Authentic Tres Leches Cake
An Authentic Tres Leches Cake, or three milks cake, is a Latin American classic. Rich, ultra moist, and absolutely impossible to resist. One of my daughter’s favorite desserts, it’s often her birthday cake request!
A popular cake in Latin America, this Pastel de Tres Leches translates to sponge cake with three milks, the latter referring to evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half. This Tres Leches Cake Recipe is unlike any other you’ve ever eaten. Plus, it’s perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!
Why You Must Make
- This is based on Alton Brown’s recipe. He is a master at researching the science of what makes a recipe work and is considered a good source for an authentic, well-tested recipe.
- It’s perfect for dessert when serving Mexican or Tex-Mex for dinner.
- If you’ve ever eaten a 3-leches cake at a restaurant, now you can make a just as delicious version at home!!
It must have been more than 10 years ago when I heard about tres leches cake, so of course, the foodie in me had to make one. My first attempt was nothing special, but my daughter, Katie, was smitten. The rest of the family was underwhelmed.
Of course, despite what the rest of the family thinks, Katie gets to request her favorite dinner and birthday dessert. So, as much as I tried to ignore her pleas, I went ahead and baked up a new version. I added a few strawberries just to garnish. Just to give the plate a little pizzazz. The results were pretty darn tasty, I have to admit! Even picky Bill changed his tune after I suggested he give this tres leches cake recipe a chance. And if you’re a chocoholic, this Chocolate Mocha Tres Leches Cake looks outstanding!
Ingredient Notes
Kitchen Staples: Salt, Butter
You Might Need:
- Cake Flour (affiliate link)- Has less gluten than all-purpose flour, so will make a more tender cake. See how to make your own cake flour in the pro tips below.
- Baking Powder (affiliate link) – Has a much shorter shelf life than baking soda, so check the expiration date on your tin before starting this recipe. To test, place a spoonful in a cup of very hot water. If it’s fresh, it will bubble vigorously, if it doesn’t, it won’t be fully active.
- Vanilla Extract (affiliate link)- For the best flavor, use real vanilla extract, not artificially flavored.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk (affiliate link)- I use Eagle Brand.
- Evaporated Milk (affiliate link) – I use the Nestlé/Carnation brand.
- Half and Half – Completes the three milks. It’s half milk and half cream with 10-12% milk fat.
Expert Tips
There are scads of variations of this three milks cake. But this one is what our family considers the best tres leches cake. The picky hubby isn’t totally on board, preferring chocolate chip cookies or brownies, but hey, you can’t win ’em all. If you’re new to making this cake, here are a few tips on How to Make a Tres Leches Cake.
- The cake is an egg-heavy sponge cake. “Sponge” is key here as the cake must be able to absorb almost 4 cups of liquid.
- Other recipes call for a butter cake or even using a yellow cake mix, but I’m on team sponge cake.
- PRO-Tip: To facilitate absorption, use a fork, skewer, or even a straw to poke numerous holes across the surface of the cake. This gives more real estate for the milk to soak into.
- PRO-Tip: Cake Flour (affiliate link) is used in the recipe instead of all-purpose flour. Cake flour is made from softer wheat and has less gluten, making for a more tender cake. I do not recommend using all-purpose flour as a substitution.
- When I was a teenager, WAY before the Internet, I remember using a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch as a substitute for cake flour. You can easily make your own.
- PRO-Tip: To make your own cake flour, follow these instructions: For each cup needed, measure out a cup of flour, then remove two tablespoons. Replace the 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift this mixture 3 or 4 times to make sure the cornstarch is evenly dispersed. While you’re at it, make more than one cup, and save the extra for the next time you need cake flour.
- Depending on the recipe, the 3 milks can vary. Most recipes I’ve seen call for two canned milks, evaporated and sweetened condensed. The third milk for this cake is half and half, an equal blend of whole milk and light cream, but other recipes call for whole milk or heavy cream.
- PRO-Tip: Use a 4-cup Pyrex Measuring Cup (affiliate link) with a spout to pour the milks over the cake. I start with a dousing across the surface of the cake, using about a third of the mixture to start, then letting it absorb before repeating the process. Using all of the “milks” may cause some leakage at the bottom of the cake, as a smidgen of the liquid may not totally absorb. It isn’t a huge deal, but feel free to hold back some of the liquid if desired. I didn’t use ⅓ of a cup of the mixture.
- Beware, this is a VERY sweet cake. The whipped cream topper has an additional 1 cup of sugar added. I’ve seen comments/complaints on other recipes about this dessert being too sweet. Just know that this is how it’s supposed to taste.
- PRO-Tip: A caterer friend taught me to freeze the bowl for whipping the cream for a half hour or more before making it. Cream whipped in an icy cold bowl is much more stable than in a room-temperature bowl. Meaning, it’s less likely to “break” and turn watery.
