Hello Hello! It’s Amber from Dessert Now, Dinner Later! I’m back just in time to share the perfect dessert for Cinco de Mayo, which is only 11 days away! This is the first time I have made this particular cake myself, but I have had it before and I totally forgot how good it is! If you haven’t had it before, you MUST try it!
Tres Leches Cake is Spanish for “3 milk” cake. There is evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and a little bit of heavy cream. The cake base itself is a chiffon, spongy light cake, which is perfect for absorbing all three milks, making it super moist and enjoyable! If you look at the corner of the pan in the picture above, you can see some of the milk on the bottom next to the whipped cream, it’s dripping-ly moist!
I have a strong opinion about chiffon cakes by themselves. If you asked me, I would straight up tell you I hate them. The cake itself can be so dry. When I was working in a certain bakery, my boss only wanted me to make chiffon cakes for the wedding cakes we sold. Well, more often than not, there would be complaints after the weddings about it being dry, no matter how much simple syrup I put between the layers. I kept telling him, people want moist, chewy cakes like they get from a box mix. I doctor up my box mixes when I do wedding cakes out of my home, but people LOVE them. He refused to believe that people liked a box mix more than his chiffon cake recipe. Anyway, this chiffon cake is perfectly fine because it soaks in all that milk. Problem solved! We loved and devoured this cake!
What Does Tres Leches Mean?
Tres leches means 3 milk bread.
It is a sponge cake—or a butter cake—soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.
Can Tres Leches Cake Be Frozen?
Yes, tres leches cake can be frozen.
It should be wrapped well in plastic or foil before freezing.
Tres Leches Cake
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream*
For the Icing:
- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream*
- 3 Tbsp sugar
Decoration:
- 1/2 lb sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9x13-inch pan liberally until coated.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Separate eggs.
- Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow.
- Stir in milk and vanilla.
- Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and fold very gently until combined.
- Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
- With the mixer on, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff, but not dry.
- Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently, until just combined (no more white streaks).
- Pour into prepared pan and spread batter evenly.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter or baking sheet and allow to cool.
- Combine evaporated milk, condensed milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a small pitcher.
- When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle ALL BUT 1 CUP of the milk mixture taking care to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. (Discard extra cup of milk, or give it to your kids as a "special drink.")
- Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Whip 1 3/4 cups heavy cream with 3 Tbsp sugar until thick and spreadable.
- Spread over the top and sides of the cake.
- Cut into squares, top with sliced strawberries and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Want more Cinco De Mayo inspired recipes?
Churro Bites with Chocolate Dulce De Leche Dip || Dulce De Leche Bread Pudding
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Beenz
This is not a chiffon cake, it’s a fatless sponge cake. No wonder you found them dry. In French bakeries, Genoese – which is what this is – is always moistened with syrup before assembling. Chiffon cakes have oil and are moist and light at the same time. You need to go back to Culinary School.
Sweet Basil
Hello! This was written by a guest blogger and is quite dated. I’ll have to revisit it and see about getting everything updated. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Tas
Hey ,
Can I freeze soaked/ drenched in 3milk mixture tres leches ?
Will it be fresh on thawing ?
Sweet Basil
Hi Tas! You can freeze the whole soaked cake and it thaws and tastes great. Is that what you are asking? Sorry if I misunderstood!
Holly Reedy
Y’all – omg. Made this tonight – SO GOOD. Ended up pouring all of the milk mixture on the cake instead of saving a cup of it – turned out perfect! Already decided we’re having it for breakfast in the AM!
Sweet Basil
Tres Leches Cake for breakfast…count me in! Thank you for the feedback Holly!
Margie
can you make this a day ahead. Should I wait to the day of the party to pour milk mixture on top and top with whipped topping?
Sweet Basil
I believe it only gets better with time actually!
dina
i’ve been craving this cake. yum!
Lacey
I made this for my husband for his birthday. We had not had any since leaving Miami and never home made. It came out delicious. The only problem was I over whipped my frosting just a tiny bit. Also I used traditional maraschino cherries, but I think the strawberries a much better idea.
Lacey
Also I used all the milk mixture on the cake. They are usually very wet when I have purchase at a bakery. It was fine just that way.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
Tres leches has been on my must-make list for a while now and yours looks SO perfect, Carrian! I can’t wait to try it soon!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
Oops – meant to say “Amber” haha. Thanks for sharing, ladies!
Amber
It’s all good, thanks! You should definitely try it because we loved it!
Rocky Mountain Woman
That does look wonderful…
Amber
Thanks so much!
Katrina McCoy
My son’s favorite. Can’t wait to make it. Looks yummy & beautiful, nice styling.
Amber
You’ll have to let me know if your son approves. Thanks!