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Cake layers revealed with slice remove from the pan.

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Patricia Martinescu from Bake Cook Repeat
Tres Leches means "three milks" in Spanish - referring to the trio of milks that soak the cake. In this recipe, we used evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. 
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert, Holiday
Servings 11
Calories 479 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed and spooned
  • 4 large eggs, yolks and whites divided
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the milk soak:

  • 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 10 ounces condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, may substitute with half and half

For the whipped topping:

  • 2½ cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Additional toppings:

  • cherries, berries or fresh seasonal fruit
  • chocolate shavings
Click between "US Customary" or "Metric" button above to switch between conversions. For precise results, it's recommended to weigh your dry ingredients using a digital scale in grams as measuring in cups can have uncertainties.

Instructions
 

Make the cake batter

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter or oil. If possible, please weigh the flour. For this recipe, it is 150 grams. Excessive flour will yield a very dense cake.
    Note: If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork in its container, and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling off with a flat edge. Do not scoop the cup directly into the flour bag. This will add way too much flour to the batter, making it dense and very dry. Read more about How to Measure Flour with and without a scale.
  • In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar for a few minutes until pale yellow. Add milk, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
    1¼ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed and spooned, 3/4 cup sugar, 4 large eggs, yolks and whites divided, 3/4 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup neutral oil, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Add flour, baking powder and salt.
    Sifted flour in mixing bowl.
  • Whisk to combine just until no more flour is visible. Do not overmix or it will lead to a dense cake.
    Whisking the batter together.

Beat the egg whites

  • In a separate bowl, add egg whites, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Beat on high until shiny and stiff peaks form. This can take 3-5 minutes. Gently fold egg white mixture into the cake batter mixture until no more streaks are visible. Do not overmix or you risk deflating the eggs.
    1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    Folding the whipped egg whites into the cake batter.

Bake the cake

  • Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 37-40 minutes until golden and no longer jiggly.
    Tres Leches Cake batter in pan.

Let the cake cool

  • The sponge cake will puff up in the oven and deflate a little bit while it cools. This is normal. The cake must be completely cooled BEFORE soaking with the three milks. This may take up to one hour. Once cooled, poke the top of the cake with a fork.
    Tres Leches Cake baked until golden.

Soak the cake

  • In a medium bowl, whisk all three milks together and pour slowly over the cooled cake. If the milk mixture pools in the center, use a spoon or spatula to pour over the edges of the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or if you're in a rush, at least 6 hours. The longer it chills, the softer it gets.
    12 ounces evaporated milk, 10 ounces condensed milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, may substitute with half and half
    Tres Leches Cake with milk soak.

Make whipped cream and add toppings

  • Once the cake has cooled or the next day when you're ready to serve, use an electric hand mixer to beat together heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar for 3-5 minutes until soft peaks form. Do not overmix. Keep in mind - the cake layer will be sweet. Do not add too much sugar to the cream!
    2½ cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, chocolate shavings , cherries, berries or fresh seasonal fruit
  • Use an offset spatula to spread the cream evenly.
  • Garnish the top with fresh fruit and dust with powder sugar before serving. Store in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to make slicing easier and softens the chilled cake. Straight from the fridge, the cake is dense from the chilled milks.

Notes

  • Tres Leches Cake is a delicious make-ahead recipe. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze once soaked.

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 9gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 324mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 997IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 279mgIron: 1mg

The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.

Nutrition Information Disclaimer
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