- This authentic tres leches cake is perfect for Cinco de Mayo or your only daughter’s birthday!
Frequently Asked Questions
Tres Leches is the Spanish phrase for three milks, referring to the 3 kinds of milk products in this cake recipe.
It’s a cool, moist, spongy, custardy cake. It’s like no other cake you’ll ever eat!
It’s best to use 2% or whole milk as the fat helps to add richness to this dessert. The reduction of calories per serving won’t be substantial by swapping the milk out for skim milk.
Making it the night before gives the cake plenty of time to absorb the milk. If you do not have time the day before, it could be made two days before. Add the whipped cream topping before serving. Note: the cake will need at least 6 hours to absorb the milk.
A tres leches cake will start to lose quality after 3 days, as the whipped cream topping will start to separate. It is safe to eat up to 4 or 5 days after baking as long as it’s been stored correctly.
Though totally optional, topping with a couple of slices or halves of ripe strawberries adds a nice pop of color to a rather pale dessert. It should be served cold.
It must be stored covered in the refrigerator due to all the milk in the cake. And it’s best not to leave it out at room temperature for too long, so just cut and remove the number of slices needed and return the remaining cake to the fridge.
You May Also Like:
- White Layer Cake
- Tunnel of Fudge Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Torta Caprese
- Black Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Plus, if you ever have any leftover pound cake, you MUST make an English Trifle!
- Plus, more of my Favorite Cake Recipes.
Tres Leches Cake
Alton Brown's version of this "3 Milks" cake.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, plus extra to dust the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup plus 1 tabblespoon sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Glaze:
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 1 cup half and half
Topping:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour, or use Baker's Joy, to coat a 9 x 13 pan.
- Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
- Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy on medium speed. Decrease to low and add sugar slowly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined. Add vanilla and mix.
- Add dry ingredients in three batches and mix till just incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake in the middle of your oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove and cool for a half hour. Poke the top of the cake with a fork or skewer. Allow the cake to completely cool.
- Make the glaze by whisking the milks and half and half. Slowly pour over the cake and refrigerate overnight. I did not use the last ¼ cup of glaze so that it all absorbed.
- Before serving, make the topping by whipping heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture thickens and stiff peaks form. Spread topping over cake and refrigerate until serving.
- May garnish with sliced strawberries.
Notes
If you don't have cake flour, you can make your own with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch. For each cup of flour needed, measure out 1 cup of AP flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace those 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk together and use as a substitute for 1 cup of pastry flour.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
Lambeau, our sweet first dog, always underfoot when I was baking, hoping for a spill!
Katie, the birthday girl, ready for a slice of cake to celebrate.
55 Comments on “Authentic Tres Leches Cake”
This is the prettiest tres leches cake!
I have never had tres leches cake for some reason and that needs to be remedied! Looks so delicious!
I love this cake Liz and haven’t had a slice in years. Just pack up Bill’s slice next time and send it to me!
Wow this cake is really looking so awesome, thank you for sharing your blog
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday, hope to see you next week!
Looks great! Glad to know Katie got her birthday wish and Bill got a present, too, by trying a bite!
Happy Birthday to Katie! This cake is so perfect, Liz. Keith and I get teased because our favorite dessert is white cake with white frosting. We won’t turn down chocolate, but if we have a choice…. so I know that we would LOVE this!
You have the most perfect cake recipes. I love this one!
It took me a long time to make a tres leches cake and I always wonder why. They are delicious and so easy to make. I also do a chocolate version and can’t decide what I love more! Everyone should have this recipe in their repertoire!
Happy Birthday Katie!!
Tres leches is one of my favorite cakes Lizzy!! Yours look wonderful, I think my recipe is like yours ! (Many times I dont make)
hugs!
Cannot wait to try this! I’ve always wanted to try tres leches and I here people rave about it, just have never had the opportunity to try it myself.
This cake looks amazing and easy enough for non-baker like me! I can’t wait to give this a try! The cake looks so moist and tasty i want to reach in and take a bite!
Such a moist and tender cake – great recipe
I used to see this cake in bakeries often when we lived in Florida, but not since then. And I’ve never made it. So I need to try this recipe! Looks excellent — thanks.
What a lucky young lady to have you as her personal chef! I would love to try this cake no matter how sweet it is – coffee is made to balance it, LOL. Sponge cakes are amazing to work with and this is another winner Liz!
It looks really tasty with the strawberry at the top!
I love the tip at the end about using an icy bowl for the whipping cream- that’s a great idea! And this cake would be perfect with a big mug of coffee. Yummy!
Your desserts are always so gorgeous, and this one is no exception! I’ll have to give tres leches cake a try!
I can see why this is such a favorite cake! Looks so delicious!
There is just nothing like Tres Leches Cake! The perfect ending to our Progressive Eats!