Tres leches cake is a must-try Mexican dessert. It’s a deliciously rich and moist milk-soaked cake. It is soaked with a 3 milk mixture and topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream.

What does “TRES LECHES” mean?

The Spanish word “tres leches” translates to “three milks” in English. So it’s just a simple (dry) cake, which is baked and then soaked in a generous milk mixture. You poke holes into the cake before pouring over the syrup so every bite is decadently moist. The cake is rich but has a light feel to it and is balanced by the lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Here is the thing! After frosting, the cake needs to be chilled in the refrigerator overnight. The milk and cake need time to get acquainted and settled. The cake is served cold the next day and miraculously, the liquid is absorbed but the cake still holds its shape sliced. It’s time to celebrate!!

TRES LECHES CAKE

Tres leches cake is an authentic Mexican cake soaked in three kinds of milk, topped with whipped cream. The ultimate indulgent dessert recipe!

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Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Milk mixture

• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tin evaporated milk
• ¾ cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp instant skim milk powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbls Coco powder

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°c. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and dust the bottom and sides with flour, tapping out any excess flour.
• For the cake - heat the butter and milk over low heat until the butter has melted. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly.
• Whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed using electric beaters or a mixer fitted with the whip attachment until the eggs are doubled in volume, 5 to 7 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Fold half of the flour mixture into the whipped eggs, then add all of the butter mixture, then fold in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the milk mixture.
• Milk mixture - Stir the condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipping cream and vanilla together.
• After the cake has come out of the oven and cooled for 10 minutes, poke holes in the cake using a bamboo skewer and slowly pour the milk mixture over the entire surface of the cake (the cake will absorb all the moisture and swell up). Cool the cake to room temperature.
• For the topping - whip the cream until the cream holds a soft peak. Stir in the icing sugar, skim milk powder and vanilla. Top the cake with whipped cream and coco powder.
• Keep the cake chilled until ready to serve. The cake must be stored and sliced directly from the pan.

Notes

Be sure to allow at least 12 hours for milk to soak into the cake otherwise it won't have enough time to soak in.
Total time does not include time to soak the cake.