Tres Leches cake is a popular Mexican and Latin America dessert consisting in a vanilla sponge cake soaked in a three types of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and whipping cream and then topped with whipped cream. This cake is very light and soft in texture and it has an amazing flavor, no wonder why this Tres Leches cake has gained so much popularity all over the world.
You can make the sponge cake in advance, and simply add the three milk glaze the night before serving so it has time to absorb it. Decorate the cake with slightly sweetened whipped cream and is ready to serve.
For a more elegant presentation you can decorate the cake with Maraschino cherries and serve with extra milk glaze to create a decadent and delightful experience for your family and guests. Enjoy!
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Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake
- 5 eggs , separated
- 2/3 cup (140g) sugar , divided
- 1 cup (125g) cake flour
- 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
Three milk glaze
- 10 oz (300g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240ml) evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whipping cream
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (500ml) whipping cream , chilled
- 2 tbsp (16g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp (6g) gelatin powder
- 2 tbsp (30ml) cold water
For decoration
- Maraschino cherries
For serving
- extra three milk glaze , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340F (170C). Grease and line with parchment paper the bottom and sides of a 8 inch (20 cm) pan.
- Prepare vanilla sponge cake. Separate egg whites from yolks.
- In a bowl sift flour and baking powder together.
- In a small bowl mix egg yolks with half sugar and vanilla extract until thick and light yellow colored.
- Add salt over the whites and start mixing until foamy. Gradually add the other half of sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whipped whites.
- Gradually sift again flour mixture over the whites and carefully fold into the batter.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.
- Prepare three milk glaze. Mix together the sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk and cream.
- Once cooled transfer cake to a plastic wrap lined pan. Prick well the cake with a skewer.
- Pour the milk mixture over the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- Prepare stabilized whipped cream. Dissolve gelatin in cold water and let it swell for about 5 to 10 minutes. Place the gelatin over low heat just until the gelatin dissolves.
- In a large bowl add cream and start whipping until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- Slowly pour dissolved gelatin and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the cake fromt the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
- Transfer the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a Saint Honore tip and decorate the top.
- Decorate with Maraschino cherries if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
Great video. You make it look so easy. Will definitely try this. Wouldn’t not do so if I hadn’t watched the video. Thanks.
Hello, can I substitute cake flour in the recipe for AP flour?
This light and fluffy tres leches cake recipe uses four types of milk and is topped with whipped cream, making it extra moist and delicious.
I have learnt how to make cake, with the help of this recipe. It’s taste was fantastic!!!
I have a question. I like to look at different recipes and compare, and I like yours the best. However, I noticed that yours doesn’t have milk in the cake and most do, is there a reason for that?
Great recipe. Tried for our wedding anniversary. Absolutely stunning and delicious. We all loved it. Thanks again for the nice video and good guiding.
What’s the alternative for cake flour ?
What is the size of the eggs used? Large?
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
So glad to hear that Ashok 🙂
I have tried few recipes for Tres Leches cake and this one is the best by far. I just covered it with whipped cream. It’s very light and fluffy.