Name: Tres Leches Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 5 large eggs, yolks and whites separated; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 cup whole milk; 12 oz evaporated milk ((1 can)); 14 oz condensed milk ((1 can)); 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 pint heavy cream ((2 cups)); 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Strawberries, sliced; Ground cinnamon for dusting ((optional))

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This Tres Leches Cake, a moist Mexican milk cake, is made of a light sponge cake soaked in three types of milk: sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Then, it’s topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. So moist and delicious!

Tres leches cake (three milk cake) has always been a huge favorite of mine! I love it because it’s very moist, rich, and perfectly sweet.

Tres leches cake is a basically a sponge cake with cinnamon soaked in three types of milk: sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. It’s very popular in Mexico and Latin America. The sponge cake is very light and airy, which is perfect for absorbing all the richness of the milk mixture. It’s amazing!

Today I’m sharing all the techniques and tips for making the perfect tres leches cake!

Tres Leches Cake Recipe Ingredients

There are three parts to making a tres leches cake, and each ingredient plays a key role:

Sponge Cake

All-purpose flour: for structure
Eggs whites: These are whipped until stiff peaks form and folded into the batter. Whipped egg whites are the main leavening component in sponge cakes. They provide structure and lift.
Baking powder: provides additional lift
Egg yolks: adds richness
Ground cinnamon: for flavor
Sugar: use granulated sugar
Vanilla extract: for flavor
Whole milk: to add a bit of moisture
Salt: salt in baked goods always brings out flavors

Milk Mixture

Evaporated milk: It is very rich as, when processed, some of the moisture is removed. It is thick and pale yellow in color.
Sweet condensed milk: This is milk from which all water is removed and with sugar added. It is very thick and sweet.
Heavy cream: adds richness

Whipped Cream

Heavy cream & sugar: the cake is topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream

How to Make Tres Leches Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the sponge cake:
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
- Sift flour mixture into another bowl: I generally don’t sift flour unless I am working with delicate batters like this sponge cake’s. Sifting prevent clumps from forming.
- Wet ingredients: beat egg yolks, sugar, vanilla in a bowl and mix with a handheld mixer or stand mixer to incorporate airiness. Should be light and fluffy. Add milk and mix.
- Whip egg whites along with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Fold in whipped egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter into a 9×13 UNGREASED glass pan. Bake in the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 30 mins.
Prepare the milk mixture: whisk the 3 milks until combined.
Poke the cake all over with a fork, and gradually pour the milk mixture onto the cake until absorbed. Chill for at least 3 hours.
Make the whipped cream: whip heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form.
Spread whipped cream over the chilled cake and top with berries. You can also dust it with ground cinnamon.

Sponge Cakes 1o1

Sponge or “foam” cakes are very light and airy. The volume and height of sponge cakes come from the whipped egg whites. The egg whites are whipped until stiff peaks form, and then folded into the batter. The cake clings onto the sides of the pan as it rises.

Did you notice that sponge cakes don’t have butter or oil? Butter or oil would only make it rich and dense, making it hard for the milk mixture to soak and fully absorb into the cake.

My Sponge Cake Shrunk!

Confession: my first test batch of tres leches cake was a disaster. The cake baked and rose beautifully in the oven, but while cooling, it shrunk significantly! To avoid a shrunk sponge cake:

Choose the right pan for the cake to cling and rise properly: use glass, aluminum, or ceramic. Don’t use non-stick. I actually found that glass baking pans work best.
Do NOT grease the pan: greasing the pan is a sin in sponge cake world! It will cause the cake to pull away and shrink when cooling.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter to avoid deflating it. The air incorporated into the whipped egg whites will give the cake its lift, and over-mixing will only remove the incorporated air.

Making tres leches cake at home is so much better than store-bought. I hope you like it as much as I do!

If you’re looking for more yummy desserts:

Key Lime Pie
Easy Lemon Bars
Mini Blueberry Galettes
Strawberry Cream Sheet Cake by Pastry Tales

Thank you for reading and please don’t forget to pin this recipe! Much appreciated.

Tips for Making the Perfect Tres Leches Cake

Use a glass pan for best results, and do NOT grease the pan. See “My Sponge Cake Shrunk!” section for details.
Sift the dry ingredients before mixing with the wet ingredients. Sponge cakes are delicate, and sifting prevents clumps from forming.
Fold in the whipped egg whites gently using a rubber spatula until just combined. Over-mixing will remove the air from the whipped egg whites and the cake will not rise well.

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5 from 3 votes

Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches cakes are made of a delicate sponge cake soaked in three milks (evaporated milk, sweet condensed milk, and heavy cream), and topped with whipped cream. So delicious, rich, and easy!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Latin American, Mexican

Keyword tres leches, tres leches cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Chill Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings 12 people

Author Tania