Tres Leches Cake (Milk Cake)

Name: Tres Leches Cake (Milk Cake)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 5 eggs; 1 cup white sugar; 1/3 cup whole milk; 1 tsp vanilla essence; 12 oz can evaporated milk; 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 pint heavy whipping cream; 3 tbsp powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; ground cinnamon (for topping)

Take a bite out of heaven with this indulgent tres leches cake recipe. Light and fluffy sponge cake soaked in three milks make for the perfect dessert for the family and a treat for your friends while over for an afternoon coffee.

Do you know what “tres leches” means? Of course, you do. I did not. At least, not before discovering this recipe. The “tres” part I took from French to mean “very.” The “leches” part, well… the only connection I could make was to the English “lecherous,” which led to “luxurious” (a bit of a stretch, I know). So the only appropriate name I could come up with something along the lines of “very luxurious,” which isn’t far from the truth.

This recipe for Tres Leches Cake (it’s Spanish for “three milks,” in case you didn’t know) does exactly what it says on the can. It is a sponge cake that features three different kinds of milk. This dairy blend gives it an incredibly silky texture and whenever you can describe something as “silky,” you know it’s going to be indulgent in all the right ways. Top it off with a little cream, fill a mug with coffee, and you’ve got a dessert that will leave you speechless — no matter the language!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This cake has such a beautiful, fluffy, and moist texture. It’s almost as much about the mouthfeel as it is the taste.
The cinnamon on top adds color, flavor, AND antioxidants.
There isn’t really that much to this cake. The ingredients can’t really be described as “exotic” and yet your guests, after taking one bite, will wonder how you ever made this.
You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen making this cake. As long as you remember to prep it at least an hour in advance (ideally, you would make this the day before), you won’t have to slave away. Just 30 minutes’ prep time is all it takes.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

Was I lying to you when I said this isn’t a complicated list of ingredients? The cake can be made with items you probably already have in your kitchen. The only things you might need to run out for are those varieties of milk, and they’re not hard to find.

The Cake:

1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

The Milk Soak:

12 oz can evaporated milk
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup whole milk

The Topping:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
ground cinnamon, for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a bowl, sieve together the flour and baking powder. Mix.

Separate the eggs and whisk ¾ cup sugar into the egg yolks until it makes a smooth pale-yellow mixture. Pour in a ⅓ cup of milk and the vanilla extract. Whisk well.

In a large bowl, use an electric whisk or a hand whisk to beat the egg whites into stiff peaks. As it thickens add in the rest of the sugar. This is an important part of getting the cake to be fluffy and able to absorb the milk mixture.

Whisk the flour mixture and the egg yolk mixture together until smooth then gently fold in the stiff egg whites.

Pour the batter into an ungreased baking dish and level on top. Put in the middle of the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely.

Mix the evaporated milk, whole milk, and condensed milk together. Using a fork, poke holes in the cake and pour the condensed milk mixture over the cake. Place in the fridge and allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture overnight or at least an hour.

Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into stiff peaks. Pour onto the cake and smooth over evenly, then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Variations

The great thing about a simple recipe as this is that it leaves room for the addition of a wide range of ingredients and toppings. Try these on for size:

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake – Add cocoa powder to the batter and mix in chocolate chips.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake – Substitute coconut milk for one of the milks then sprinkle some coconut flakes on top.

Berry Tres Leches Cake – An easy one to do (and healthy, too!). Just top your cake with raspberries, strawberries (sliced), and blueberries for a fruity infusion.

Delicious Vanilla Milkshake

Caramel Tres Leches Cake – Drizzle this homemade caramel sauce on top of the cake. For a wonderful salty-sweet combination, sprinkle some sea salt on top.

FAQs

My cake is coming out quite dense. What should I do?

It is best to use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites into really stiff peaks. This is a vital step as it adds the air pockets to the cake.

How do I separate my eggs?

Cold eggs are the easiest to separate. You crack an egg in half and hold it over the bowl you want the whites in, then pass the yolk from one half of the shell to the other until all of the white is in the bowl and only the yolk is left in the shell. Then place the yolks in another bowl.

All of the milk mixture isn’t absorbed.

Don’t over-mix your batter or the gluten will develop too much. This will make the cake tough and there won’t be enough of liquid.

How to Store Tres Leches Cake

Cover the cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil; you want to prevent it from drying out. You can then put it back in the fridge where it will keep for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze it, double up on the wrapping. Cover it first with plastic then add the layer of aluminum. (This is assuming you’ve kept the cake in the pan you used to make it in. You can also wrap it once then store it in an airtight container.) It should keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’d like to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge.