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There’s nothing quite like a homemade Tres Leches Cake! Light, fluffy sponge soaked in three kinds of milk then topped with a cloud of whipped cream. It’s the kind of dessert that always makes people’s eyes light up, and it just so happens to be one of my family’s most memorable birthday cakes.
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Many years ago, my son insisted that I make him a Tres Leches Cake for his birthday at school. I wasn’t sure where he had heard of it, but once he set his heart on it, I knew I had to deliver.
Luckily, that same week, I received Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier as a gift in the mail, and it had the perfect Tres Leches Cake recipe inside. It was a huge hit, and this cake will forever be one of my favorites to bake and share!
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, hosting friends, or just craving something sweet, this recipe is guaranteed to impress.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Incredibly moist & tender: The sponge cake soaks up the three milks without getting soggy. Totally irresistible!
- Crowd-pleasing: Tres leches cake is a showstopper for birthdays, parties, or holidays. Want more dessert recipes? Try Cinnamon Apple Crisp, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes or Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake!
- Make-ahead friendly: Tastes even better after chilling, so you can prep it in advance. Pair it with Crock Pot Pulled Pork Tacos, Pressure Cooker Black Beans, and Guacamole for the perfect menu!
- Simple ingredients: Just pantry staples and a few dairy products create dessert magic. Plus, with easy-to-follow steps, it’s a fun recipe to bake with your kids.
The Ingredients
- Eggs: The yolks and whites are separated for this recipe. Whipped egg whites add airiness and help the cake rise.
- Flour: All-purpose flour mixed with baking powder and salt creates the perfect sponge base.
- Milks: Three kinds (hence tres leches): heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. These are poured over the cake for its signature moist texture. You’ll also need whole milk for the batter.
- Strawberries or cinnamon: Optional toppings that add a pretty finish and extra flavor.
*For a complete list of ingredients and exact measurements, see the recipe card below.*
How to Make the Best Tres Leches Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar beating until very light in color.
- Add the whole milk and vanilla, beating until just combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture, and stir gently to combine.
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff but not dry.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the previous mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Spread batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
- When the cake is cool, invert it onto a platter and poke holes in the surface with the tines of a fork.
- In a bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
- Slowly douse the cake with the milk mixture, getting it all around the edges and evenly coating the surface. Allow the cake to sit and absorb the liquid for at least 30 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 pint heavy cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until thick and fluffy.
- Spread the whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake.
- Top with sliced strawberries or sprinkle of ground cinnamon if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- Let it soak: Give the cake plenty of time to absorb the milk mixture. At least 30 minutes is essential, but chilling it longer or overnight will make it even more flavorful and moist.
- Fold, don’t stir: When incorporating the whipped egg whites into the batter, fold gently. Overmixing can deflate the batter and make the cake dense instead of light and airy.
- Storage: Tres leches can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For best flavor and texture, I’d enjoy it within the first 2-3 days, since the whipped cream topping can start to soften and the cake may become overly saturated if left longer.
- Freezing Tres Leches Cake: Freeze the baked cake before adding the milk mixture. When ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge, then pour the three-milk mixture over the cake and finish with the whipped cream topping.
FAQs
Overmixing the batter or folding in the whipped egg whites too aggressively can deflate the sponge. Gently fold in the whites to keep the cake light and airy.
Whipped cream is classic, but you can also add fresh fruit, a sprinkle of cinnamon, chocolate shavings, or decorative sprinkles for birthdays and special occasions.
Yes, you can let the cake soak in the milk mixture overnight, then finish off with the whipped cream topping the following day.
More Delicious Cakes
This Tres Leches Cake is light, creamy, and full of flavor. It’s been our go-to birthday cake for years now. Give it a try and let me know what you think — leave a rating and review below! And feel free to let me know what your favorite birthday treat is in the comments!
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Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
- 1 pint plus 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar beating until very light in color.
- Add the whole milk and vanilla, beating until just combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture, and stir gently to combine.
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff but not dry.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the previous mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Spread batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
- Bake 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
- When the cake is cool, invert it onto a platter and poke holes in the surface with the tines of a fork.
- In a bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
- Slowly douse the cake with the milk mixture, getting it all around the edges and evenly coating the surface.
- Allow the cake to sit and absorb the liquid for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 pint heavy cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until thick and fluffy.
- Spread the whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake.
- Top with sliced strawberries or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and serve.
Notes
- Let it soak: Give the cake plenty of time to absorb the milk mixture. At least 30 minutes is essential, but chilling it longer or overnight will make it even more flavorful and moist.
- Fold, don’t stir: When incorporating the whipped egg whites into the batter, fold gently. Overmixing can deflate the batter and make the cake dense instead of light and airy.
- Storage: Tres leches can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For best flavor and texture, I’d enjoy it within the first 2-3 days, since the whipped cream topping can start to soften and the cake may become overly saturated if left longer.
- Freezing Tres Leches Cake: Freeze the baked cake before adding the milk mixture. When ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge, then pour the three-milk mixture over the cake and finish with the whipped cream topping.
I usually spray my cake pans with cooking spray. You can also do exactly what you mentioned above. Are you getting all the nooks and crannies of the pan with the butter and flour? Make sure it is well greased!
I just made the Tres Leches for the second time because I wasn’t ready to give up quite yet. But BOTH times, my cake wouldn’t flip out of the pan onto the tray. Pioneer Woman mentions the “prepared pan”, but I see you wrote “greased”. I greased it with some margarine and then sprinkled flour because in the Pioneer Woman’s pics, it looked like it had flour. What am I doing wrong?
This cake is extremely moist, so it’s sort of like it’s supposed to be “soggy”. You can absolutely make this the day before! That will allow it to really soak up all the milks. I wouldn’t frost it until closer to serving time, though.
I’m considering making this cake for my son’s 2nd b-day. Is it possible to make it the day before? Or does it get soggy?
My favorite birthday cake is a Tiramisu cake the ladyfingers soaked in a lot of espresso… 🙂
Definitely Chocolate Lava Cake! Mmmmm-mmmmmmm good.
I’m a sucker for a good ice cream cake…… 🙂
Too Much Chocolate Chocolate Cake. In general I don’t like chocolate cake, but the sour cream keeps it really keeps it moist.
Vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Followed by vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.
Tres leches cake is up there, although I do also love a yummy cheesecake with some sort of chocolate on it.
Paula Deen’s butter cake is always a favorite!
My favorite birthday treat is being able to eat all my favorite sweets with no guilt, white cupcakes with chocolate icing and Dulce De Leche ice cream 🙂