Frosting 

Step 1

First, remove bowl and beaters from freezer.

Remove bowl and beaters from the freezer and add your heavy cream and sugar to make the topping for your Tres Leche Cake
Take your bowl and beaters out of the freezer and add your sugar and heavy cream.

Step 2

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

Beat your cream until you have soft peaks for your Tres Leche Cake
Beat your cream until you have soft peaks.

Step 3

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

A pan and a slice of Tres Leche Cake with fresh strawberries on a plate
Frost your cake and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!

Step 4

Then, frost cake.

Step 5

Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Step 6 

Store leftovers in refrigerator. 

A slice of Tres Leche Cake on white plate with fresh strawberries with a black and white towel in the background
You can make gluten free tres leche cake by swapping out only one ingredient!

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.

Yield: 12

Tres Leche Cake

Tres Leche Cake

Tres leche cake is an easy and delicious cake recipe, made from simple pantry ingredients you most likely already have!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes 35 seconds
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes 35 seconds

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:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.
  3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt .
  4. In 2 small bowl, separate egg whites and yolks.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with ¾ cup granulated sugar until pale yellow.
  6. Stir in ⅓ cup milk and vanilla extract.
  7. Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and stir gently to combine.
  8. In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
  9. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
  10. Fold egg white mixture into batter gently just until combined.
  11. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
  12. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
  13. Milk Syrup:

  14. In a medium bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract until well combined.
  15. When cake is cool, poke small holes in cake using a fork or skewer.
  16. Slowly drizzle milk syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in.
  17. You will now need to use all of the milk mixture.
  18. Set aside 
  19. Frosting:

  20. Remove bowl and beaters from freezer.
  21. Add whipping cream to bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form.
  22. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  23. Frost cake.
  24. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  25. Store leftovers in refrigerator 

DELICIOUS AND EASY DESSERT RECIPES From Kids activities Blog

Strawberry Dessert Lasagna
Strawberry dessert lasagna is so delicious and actually very simple to make!

If your family is like mine, you can’t get enough desserts! Here are some more easy and delicious recipes to try: 

What’s your favorite cake recipe? Let us know in the comments we’d love to hear from you.



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