The BEST authentic homemade Tres Leches Cake. An ultra light cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. This simple Mexican dessert is one of our favorites!
Want more dessert recipes? Try my Sticky Toffee Pudding, Chocolate Mug Cake, Key Lime Pie, or Apple Crisp!
Every person in my family would rank Tres Leches Cake in our top favorites of all time! I love that it's not overly sweet, it's super easy to make, I can make it in advance, and its absolutely delicious! We make it really often, especially when we're having a bunch of other Mex
ican food favorites to serve with it.
What is Tres Leches?
Tres leches literally means, “three milks” and Tres Leches Cake is an ultra light sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture. It's popular in Mexico and Latin America and throughout the United States as it's often available at Mexican restaurants.
The cake is similar to an angel food cake. The whipped egg whites in the batter make it extra light and spongy. After baking the cake you poke holes in it with a fork and pour three types of milk over the top–evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk–hence the name “tres leches”.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake:
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the eggs into two other mixing bowls.
- Add ¾ cup sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Add ⅓ cup milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently just until combined (don't over-mix).
- Use electric beaters to beat the egg whites on high speed. As the begin to whip into stiff peaks, gradually mix in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined.
- Pour batter into pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool completely.
- Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a small bowl. Once the cake has cooled use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the the top of the cake, making sure to pour near the edges and all around. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow it to soak up the milk.
- In the meantime, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks. Smooth over the top of the cake.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, and fresh sliced strawberries, if desired. Store Tres Leches Cake in the refrigerator, covered, for 3-5 days.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
You can make Tres leches cake 1-2 days in advance. In fact, I love to make this cake the night before so that the cake has a lot of time to soak up the milk mixture.
No oil or butter in the cake?
That's right, this Tres Leches Cake is NOT made with butter or oil. The egg whites are the main leavening agent that give it a sponge cake texture, and the three milks poured on top get absorbed by the cake, making it moist without the need of oil or butter.
Serve Tres Leches with:
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Elote
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- Refried Beans
- Horchata
- or any of my other popular Mexican Recipes!
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Recipe
Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs , separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar , divided (200 g)
- 1/3 cup whole milk (80 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
Milk Mixture:
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk (354 ml)
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (396 ml)
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60 ml)
Whipped Topping:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream (475 ml)
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar (24 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5 ml)
- ground cinnamon , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the eggs into two other mixing bowls.
- Add ¾ cup sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Add ⅓ cup milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently just until combined (don't over-mix).
- Use electric beaters to beat the egg whites on high speed. As the begin to whip into stiff peaks, gradually mix in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined.
- Pour batter into un-greased pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool completely.
- Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a small bowl. Once the cake has cooled use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the the top of the cake, making sure to pour near the edges and all around. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow it to soak up the milk.
- In the meantime, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks. Smooth over the top of the cake. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe May 2015. Updated April 2017 and May 2021.
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
Process photos by Nikole of The Travel Palate
This post contains affiliate links.
Not gonna lie, I was very skeptical when the cake came out of the oven as it was looking very thin and a little over baked. But I stayed the course and I brought the cake in for my team’s monthly birthday celebration and it’s literally the top of the entire office. We have a very diverse Latin team and everybody thought the cake was absolutely delicious.
This cake is so so good omg. Never had a tres leches cake before making it and now it’s my new favourite dessert.
My 6 year old son who only eats chocolate cake proclaimed this was the best cake in the world and is begging to have it for his upcoming birthday and my 3 year old daughter, who usually just eats frosting off cake, literally inhaled her slice. Suffice to say, this was a huge hit!
This was my first time using the whipped egg white method for cakes, so I was nervous, but it was way easier than I expected! Overall it was a very easy and effective recipe. I will definitely be making it again.
I’m not Mexican, but I make this for my relatives who are born and raised, and they say this is the best tres leches cake they have ever eaten. I make it with 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour and nobody knows the difference. I also use just the cake part for my strawberry shortcake because it holds up to strawberry juice just like it does to the milk and doesn’t turn to mush. It’s the best!!
I just made one with the king Arther’s 1:1 gf flour, I’m currently waiting for it to cool to pour the milk over! Wish me luck. I told my son I’d make him a regular flour one if the gf isn’t good, but I’ve never had Tres’ leches cake and I have celiacs and wanted to be able to try it!
Just wanted to say I live at 5k feet up and I did not need to make adjustments for high altitude. Also, this recipe is amazing!
My son wanted a Tres Leches cake for his birthday. I have never made one before. This recipe was easy to follow, and the cake turned out perfect! Thank you! This recipe is now added to our family favorites!
THE best Tres Leches recipe I have come across! I make it about six times a year and it is always a huge hit at family gatherings. The sponge cake itself is tender and has just the right amount of texture to hold the milk mixture without losing volume or falling apart.
This cake!! Wow!! So delicious and so fun to make. A definite crowd pleaser. It will be a new family favorite for sure.
idk WHAT i did wrong but this cake is so goddamn EGGY. it has the taste and texture of a souffle. holy egg
It sounds like a few things could have caused the cake to turn out super eggy—maybe it was slightly underbaked, or the eggs were overmixed or overheated, which can lead to a souffle-like texture. Not folding the egg whites in gently can also collapse the structure and make the cake denser and more custardy.
-Stacy
Is there any substitute other than heavy whipping cream?
Yes, you can substitute the heavy whipping cream. Canned coconut cream works great—just chill it, scoop the solid part, and whip.
_stacy
Can I use a 9 x 13 glass pan instead of metal? I don’t see why not but maybe someone else knows why it said “metal”
Yes a glass pan will work great, no changes to the recipe are needed. Enjoy!
Thank you I prefer glass over metal
Hi, If I make the cake the night before serving it do I top it with the whipped topping or wait until the next day? Thank you
I’d wait till the day of!
-Stacy
How long do I need to let cake cool before adding the milk mixture?
A couple of hours is usually enough.
-Stacy
So excited to try. Unfortunately, it tasted like nothing but egg. Completely disgusting
This is my third time baking the cake using this recipe. I use an extra tsp of all spice and it tastes wonderful. Maybe you should try alternatives before commenting badly on a recipe.
omg I know it’s so eggy
Can this be made with gluten free flour or almond or coconut flour? If so any adjustments?
looks so yummy!!
I recommend using the Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, and it’s a 1:1 adjustment!
I made this for my book club, and it was a huge hit! My club is fairly small so I had about a third of a pan left. I called my cousin to see if she wanted the leftovers, and as it turns out that cake was served at their wedding. She and her husband José just loved it.
Does it Matter if it’s whole milk or another type like 3%?
Nope, it doesn’t have to be whole milk—3% milk will work just fine! The difference in fat is minimal, so the cake will still turn out soft and rich. Use what you’ve got!
-Stacy
Has anyone noticed a difference with putting the milk mixture on the night before before vrs the morning of event? Also, you you really not spray the 9×13 with Pam? Or grease it? Thanks
The night before is much much better the cake absorbs the all the milk and won’t be so soupy if you only did it a few hours ahead of the event.
Really don’t spray the baking dish with Pam or butter! I know, I didn’t believe it either, and it seems like it sticks at first…but once you pour the milk mixture in, it all comes out of the pan perfectly. If you grease the pan, it would be weirdly oily instead of just luscious and moist. I ran a knife around the edges after baking and before pouring the milk mixture in to make sure the mixture got down around the sides.