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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.
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5 from 5 votes

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!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cake
Servings: 15 yields
Calories: 270kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons Baking powder
  • 5 Large eggs separated
  • 1 cup Sugar divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup Milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt

For the syrup:

  • 7 oz Sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
  • 1¼ cup Evaporated milk
  • ⅓ cup Whole milk

For the frosting:

  • 1½ cups Heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons Icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Make the sponge cake: Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C), line a 9x13” (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

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: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 534IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 1mg