Layered Tres Leches Cake Recipe
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Layered Tres Leches Cake is everything you love about the classic tres leches cake but it’s stunning as a layered cake. This is one of my favorite cakes. A.ma.zing. It’s super moist, not too sweet and incredibly satisfying. We usually make it as a single layer sheet cake but I’ve had so many questions about turning this into a layered tres leches cake that I couldn’t resist.
It worked out beautifully and would make an excellent special occasion cake. I took this cake to my sisters house and brought the cake platter home clean :). Kids seem to really love this cake too. I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients for Layered Tres Leches Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 whole large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided into 3/4 and 1/4 cups
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup 2% or whole milk
Syrup:
8 oz (about 2/3 of a 12 oz can) evaporated milk
9 oz (about 2/3 of a 14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting & Decor:
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 lb fresh strawberries
How to Make Tres Leches Cake Layers:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour two 9″ round cake pans
1. Set up 3 mixing bowls: 1 medium and 2 large bowls. In the medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
2. Separate eggs into the other two large bowls. Egg yolks into one and egg whites into the other. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow (approx 2 min). Stir in 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3. Pour flour mixture over your egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed with the mixer until just combined.
4. With a clean, dry whisk, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute). With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff but not dry (1 minute).
5. Gently fold egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture until just combined. Divide evenly between two cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp.
6. When cakes have cooled, trim the edges with a serrated knife to even out the edges.
Prep the 3-milk syrup:
1. In a large measuring cup with a pouring lip, stir together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.
Assembling the Layered Tres Leches Cake:
1. Place one of the layers, flat side down, on a cake platter. Using a fork, poke the top all around, going all the way to the edges and poke through the depth of the cake. Use a spoon to pour on half of the 3-milk syrup. Let cake stand and absorb the syrup while you beat the frosting (see instructions below).
2 Generously frost the top of your first layer, then arrange sliced strawberries over the top of your frosting.
3. Your next cake layer will be placed with the flat side up; so before putting it over the strawberries, use a fork to poke the flat surface all around, going to the edges. Now place your poked cake top over the strawberries.
4. Spoon the remaining half of the 3-milk syrup evenly over your top layer. Let cake stand 10-15 minutes for the syrup to soak in for easier frosting.
5. Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth out frosting with a cake spatula. I decorated the top with halved strawberries, placed at an angle around the top border of the cake. It was simple and just perfect.
How to Make the Frosting
1. For best results with whipping cream, freeze your mixing bowl and egg beaters or whisk attachment for 15 minutes. Make sure your whipping cream is very cold.
2. Beat 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Don’t overbeat or it will turn buttery. Refrigerate Tres Leches cake until ready to use.
Recipe Originally adapted from Ree Drummond’s tres leches sheet cake. Ree is an amazing, genuine and hilarious blogger; definitely one of my role models. If you haven’t yet discovered her, you’re missing out big!
Layered Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake Layers:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 whole large eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar, divided into 3/4 and 1/4 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup 2% or whole milk
For the Syrup:
- 8 oz about 2/3 of a 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 9 oz about 2/3 of a 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting & Decor:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
Instructions
How to Make the Cake Layers: Preheat Oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9" round cake pans
-
Set up 3 mixing bowls: 1 medium and 2 large bowls. In the medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
-
Separate eggs into the other two large bowls. Egg yolks into one and egg whites into the other. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow (approx 2 min). Stir in 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
-
Pour flour mixture over your egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed with the mixer until just combined.
-
With a clean, dry whisk, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute). With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff but not dry (1 minute).
-
Gently fold egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture until just combined. Divide evenly between two cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp.
-
When cakes have cooled, trim the edges with a serrated knife to even out the edges.
Prep the 3-milk syrup:
-
In a large measuring cup with a pouring lip, stir together the evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.
Assembling the Cake:
-
Place one of the layers, flat side down, on a cake platter. Using a fork, poke the top all around, going all the way to the edges and poke through the depth of the cake. Use a spoon to pour on half of the 3-milk syrup. Let cake stand and absorb the syrup while you beat the frosting (see instructions below).
-
Generously frost the top of your first layer, then arrange sliced strawberries over the top of your frosting.
-
Your next cake layer will be placed with the flat side up; so before putting it over the strawberries, use a fork to poke the flat surface all around, going to the edges. Now place your poked cake top over the strawberries.
-
Spoon the remaining half of the 3-milk syrup evenly over your top layer. Let cake stand 10-15 minutes for the syrup to soak in for easier frosting.
-
Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth out frosting with a cake spatula. I decorated the top with halved strawberries, placed at an angle around the top border of the cake. It was simple and just perfect.
How to Make the Frosting
-
For best results with whipping cream, freeze your mixing bowl and egg beaters or whisk attachment for 15 minutes. Make sure your whipping cream is very cold.
-
Beat 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Don't overbeat or it will turn buttery. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Y’all have to try this one soon. It’s really really tasty! Have an awesome weekend, friends :).
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I have baked this cake at least 5 times now. It has become my husband and daughter’s go to cake for their birthdays. They don’t want anything else now. Thank you!! It’s so light and delicious.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Christie!
One question: How do I stop the cake from shrinking so much? It comes out fluffy and within a minute it shrinks up.
Hi Christie, some shrinking is normal with this cake – it will pull away from the pan some, and that is expected, but if it’s shrinking too much, be sure to get stiff peaks and fold them into the flour, do not over-mix the batter. I hope that helps.
I’m planning on making this cake for a Valentine’s Day work event but I wanted to decorate it with some fun frosting designs on top. Would this whipped cream frosting work for piping a rope design on top or do you think I’d need a batch of butter cream frosting? Very excited to try it. Thank you!
