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    Home » Dessert Recipes » Cake Recipes

    Easy Tres Leches Cake | Three Milk Cake

    Published: Feb 14, 2021 Last updated: May 6, 2022 by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    A delicious sturdy homemade cake soaked with 3 milks and topped with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
    Jump to Recipe
    Featured image for Tres Leches Cake.

    This Easy Tres Leches Cake is a delicious yellow sponge cake that is soaked with a combination of three different milks and topped with a homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. This Mexican dessert recipe is a great recipe to add to your Cinco de Mayo celebrations, birthday parties, or special family dinners.

    My whole family loved this cake recipe. It was super moist, yet held together well. Made with 3 different types of milk, tres leches interprets as 3 milks, this sweet treat can be made right at home instead of a Mexican restaurant!

    A single serving of Easy Tres Leches Cake on a plate

    ❤️ Why you'll love it

    ✔️ This 3 milk cake serves 20 people, making it the perfect party cake!

    ✔️ It is a tender cake that holds up solidly to the milk soaked into it.

    ✔️ This is the best easy tres leches cake recipe made completely from scratch.

    🥘 Ingredients

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links.

    All purpose flour

    Baking powder, aids in giving height to the cake.

    Unsalted butter, the fat used to make the cake.

    Granulated sugar, sweetens the cak

    Large eggs, is the binding agent that brings the cake together.

    Vanilla extract, enhances the flavor of the cake

    Whole milk, Sweetened condensed milk, Evaporated milk - the 3 milks make up the sweet milk mixture and are poured over top of the baked cake.

    Heavy whipping cream, this is used to make the whipped topping

    Powdered sugar, is used to sweeten the whipped topping that is spread on the cake.

    Ground cinnamon, used to dust the top of the cake with flavor.

    Baked cake in cake pan with holes poked over the entire surface and milk pooling around the edges.

    🔪 Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly dust a 9x13 inch baking dish with flour.
    2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
    3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy.
    4. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Mix until smooth
    5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined and smooth.
    6. Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
    7. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely. Pierce the cake with a fork over the entire top surface.
    8. In a large bowl, using a hand whisk, combine the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
    9. Pour milk mixture over top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    10. Prior to serving, using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy and the cream holds its shape. Spread the whipped cream topping over top of the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon. Store in the refrigerator.
    Overhead shot of baked and frosted easy tres leches cake.

    🥄 Equipment

    9x13 baking dish

    Small bowl

    Medium bowl

    Large bowl

    Hand whisk

    Electric hand mixer

    Rubber spatula

    Fork

    🥫Storage

    Store this tres leches cake covered in the fridge up to 5 days.

    📖 Variations

    • Substitute coconut milk for the evaporated milk. This adds a slight coconut flavor to the cake.
    Single serving of Tres Leches Cake on a white plate with the whole cake dish in the background.

    💭 Tips

    • When making the whipped cream, be sure the bowl is clean and chilled. A metal bowl is best as it will hold the chill while mixing the cream.
    • Be sure the cake is completely cooled before poking the holes.
    • A table fork is great for poking the holes into the cake. Poke several holes (see photo) to ensure the milk seeps down into them all over the cake.
    • Allow the cake to sit at least 4 hours or longer (if possible) before serving. The longer the cake sits, the more the milk will absorb.
    • There may be some milk in the bottom of the cake pan. This is ok, it will continue to soak into the cake as it sits.
    • Top the cake with the whipped cream just prior to serving.

    📚 Related Recipes

    Enjoy these Almond Tres Leches Muffins for breakfast!

    Banana Pudding Poke Cake is another family cake favorite.

    🍽 Serve with...

    Serve Tres Leches Cake at the ending of your favorite Mexican dinner. Some great ideas are Cheese Enchiladas with Red Sauce, and Spanish Rice

    🏫 The last word

    I never thought that pouring 6 cups of milk over top of a cake would ever be anything other than complete mush. However, I had tried these Tres Leches Muffins several years ago and decided that since they were a hit, then I should at least give this three milk soaked cake a try!

    This recipe for Tres Leches Cake is a yellow cake base that is super easy to make. It is egg heavy, making it more of a sponge than many other cake recipes.

    One piece of cake on a single serving plate.

    Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

    When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

    If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

    Featured image for Tres Leches Cake.

    Easy Tres Leches Cake

    Shelby Law Ruttan
    A delicious sturdy homemade cake soaked with 3 milks and topped with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
    4 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Refrigeration Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 50 mins
    Course Desserts
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 20
    Calories 307 kcal

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1½ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 5 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
    • 2 cups whole milk
    • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
    • 12 ounces evaporated milk
    • 1½ cups heavy cream
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
      greasing and dusting the cake pan with flour..
    • In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
      sifting together flour and baking powder.
    • In a medium sized mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy.
      creaming together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer.
    • Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Mix until smooth.
      beating in the eggs and vanilla.
    • Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined and smooth.
      adding flour mixture to egg mixture.
    • Pour the cake batter into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
      cake batter spread in the baking dish.
    • Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely. Pierce the cake with a fork over the entire top surface.
      piercing holes in the cake with a fork.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
      mixing together the three milks.
    • Pour the milk mixture over top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
      milk mixture poured over top of the cake and soaking.
    • Prior to serving, using an electric hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy and the cream holds its shape. Spread over top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Store in the refrigerator.
      cake with whipped cream topping and cinnamon sprinkle.

    Video

    Notes

    Tips and Substitutions

    • When making the whipped cream, be sure the bowl is clean and chilled. A metal bowl is best as it will hold the chill while mixing the cream.
    • Be sure the cake is completely cooled before poking the holes.
    • A table fork is great for poking the holes into the cake. Poke several holes (see photo) to ensure the milk seeps down into them all over the cake.
    • Allow the cake to sit at least 4 hours or longer (if possible) before serving. The longer the cake sits, the more the milk will absorb.
    • There may be some milk in the bottom of the cake pan. This is ok, it will continue to soak into the cake as it sits.
    • Top the cake with the whipped cream just prior to serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 604IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 162mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Easy Tres Leches Cake, Tres Leches Cake
    Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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    About Shelby Law Ruttan

    Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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    Welcome! I'm Shelby Law Ruttan, author and content creator at Grumpy's Honeybunch. She is self taught in the kitchen and has been sharing keto low carb recipes and family recipes since 2007.

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