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Strawberry Tres Leches is an ideal summertime dessert. Strawberry milk is blended with three milks and then poured over a light and airy sponge cake until it’s all absorbed. The result is a sweet and delicious cake that’s full of flavor.
Why You Should Make *This* Recipe
- Strawberry Milk is delicious. I loved it even as a kid at the cafeteria. And this version is amazing.
- Great make-ahead dessert.
Here’s What People Are Saying About This Recipe:
“Made this for my daughter who loves strawberries and whipped cream , she loved it. Doubled the whipped cream as other people suggested. Thank you!”
How to Make a Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
- Blend up the strawberries and sugar. You want to let these macerate with each other until the juices from the strawberries are released, about 15 minutes.
- Pour in the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Transfer to a container and pour in the heavy cream. I like to add the heavy cream at this time so it doesn’t whip in the blender and become too thick.
- Make the cake. Then combine the egg yolks with sugar and beat until ribbons form. You want a pale yellow mixture. Then add in flour. And lastly, fold in the egg whites.
- Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Transfer them the batter and fold them in.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 15 to 17 minutes. When the cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool and then poke it with a fork.
- Pour on the strawberry milk.
- Soak the cake. This is going to allow the strawberry milk to soak throughout the cake and let it soak in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
- Top with fluffy whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Tips and Tricks
The three milks – The strawberry milk is key to this cake. In a former iteration of this cake, I used sweetened condensed milk, but found that the entire mixture got too thick. So it’s been updated to use whole milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream.
The heavy cream – Do not add the heavy cream to the blender with the other milks. This will thicken the cream (whip air into it) and that’s not what we want!
Steeping the milks – I do find it necessary to let the milk steep for 1 full hour. It really helps with the strawberry flavor coming through.
What to Serve With this Strawberry Tres Leches
If you tried this Strawberry Tres Leches Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Strawberry Tres Leches
Video
Ingredients
Strawberry Milk:
- 1/2 pound strawberries, stems removed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (12-ounce can) evaporated milk
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Tres Leches Sponge Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup milk
Topping:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 pound strawberries, stems removed and sliced
Instructions
To make the strawberry milk:
- To a blender, add the chopped up strawberries and sugar. Allow them to macerate (sit together) until the strawberries have softened, about 15 to 30 minutes. Pour in the evaporated milk and regular milk. Blend until pureed. Transfer the strawberry milk to the container and mix in the heavy cream. Transfer to the fridge to allow the strawberry puree to infuse the milk, about 1 hour.
- I made this at the beginning of the recipe and then made the sponge cake and it was perfect timing. Run the strawberry milk through a strainer into a measuring cup or a bowl with a spout.
To Make the Tres Leches Sponge Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer with paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and double in volume. Mix in the vanilla and the milk on low speed just until combined, then fold the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture.
- Clean and dry the egg yolk bowl. Add the egg whites and beat with the whisk attachment on high until stiff peaks about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Fold the egg white mixture into egg yolk and flour mixture.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
To Assemble + Topping:
- Using a skewer or fork, create little holes on the top of the cake. Pour the strawberry milk mixture over the cake (it may seem like a lot but it will absorb!). Transfer to the fridge to 2 to 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- Just before serving, make the whipped cream! To a bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the heavy cream and sifted powdered sugar. Top the cake with the fluffy whipped cream and garnish with slices of strawberry. Slice and serve.
Notes
- The three milks – The strawberry milk is key to this cake. In a former iteration of this cake, I used sweetened condensed milk, but found that the entire mixture got too thick. So it’s been updated to use whole milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream.
- The heavy cream – Do not add the heavy cream to the blender with the other milks. This will thicken the cream (whip air into it) and that’s not what we want!
- Steeping the milks – I do find it necessary to let the milk steep for 1 full hour. It really helps with the strawberry flavor coming through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I don’t see butter or oil, is that correct? Trying it today and just want to make sure.
yep! this is a sponge cake so it won’t have any of those. but don’t worry it’s not try because we pour the milks on top.
Made this for my daughter who loves strawberries and whipped cream , she loved it. Doubled the whipped cream as other people suggested. I also halved the sugar in the strawberry milk because we like things a little less sweet but other than that it was perfect. Take your time with soaking it to get a really nice even soak. Thank you
Will the whipped cream be stable enough to sit in the fridge overnight on the cake or does it have to be made right before serving?
I would put the cake in the fridge and then add the whipped cream right before serving.
I work at an auto body/service shop, and I bake for each of the employees on their birthdays! I had a request to make a strawberry tree leches cake and came upon this recipe! I didn’t want box mix renditions, I love making homemade recipes! I was apprehensive and worried because I had read some of the comments, but also wanted to give it a try. It did not disappoint!!! I let the strawberries macerate with the sugar for a half hour, then after blended with the milks, added the heavy cream and gave them the full hour to sit as per recipe! Very important steps! The strawberry milk was delish!!! I could have just drank the whole pitcher right then!! lol! I’ve never made a sponge like this either, and was worried how it would turn out. It was perfect! I let the strawberry milk absorb in the cake overnight!! Definitely do this step, because it came out perfect!! The only thing I did differently, was I doubled the whip cream recipe and definitely would recommend doing that. It was just enough to cover the cake! There wouldn’t have been enough if I hadn’t doubled that part.
Will definitely be making this again and again!! Great recipe!! Thank you!
THIS IS A 5 STAR Rating.
For some reason I can’t click five stars. I don’t know why it won’t let me.
Anyways I made this recipe for my friends and they loved it. I made this about 3 times already and I love everything about tbh. It’s not too sweet for me and its super delicious. Thank you.
The strawberry milk tastes amazing. I would use that with a different cake recipe.
This cake was dense and would not absorb the liquid evenly. Some slices were mush and others were dry.
If some areas were mush and others dry, it sounds like it was an error in how you prepared it when pouring the milk, rather than the recipe itself.
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Cooked this exactly as the recipe said, and all the milk did not absorb. 2 stars.
Milk is not supposed to be completely absorbed in cake. That is how it is served with the milk in the bottom in the cake on top Google pictures to give you better reference! I’m sure it turned out perfect
Hi there, can you make this without putting strawberries in the milk, or will that mess up the consistency? I do not want strawberry flavor in the cake.
Can I make this 2-3 days in advance?
that might be a bit of a stretch. i would day two days max. 🙂