The Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe

A slice of tres leches cake sits on a white plate. The cake is topped with a layer of fluffy white frosting, and the moist, pale yellow base is visible. In the background, more slices of cake are displayed on a rectangular serving dish.
4.51 from 78 votes

Learn how to make tres leches cake for a traditional Mexican dessert! A light sponge cake is soaked in a sweet, three-milk mixture and topped with whipped cream frosting for a delicious dessert perfect for weddings, birthdays, holidays, or weekday treats.

moist tres leches cake

If you enjoy this traditional easy tres leches cake recipe, you need to try my peanut butter tres leches cake and pistachio tres leches cake, too! They offer the same sweet taste and soft consistency with even more nutty flavors running throughout. What’s not to love?


Video Recipe 📹

Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make the best tres leches cake recipe. This step-by-step tutorial simplifies the process, offering tips and tricks to guarantee perfect results every time.

YouTube video

Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇


Why You’ll Love Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Tres leches cake is a timeless dessert that dates back to the 19th century. Here’s why it has remained popular for so long:

  • 😍 Delicious Flavor: Rich and sweet with a vanilla, custard-like taste.
  • 😋 Unique Texture: Light, spongey, and moist.
  • 🎉 Perfect for Every Occasion: Elegant in appearance, it’s guaranteed to impress your guests.
  • 🍽️ Great for Sharing: One cake yields 12-15 servings.
  • 🙌 Easy to Make: The steps are simple and beginner-friendly, using everyday ingredients.
Moist tres leches cake

What Is Tres Leches Cake?

You may know tres leches cake as pastel de tres leches, torta de tres leches, bizcocho de tres leches, or evaporated milk cake. It goes by many names! However, no matter what it is called, the dessert is made with a vanilla sponge cake base, not unlike an angel food cake.

Then, holes are poked across the top, similar to the method used in my strawberry poke cake, and a three-milk mixture is poured on top. After soaking, the cake is topped with a sweet, fluffy frosting for a beautiful presentation and delicious flavor.

When translated, tres leches means “three milks,” which refers to the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk used to soak the cake, setting it apart from other desserts in taste and texture. The recipe originates from Mexico but is popular throughout Latin America and the United States, and for good reason! Sweet, moist, and infused with rich, vanilla flavor, the cake is incredibly delicious.

Learn how to make it at home with simple ingredients and easy steps, and your friends and family will think it’s from a bakery!

What Is Tres Leches Cake Made Of?

  • All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the cake, giving it structure.
  • Baking Powder: Ensures a rise in the cake, for a soft, fluffy texture.
  • Eggs: Help bind the batter and add structure.
  • Sugar: Sweetens the cake batter. 
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cake, milk mixture, and frosting.
  • Milk: Sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk sweeten the cake and enhance its texture.
  • Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: Forms the base of the frosting, creating a light consistency and sweet taste.
  • Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Sweetens the frosting without becoming grainy.

This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇

9 pieces of sponge cake on topped with whipped cream on a cutting board

How to Make Tres Leches Cake

Here is an overview of the steps to make the best tres leches cake recipe:

  1. Beat Wet Ingredients: Beat sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl until pale in color and doubled in volume. Add the milk and vanilla extract to the egg yolk mixture, and mix until combined.
  2. Add Dry Ingredients: Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix to combine.
  3. Beat: Beat the egg whites in a separate medium bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar, and beat the mixture to stiff peaks.
  4. Fold: Add ⅓ of the whipped egg whites to the vanilla cake batter, and gently fold to combine. Then, pour the batter into the remaining egg whites, and fold again just until smooth.
  5. Bake: Pour the batter into a prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  6. Whisk: Add the three milks to a bowl, and whisk to combine.
  7. Soak: Place the cooled cake back in the baking pan, and poke holes evenly across the top. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake. Then, set it aside for at least one hour or ideally overnight.
  8. Whip: Place the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl, and whip to stiff peaks to create the frosting.
  9. Frost: Release the cake from the pan, spread the frosting on top, and trim the edges as needed. Slice the tres leches cake recipe into squares, and enjoy!

🥛 Leftover Condensed Milk

Have leftover condensed milk? Don’t let it go to waste! Use it and your other pantry staples to make a 4-ingredient condensed milk cake as well.

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t Overmix: Be careful to fold the cake batter ingredients just until smooth to prevent a dense, tough cake.
  • Whip: Take your time whipping the egg whites, ensuring stiff peaks (that hold their shape) form.
  • Cool Completely: Don’t rush soaking the cake! If it isn’t completely cool, it’s more likely to crumble and become soggy.
  • Soak Well: For the best taste and texture, let your tres leches cake recipe soak in the milk mixture overnight.

