Inside: Tres Leches cake is an authentic Mexican dessert that is full of delicious flavor and perfect for Cinco de Mayo or other gatherings.
September is a busy and exciting month for our family. Not only are the kids back in school, but we also have two birthdays to celebrate every year! My two oldest sons were both born in September, so they get pretty excited this time of year.
I enjoy talking to them about how they want to celebrate, and I always try to make it as special as possible for them. Part of that means making their favorite cake, which is tres leches cake.
“Tres leches” translates literally from Spanish to mean “three milks”, and that is because the cake is soaked in three different types of milk – sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk.
This gives it a delicious, moist texture that is complemented by the amazing homemade whipped cream frosting. I will talk more about the process below.
Not only do I love this drink when we are celebrating birthdays, but it is also a great choice for sending to school for my kids’ lunches. They love it, and there are so many flavors so they don’t get bored with it.
How To Make Tres Leches Cake
If you are wondering how to make tres leches cake, now I am going to show you.
First, you need to make the basic sponge cake following the recipe below.
Next, you will want to poke some holes in the sponge with a fork, so that the tres leches mixture is absorbed into the cake.
Finally, you will want to pour the tres leches mixture over the sponge, letting it absorb while under refrigeration for at least 3 hours.
After you complete the base of the tres leches cake, you can decorate it however you want. In Mexico, it is common to frost with a homemade whipped cream, and then to top it with fruit. Other options are to add melted chocolate and even nuts.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. It is great for any occasion, including Cinco de Mayo, Christmas, and Easter.
Let me know in the comments below how it turns out.
Other Desserts that You Will Love
- Lemon Carlota
- The Best (and easiest) Flan Napolitano Recipe
- No-Bake Mango Cheesecake Recipe
- The Best Homemade Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe (No Cake Mix)
- How to Make the Most Delicious Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 12 Large Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups sugar
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour divided into three equal parts.
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
cream
- 2 cups milk whole
- 10 oz condensed milk
- 8 oz evaporated milk
- Whipped Cream
- Strawberries
Instructions
For Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Beat the eggs in a stand mixer at medium speed, slowly adding the sugar. Continue beating for about 10-15 minutes. When you are ready for the next step, this mixture will have a creamy texture, almost like whipped cream.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and slowly fold in the first part of the sifted flour and slow mix by hand with a whisk until the flour is incorporated. Repeat with the remaining two parts of the flour.
- Add the vanilla and oil and stir slowly with a spatula until completely incorporated.
- Add the batter to your cake pan of choice. This amount will fit into two 8 inch circle pans, or one 9 x 13.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool until completely cooled.
- Poke small holes along the surface of the sponge cake.
For Tres Leches Mixture
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk, the evaporated milk, and the whole milk and mix well.
- Pour the above mixture over the sponge cake, covering the entire cake.
- Leave cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and then decorate with homemade whipped cream, strawberries, or other fruit of your choosing.
JoAnn
Saturday 5th of August 2023
I have never made Tres Leche before, but my Puerto Rican friends in Florida often shared it with me and it was always a favorite of mine. I worried when the recipe called for 12 eggs but it turned out perfect!. I baked for 35 minutes. The ladies from my church group loved it!
Charbel Barker
Monday 14th of August 2023
Thanks, JoAnn! I am glad that you and your friends enjoyed this recipe.
Kat
Thursday 12th of May 2022
Which kind of flour do you typically use? All-purpose or cake four?
Sonia
Saturday 18th of December 2021
I would love to try this recipe but not sure what type of flour to use. I’ll try another recipe for now. Maybe you could update which type of flour to use?
Jan Abney
Thursday 24th of March 2022
@Sonia, unless a recipe calls for a specific flour, you always use All Purpose flour, which is regular flour. Hope this helps!
Carrie
Thursday 11th of November 2021
It would have been nice if you posted your recipe for homemade whipped cream and linked it to this recipe.
Kim
Tuesday 19th of October 2021
Hi does this recipe need baking powder or baking soda