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This classic Tres Leches Cake is everything you want it to be: moist, milky, and absolutely delicious. The fluffy sponge soaks up the three-milk mixture, and it’s all topped with billowy whipped cream and cinnamon. I love this recipe because it’s simple and foolproof, with room to get creative. If you love this version, try my strawberry, pumpkin, or horchata tres leches.
This tres leches cake is perfect for celebrations or whenever you need a crowd-pleasing dessert! Serve it with Queso Fundido, Birria Tacos or Carne Asada Tacos and Strawberry Margaritas for the most delicious dinner.
Reviews from ACK Readers!
“This is my go to recipe for Tres Leches! I make it at least 2 times a year and my family and friends all love it!” – Tia Castillo
“This is the best tres leches cake I have ever had! Hands down one of the best recipes. Easy to follow! Everyone loved this cake!” – Jacinda
Ingredients for Tres Leches Cake
- Eggs – We’ll be using the egg whites and egg yolks. Both will serve different purposes; both important.
- Sweetened condensed milk – One of the three milks is an important one.
- Evaporated milk – I love evaporated milk. It has a very concentrated milk flavor.
- Whole milk – This fresh milk is one of the three milks.
- Vanilla – This cake is simple so I like to use good quality vanilla extract. If you’re feeling fancy, scrape a vanilla bean and put in the cake batter.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe card below!
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. All-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar. You really want to emulsify the egg yolks with the sugar until ribbons form and the color of the egg yolks turns to pale yellow.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and milk. You then want to add the milk and vanilla extract to the egg yolks and whisk until theyโre smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You want to use a bit of a folding technique to combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients,
- Beat the egg whites. You want to clean your mixing bowl thoroughly. And dry it. If thereโs any water, it may not beat until light and fluffy.
- Fold the egg whites in until you no longer see any egg white bits. You really want to be gentle with this step as to not deflate the egg whites.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Cool the cake. The cake will shrink as it cools. That’s a-ok!
How to Decorate Tres Leches Cake
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Be sure not to over whip it!
- Add it to the cake and smother it on top. Dust with cinnamon.
Tips and Tricks
- Freeze Tres Leches – I would suggest baking the cake, allowing it to cool completely and then wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, transfer to the fridge to thaw. Pour the milks on top, let it soak in and then serve.
- Shrinkage is normal! After you bake the cake, it will be a bit shriveled up; don’t worry. After you pour the milks on top of the cake, they will be absorbed by the cake and it will plump up a bit.
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Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- 1 (9×13-inch) cake pan
- Stand-up electric mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Tres Leches:
- 1 (14-ounce) can can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) can of evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
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. Weโre doing this because the egg whites wonโt have height if the bowl has any remnants of egg yolk and/or water. Add the egg whites and beat with the whisk attachment on high until stiff peaks about 3 to 4 minutes.
- In two batches, fold the egg white mixture into egg yolk and flour mixture until you no longer see any bits of egg white.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 30 minutes.
To Assemble + Topping:
- In a large serving bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk.
- When the cake is cool, using a fork, poke holes in the top of the cake. I did it about 20 times, you really want to give a way for the milks to be absorbed by the cake. Pour the 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, sifted powdered sugar and salt until soft peaks form. Top the cake with the fluffy whipped cream. Garnish with a bit of ground cinnamon, if you like.
- This cake stays good for about 3 days when stored in the fridge.
Notes
- Freeze Tres Leches – I would suggest baking the cake, allowing it to cool completely and then wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, transfer to the fridge to thaw. Pour the milks on top, let it soak in and then serve.
- Shrinkage is normal! After you bake the cake, it will be a bit shriveled up; don’t worry. After you pour the milks on top of the cake, they will be absorbed by the cake and it will plump up a bit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made this again, great recipe! I always add like an extra 1/4-1/2ish cup whole milk though, I find that it is too dry without it. I also to be honest really struggled with the recipe as written with just whipping the egg whites plain. I’ve since converted to whipping the six egg whites with at least 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, and I slowly add in the sugar directly to create a more stable, glossy meringue at almost stiff peaks that keeps the air in, but still expands in the oven.
Hi Jenna, Ahh ok that’s good to note. Did you do it with a stand-up mixer or hand mixer. I wonder if that makes a difference. ๐
The best tresleches i have made..making it second time in this week.. I am doing it for a birthday.. hope it doesnt seep on the cake board
YAY love hearing this. It might seep onto the cake board just fyi. It’s a pretty wet cake! But report back either way ๐
I made it.. it stayed good in the refrigerator until the travel.. the travel made it leak.. but i think i can take care of it next time.. Everyone at the party liked it.. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe
Hi!! Thinking about making this but I am gf. Do you think the cake would turn out okay if I sub flour with 1:1 gf baking flour?
I have made this and many of Adriannaโs cakes gluten free by subbing 1:1. I really like Bobโs Red Mill GF flour. They turn out really nice and most of the time non gf people canโt tell itโs gf!
Amazing to hear, Jamie! I had no idea hahah. I’m going to recommend this brand to people going forward. ๐
This is the best tres leches cake recipe Iโve found! Every time I make it, itโs absolutely delicious and has the perfect texture.
The only issue I encounter is that when I poke the holes in the cake, the cakeโs top layer is very sticky and gums up the fork, causing bits of the cake to pull out of the pan. Iโve experimented with the baking/cooling time and nothing seems to change. Are there any tips to prevent this from happening? Itโs not the end of the world obviously, but it does make the process slightly more frustrating.
Thank you again for such a lovely recipe!
to me this sometimes happens when i underbake. feels like you should try to just bake for longer?
I’ve never had tres leches cake before but decided to make this and it was so easy to follow and so delicious! The cake is so moist and perfectly sweet, and the whipped cream and cinnamon is the perfect finishing touch.
This was really amazing and tasted heavenly altho i think you should eat it immedietly after the 2 hours are done and not wait til its like soaked up all the milk and dried. tasted better at first then Custardy then Caramelly.
Bruh everyone who tasted was like Wow. Nothing less than amazing. Thank you so much such a delicious treat.
Ahhh I LOVE IT! So glad everyone loved it, Maram ๐