Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake – A sweet, spongy, and milky cake topped with a light and fluffy whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon spice. A perfect dessert for any occasion. Every bite of this extraordinary Mexican cake is in milky heaven. Soft, moist, and decadent homemade cake that beats any store-bought versions!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Refrigerate Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings slices

Calories 406kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

9x13-inch cake pan
Large bowl
Medium bowl
Medium bowl or pouring jar (for the milk)
Hand mixer
Toothpick and wooden skewer

Ingredients

Tres Leches Cake

1 ⅓ cups (166.25g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5g) salt
5 large eggs
1 ¼ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120ml) milk
1 ½ teaspoon (6.3g) vanilla extract

Tres Leches Milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
¾ cups (180ml) coconut milk (or whole milk, heavy cream)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Toppings

2 cups (476g) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon (4.2g) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15ml) rum
1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar (see notes)
½ teaspoon (1.3g) cinnamon spice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F°/177C°. Spray a 9x13-inch cake pan with baking spray or grease with butter and flour. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Break the eggs, then separate the egg whites from the yolk. Place in a medium bowl and add the egg whites in another bowl.
Using a hand mixer, whisk together the egg yolks, and sugar until the yolks become pale yellow.
Add the milk and vanilla extract to the egg yolk mixture. Then slowly pour the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture; stir to combine.
Beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in the egg white mixture to the batter until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pour the cake batter into the greased pan and place in the oven.
Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
In a medium bowl or pouring jar, combine evaporated milk, coconut milk, and condensed milk.
Using a wooden skewer, pierce the cake with holes then slowly pour ALL the milk all over the surface of the cake; making sure to pour near the edges and all around the cake.
Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour or overnight for the milk to fully penetrate the cake.

Whipped Cream Topping

Whip the cream, vanilla extract, rum, and sugar. Spread it over the entire surface of the cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Refrigerate until ready to be served. Decorate with strawberries or cherries. Serve cold.

Notes

Most people prefer 1/4 cup sugar . However , if you have sweet tooth go for 1/2 cup
Try not to over cook the cake. Start checking after 30 minutes . If cake is too dry it soaks up most of the liquid leaving the cake to0 dry.
Can You Prepare it Ahead of Time? You can make this cake a day ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight
Can Tres Leches Cake be Frozen? You can make the cake base in advance, let it cool, and cover in layers of plastic wrap tightly. Then freeze it for up to 2 months. When ready to assemble, just thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed in making the tres leches syrup and then the topping.
It is not recommended to freeze the cake once the milk syrup and whipped cream topping are added.
Can You Substitute All-Purpose Flour with a Cake Flour? I haven't tried this with cake flour, but I'd imagine it'd result in a finer crumb which makes the cake pretty heavy once the milk syrup is added.
Make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream (about 35-40% fat content) when making the topping for it to be firm enough as seen in the photos. Using REGULAR whipping cream or low-fat cream won't create that much structure as a topping.
This cake is best served when cold. And to allow the cake to soak in all the three milk mixture.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition