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My birthday cake of choice for those of us that love moist, dairy-rich cakes! This Tres Leches Cake is perfect for a crowd made in a 9×13-inch pan, but I also have directions for scaling it down to a 6-inch cake pan to serve 2-4 people.
All about this Homemade Tres Leches Cake
You’re looking at my birthday cake of choice: the lovely, tender sponge cake soaked in 3 different dairy milks and topped with whipped cream, also known as Tres Leches Cake. Tres leches in Spanish translates to ‘three milks,’ if you didn’t know.
Tres leches is a basic sponge cake, with a sweet creamy mixture of 3 milks poured on top. The milks seep into the lovely air bubbles of the cake and make it so moist and delicious. The icing on top of the cake is really just more freshly whipped cream.
This cake is light, fluffy, dense, creamy, and unctuous all at once. Yes, I just said unctuous, and I mean it in the best way possible.
What is a sponge cake?
First, let’s talk about sponge cake. A sponge cake is when the eggs of the cake are separated and the whites are whipped separately in order to create lots of air bubbles and pockets in a cake. The air bubbles keep the cake light and airy (naturally), but they also give a place for the milk mixture to reside.
So, for this cake, we’re going to separate the egg white and whip it separately, until it’s fluffy, white and holding soft peaks. Some sponge cakes don’t call for the egg yolks at all, but I include the egg yolk in this recipe because I like the richness in the cake.
We need to talk about whipped cream as frosting for this cake, because whipped cream doesn’t store very well. Whipped cream is nothing but air whipped into the fat molecules of the milk. After sitting, the air pockets collapse and it can turn back into liquid cream. So, I really suggest frosting this cake within a few hours before serving. Right before serving is best, but it’s okay to store in the fridge for 2 hours or so. You could also use my whipped cream cream cheese frosting instead, for more stability.
You could also add gelatin to this whipped cream frosting to help it hold peaks longer. If you want to try, sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of powdered unflavored gelatin into the cream before whipping it.
Best Tres Leches Cake ingredients
- Eggs. Five large eggs, which need to be separated because we’re whipping the whites separately for the sponge.
- Sugar. One cup of white granulated sugar.
- Half and Half. Do not use the fat-free half and half! (To be honest, I don’t even understand what that’s made out of because it should technically be half fat, but it’s non-fat?) Anyway, we need 1/3 cup of half and half for the sponge cake, and 1 3/4 cups for the milk topping. You’ll be fine with just a pint!
- Vanilla Extract. The cake needs two teaspoons of vanilla extract (half in the cake and half in the frosting). Vanilla is so important for this tres leches cake. Can I suggest using a Mexican vanilla? It has a sweeter, smokier flavor and tends to be thinner than traditional vanilla extracts.
- Flour. One cup of all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder. One and a half teaspoons of baking powder.
- Salt. One-quarter teaspoon salt for balancing sweet flavors.
- Cinnamon. It’s optional, but I really think 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon brings warmth to this cake .You can add 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon if you love it! I also like to dust the cake with cinnamon before serving.
- Condensed Milk. One 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. This is not the same as evaporated milk, because it contains sugar and is thick and syrupy.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. For the frosting on this tres leches cake, we’re whipping 2 cups of heavy cream until nice and fluffy.
- Powdered Sugar. One-quarter cup of powdered sugar sweetens the frosting.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, and spray your cake pan lightly with cooking spray.
Add the 5 egg whites to a clean bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until they form very stiff peaks. It will take about 4-5 minutes of beating on high. When the egg whites and stiff enough, you should be able to tilt the bowl upside down and they will not fall out.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks and the cup of granulated sugar until well-mixed, about 1 minute.
Add 1/3 cup of half and half and one teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat just to combine. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the one cup of flour, 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
Gently stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain.
Then, very gently fold the egg whites into this mixture. Use proper fold and down the middle technique to be careful not to remove too much air from the egg whites.
Pour this mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 29-33 minutes, until the edges of the cake start to pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Poke holes all over the surface of the cake using a fork.
Whisk together the can of condensed milk with 1 3/4 cup of half and half (or however much is left in the pint container). Whisk very well until smooth, and then slowly pour this mixture over the cake. Let soak in the fridge for at least one hour.
Just before serving, beat the 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Spread on the cake and serve.
Tres Leches Recipe storage
This recipe keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap first.
How long does tres leches cake last?
Once frosted, this cake lasts for 3 days in the fridge. However, it’s best and has the fluffiest frosting if you keep it unfrosted until you’re ready to serve it. You can keep the soaked cake for 3 days in the fridge, tightly wrapped.
Can you freeze Tres Leches Cake?
Absolutely not, do not freeze a tres leches cake. When thawed, the final product will be a soggy messy. What are you even thinking with this question?
Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe FAQs
While I have not tested this cake with gluten-free flours, I’ll give you the green light to do so, only because Paul Hollywood (from Great British Bake Off) says sponge cakes lend themselves to gluten free flours very well. The goal of this recipe is to produce a light and fluffy cake that has just enough structure to hold the milks poured on top of it.
Oh yes, you can! You can make the sponge cake a few days ahead of time, or even make it and freeze it for up to a few months! Just to be clear: freeze the cake without the milks poured on top, okay? Once the milk is poured on top, the cake is best after sitting for a few hours, up to 24 hours. Once the milk has been poured on the cake, store the cake in the fridge. The cake gets slightly more tender at the 24 hour mark, and it’s absolutely perfect.
So, if your birthday is on a Saturday, make the cake Thursday night, wrap it tightly and store it on the counter. On Friday night, make the milk sauce, and pour it over the cake. Place the cake in the fridge. Saturday, whip the cream and frost the cake just before serving.
This cake tastes like a sweet, soft, creamy vanilla milkshake. You’re going to love it!
It needs at least an hour to soak before serving.
Now, use your fingers to count the 3 milks in the entire ingredient list: half and half in the cake, sweetened condensed milk in the milk drench, and heavy cream in the frosting. All together, we have 3 milks, don’t we? Half and half is technically half milk and half cream, if you want to go there. This cake has plenty of milks, okay?
Typical tres leches cake recipes contain a can of evaporated milk, but my recipe does not. I leave it out, because have you ever smelled that stuff? It’s a no for me. We get plenty of milk flavor here using fresh cream, half and half and sweetened condensed milk.
I’ve also seen versions of this cake called quarto leches cake, because they add a drizzle of cajeta (goat’s milk caramel) on top before serving. I’ve ordered that in several Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas, and it’s incredible.
How to make a smaller 6-inch tres leches cake:
For the cake, use
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup half and half
For the topping, use:
- ½ cup half and half
- ⅔ cup sweetened, condensed milk
For the frosting, use:
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Follow the exact same instructions below (but with the above ingredient measurements), and bake in a 6-inch cake pan for 21-23 minutes (or until the cake starts to slightly pull away from the edges of the pan). Let cool for 30 minutes, and pour over the milk topping. Then, make the frosting, frost the cake and serve.
Psst, you can check out all of my 6 inch cake recipes here.
Other recipes using condensed milk:
- key lime pie in a loaf pan
- chocolate covered cherry fudge
- homemade Twix bars
- blackberry chip ice cream
- easy fudge
Recipe for Tres Leches Cake
Makes one 9x13-inch cake; see below for 6-inch small cake variation.
Ingredients
Sponge Cake:
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Milk:
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 1 3/4 cups half and half
Topping:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and grease an 9x13-inch pan lightly with cooking spray.
- In a very clean medium bowl, add the egg whites and beat with an electric until they form stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks and the sugar until well-mixed, about 1 minute. Add the half and half and vanilla extract, and beat just to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gently stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remind.
Then, very gently fold the egg whites into this mixture. Use proper fold and down the middle technique to be careful not to remove too much air from the egg whites. - Pour this mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
- Poke holes all over the surface of the cake.
- Mix the condensed milk with half and half. Slowly pour this over the cake mixture and let soak in the fridge for one hour.
- Just before serving, make the topping by whipping the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla and frost the cake. Store cake in fridge. Decorate the cake however you want; sometimes it’s decorated with raspberries or strawberries or a dusting of cinnamon.
Notes
To make a small 6-inch version: For the cake, use ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1 large egg, separated, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup half and half. For the topping, use ½ cup half and half and ⅔ cup sweetened, condensed milk. For the frosting, use: 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Follow the exact same instructions below (but with the above ingredient measurements), and bake in a 6-inch cake pan for 21-23 minutes (or until the cake starts to slightly pull away from the edges of the pan).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 6g
I used this for Cinco de Mayo. It was wonderful! I’ll be back to look for more recipes.
I see that no fat was used here. No butter, oil, etc?
Nope :) It’s a type of sponge cake that relies on eggs for lift. Try it. Trust me.
Hello, can I sub in a 1/4 cup whole milk for the half and half in the cake? To sub whole milk and evaporated for the half and half in the sauce, would it be equal parts (1/4 cup each)? Thank you.
is there a way to make it less sweet and still taste good?
Add salt, and/or sub cinnamon for 1/4 – 1/2 of the sugar
Can you make this and let it sit overnight in the fridge before serving?
Yes :)
I rarely bother to comment on recipes, but this sponge cake turned out perfectly. I’ve had such mixed results trying to scale cakes down that I pretty much stopped even trying. I made an exception for this. I followed the recipe to the letter (except I added a pinch of salt) and I used the right pan. Total winner. We’re getting back in the cake game. Thanks!
I am so happy when I see comments that actually say how the recipe turned out for them. Way too many people think they have to write to say they are going to make the recipe or that they think something looks so good. Hey, we know that. We need more people writing in and letting those of us that want to make a recipe know how it turned out for them!:)
Hello!! Thank you so much for this recipe, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it! For anyone wondering if it can be double, I just tried it and it made a perfect 9” round cake yayy!
Where’s the 3rd milk? Condensed evaporated & half/whole milk…
Half and half is made of 2 different dairy products. I covered this in the post. I count it as the third.
I divided the batter between four small ramekins for a dinner party, and they turned out so well! I topped them with whipped cream, cinnamon, and strawberry slices. Will definitely be making this recipe many times over in the future!!
Hey! I love love LOVEDDDD this recipe. I made this for my sister’s birthday. A bunch of her friends came over unexpectedly to surprise her as well. So a group of about 13-15 adults tasted this cake and absolutely LOVED it. I was SHOWERED in compliments. While I would usually think they’re just being nice; I totally believed them this time because this cake??? It was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! I love love love love it, and will be making it MANY MANY MANY more times!
P.S. the substitutions I made were:
-couple drops of white vinegar for tartar
-whipping cream for half-and-half
(I also added rainbow vermicelli/sprinkles to both the cake batter and the whipped cream icing because it was for my sister’s birthday 🎂)