Make Ahead and Storage

  • Make Ahead: Bake the cake, and cover it with the milk mixture. Then, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for 1-3 days. Add the frosting when ready to serve, and it will taste as good as new!
  • Store: Once frosted, you can cover leftover cake, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: Bake the sponge cake, let it cool, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze without soaking in the milk mixture for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight. Then, let it soak in the milk mixture for at least an hour, and add your frosting!

Frequently Asked Questions

What three types of milk are in tres leches cake?

Traditional tres leches cake is made with whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

Why are tres leches not soggy?

The use of sponge cake allows the dessert to absorb the milk mixture and become soft without crumbling to pieces or becoming soggy.

What can I substitute with evaporated milk?

There are a few easy substitutions you can make to create a moist, creamy taste without using evaporated milk. These options include:
 
1. You can use whole milk plus heavy cream (or half and half).
2. Replace the evaporated milk with coconut milk, which will give the cake a hint of tropical flavor.
3. Swap the evaporated milk with an equal amount of whole milk.
 
Whichever option you choose the taste and texture will be so similar that no one will even notice that the evaporated milk is missing!

A slice of tres leches cake sits on a white plate. The cake is topped with a layer of fluffy white frosting, and the moist, pale yellow base is visible. In the background, more slices of cake are displayed on a rectangular serving dish.

The Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Learn how to make the best tres leches cake recipe with a sweet whipped cream frosting using simple ingredients and easy steps!
4.51 from 78 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
DIFFICULTY Easy
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 15 yields
Calories 270 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • 1 cup (125) All-purpose flour
  • teaspoons Baking powder
  • 5 Large eggs separated
  • 1 cup (200 g) Sugar divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • cup (80 ml) Milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt

For the syrup:

  • 7 oz (200 g) Sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
  • cup (300 ml) Evaporated milk
  • cup (80 ml) Whole milk

For the frosting:

  • cups (360 ml) Heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons (36 g) Icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Make the sponge cake: Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C), line a 9×13” (cm) pan with parchment paper, lightly grease it and set aside.
  • In a large bowl place 3/4 cup (150g) sugar and egg yolks. Beat until the mixture is pale in color and doubled in volume. Add milk, vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  • Sift in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined (don’t over mix). Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until foamy, gradually add 1/4 cup sugar (50g) and beat to stiff peaks.
  • Fold 1/3 of egg whites into the batter, then pour the batter into egg whites and gently fold. Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. release the cake from the pan and let to cool on a wire rack. While cake cools, make the tres leches syrup.
  • Make the syrup: to a bowl add 3 milks, whisk until combined.
  • Place the cake back into the pan, then using a fork or a toothpick poke/pierce holes in the cake. Slowly pour the tres leches syrup over the top of the cake letting it soak in as you go. Set the cake aside for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  • Make the frosting: in a large bowl place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Whip to stiff peaks. Release the cake from the pan and spread the cream over the top of the cake.
  • Trim the edges (optional), then cut into squares.
  • Serve!

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • FAQs: Make sure you read the FAQs for this recipe which are located above the recipe box for additional tips and troubleshooting! For extra tips and variations read the article.
  • Watch the Video: For a better understanding of the recipe, I always recommend watching the video recipe, which includes a step-by-step guide to help you succeed.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 534IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically generated and thus we can not guarantee it is 100% accurate.
Keyword cake

9 Comments

  1. Hi, I accidentally voted, but I just wanted to click on the stars to see reviews. I think I voted 3 stars but didn’t mean that, how can I undo? I think you should change that part of your website, at least to ask you beforehand if you’re trying to vote

    August 21, 2020
  2. AMAZING cake! 10 out of 10! my family loved it.

    December 18, 2022
  3. Helton J Lopez says:

    I like your recipes, Do you know an alternative of heavy cream or how wan we made it?

    March 20, 2023
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      You can use any cream that you can get

      March 22, 2023
  4. Launa Welch says:

    Absolutely amazing cake! I’ve made it before and making it again, 10/10 recipe!

    June 12, 2023
  5. Made this for the first time on Christmas Eve for our Christmas Day dessert. It was a great success! We served it with fresh strawberries !!I will make it again and freeze half of it next time.

    December 27, 2023
  6. It’s very delicious and very very soft and spongy cake .all loved it

    May 23, 2024
  7. 5 stars
    This has been my go-to recipe and everyone loves it!

    September 11, 2024
    1. David (The Cooking Foodie) says:

      Glad you like it.

      September 12, 2024
4.51 from 78 votes (77 ratings without comment)

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