Tres Leches Cake Recipe

This easy Tres Leches Cake is soaked with a sweet mixture of three milks! Topped with whipped cream and a little cinnamon, it is totally addicting! A classic Mexican dessert that you’ll want to make over and over.

Homemade Tres Leches Cake

There are some desserts that are truly just best when homemade. Store bought and restaurant versions often just don’t do them justice! This Tres Leches Cake is one of those desserts. I’ve tried buying it, I’ve tried ordering it, but the only way to experience the best this dessert has to offer is to make it yourself. Thankfully, that is easy to do!

Making Tres Leches at home may seem intimidating, but it’s easy and totally addicting! This cake is refreshing, lightly sweet yet full of flavor. It holds the milks so well without being too dense or falling apart. A big winner!

What is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres Leches means “three milks”, which is precisely what makes this cake unique. After being baked, it’s soaked with three milks: whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. It’s a popular cake in Mexico and Latin America and is perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

As far as texture, it’s a super light cake that gets a lot of it’s texture from whipped egg whites. You might notice that it lacks a common cake ingredient – butter – and has a unique method for mixing the batter. You absolutely do not miss the butter in the slightest and the mixing method gives it it’s super light texture. I tried making it with the more common creaming method using butter and this version was BY FAR the best!

This cake is also sort of like the original poke cake because after baking it, it’s poked with holes all over and then the milks are poured over the cake and soak into it.

How to make a Tres Leches Cake

Make the cake

To get started making this cake, combine your dry ingredients and set them aside. Then separate your eggs into the yolks and the whites. Set the whites aside for later.

Add some of the sugar to the yolks and beat on high speed until the yolks are pale yellow and have doubled in volume. When you lift the beater out of the mixture, it should drizzle down in a thick ribbon when it’s done. Add the whole milk and vanilla extract and combine.

Combine the egg yolk mixture with the dry ingredients and don’t over mix.

Next, grab your egg whites from earlier and whip them until they reach soft peaks, then slowly add the remaining sugar and whip until you reach stiff peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, being careful not to deflate the whites. Pour the batter into your cake pan and bake until nice and golden.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely before poking holes into it. I know it will be tempting to go ahead and poke the holes, but the cake is so soft and tender out of the oven that it comes apart easily if you poke it while warm. So trust me and let it cool before poking holes.

Add the Three Milks Mixture

Poke the holes into the cooled cake with a fork – lots of holes. You’ll combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and whole and then pour it over the cake making sure not to miss the sides and corners.

Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour or overnight. This is actually a great cake for making ahead because it gets even better after sitting overnight and letting the milks soak in.

Whipped Cream Topping

You can add the whipped cream topping right away or wait until just before serving.

Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. For more help with making whipped cream, check out my Homemade Whipped Cream Tutorial.

Finally, sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the cake and top it with some fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect final touch to a wonderful cake! It really is so addicting and 100% worth trying if you’ve never made it at home before! You’ll fall in love!

More Great Cinco De Mayo Recipes

Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos
Margarita Cake
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Shrimp and Crab Nachos

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Recipe originally from Pioneer Woman.

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