Hi Jamie! Yes, you can pipe this whipped cream. I hope you love the recipe!
OUTSTANDING!!!
If I could give it 10 stars, I would!! Always wanted to try a Tres Leches Cake and this was EXCELLENT! Was worried it would be soggy with pouring on that much liquid but it came out PERFECT! Made it for my daughters birthday party and it’s been requested for my son in laws birthday party coming up in 2 weeks as well!! Thanks so much!!
Hi Sandy! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Natasha -I made the cakes but I don’t need it until tomorrow because I need to pick up fresh strawberries 🍓 🍓 can I do the syrup tomorrow and just refrigerate the cakes for now and will it absorb the syrup a day later?
Hi Annette! This cake is actually best when the syrup has had time to soak overnight or for a day. You can keep the sponge at room temperature (or refrigerate it) for a couple of days but if you plan on eating it tomorrow, I would add the syrup today and refrigerate it. Then you can add the whipped cream and strawberries before serving. You can also add the whipped cream today if you’d like to save time tomorrow.
three leches cake it was delicious made it today thank you for the recipe Helen
You’re welcome, Helen. Glad you enjoyed this cake!
Hi Natasha!
Can this cake be made without an electric mixer??
Regards
Hi Phoenix! The batter requires beating the egg whites to stiff peaks so it requires the use of a handheld mixer or a stand-mixer.
I love your recipes!!! My daughter is asking for a chocolate tres leches cake for her birthday-do you have a chocolate version of this recipe?
I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, Shannel! I don’t have a recipe for that yet, I only have this Chocolate cake recipe which is eggless. I hope this helps! Happy birthday to your daughter!
How far in advance can I make this cake ? For it to still be good
Hi Alina, you can surely make this ahead. I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good.
Hi! Natasha can I make chocolate tresleches with this recipe. If you can help in adding the cocoa powder in the recipe
Hi Farheen, that sounds like a good idea but I have not tried that advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe! So delicious. But I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Because the cake seems to lose a lot of its height after taking it out of the oven.
Is there something I can do to correct that?
Thanks
Hi Jennifer! Some shrinking is normal with this cake – it will pull away from the pan some and that is expected but if its shrinking to much, be sure to get stiff peaks and fold them into the flour, do not over-mix the batter. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha. I tasted Tres Leches more than 15 years ago in a beach resort and I’ve never forgotten it. I’ve looked for a similar cake in many restaurants but never found one quite as good. Notably, they made it using a tropical fruit cocktail (we live in the tropics so strawberries and other berries are almost impossible to come by) and placed the fruit in-between cake layers. Yours is the only Tres Leches recipe that uses layers so I’m going to try this one. Wish me luck!
Hi Rachel! I hope you love this recipe. Let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Hi Natasha! I’m going to attempt to make this tres leches cake this week and I was planning on baking the cake layers the day before assembling the actual tiers and frosting the cake. Would you recommend soaking the layers in the milk syrup and then wrapping them in plastic wrap and either keeping them on the counter/fridge until the next day or should I keep the layers dry and soak them closer to when I’m about to assemble and frost?
Hi Joan! You can bake the cake layers and keep them in an airtight container or wrap them well in cling wrap overnight until the next day. The cake is actually best when it’s had some time to rest for the cake layers to have time to soak up all the syrup and the flavor. If you plan on making this ahead and serving it the next day, it would be best just to assemble it and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. If you add the syrup without assembling I’m worried you won’t be able to assemble a “layered cake” as the cake layers may fall apart when you are trying to lift them and place them on top of each other.
Hey Natasha, my son’s birthday is coming up and I thought I’d practice making cupcakes with this recipe and it worked beautifully! I used cupcake liners but baked them in muffin tins. I got 30 cupcakes out of this batter. I used wilton 1M tip to pipe a rosette and topped with one whole strawberry with a stem. They look beautiful and taste delicious! Thank you for your yummy recipes!
Yay, it’s successful! Thanks for sharing, we appreciate the feedback.
Hi Natasha,
I substituted whole milk for buttermilk in the cake and will let you know. Also, what’s the difference between the recipes for 8 servings and 12 servings since both call for the same cake pan size? is the 12 a bit thicker? I have to make this for a wedding very soon so would like a nice, beautiful stacked cake. I also substitute the sweetened condensed for the Dulce de Leche Caramel Milk per my customers request and they love it!
Hi Jeanne, if you are using the recipe adjuster bar, the only thing that changes in the recipe list is the listed ingredients when you are adjusting the serving size and that is just for reference. The instructions won’t adjust and you will have to make adjustments there as needed. What I mean by 8 to 12 is you can serve up to 12 people depending on how thick you make your slices. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha , I was wondering if I could place the cake layers directly on a cake board round or if there will be an excess of the 3 milk syrup that will potentially drip off the board.
Hi Jennifer. Yes, there is access liquid that may come out making the board soggy and possibly dripping off.
Hi there! How long would it last in the fridge? Making it for my daughters first bday and I need to make two so wondering how long it would last 🙂 thanks!
Hi Natalia, this will be good for a couple of days. I would wait and put fresh fruit on the day of or the night before it’s served.
Hi Natasha, keen to bake this layered cake. 1) Your cup and teaspoon measurement-are they US metric cup, or Imperial?
2) will it work if I increase your recipe to a 6 egg recipe for 2 x 9” round cake pans? And how long and at what temperature shall I bake them at? Use fan force oven?
Thanks
Hi Ellen, we use US metric measurements, but if you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it takes some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help. I haven’t tried to increase it to 6 eggs, but I bet that could work. If you experiment, I’d love to know how you like that.
Wow! Made it first time for my husband birthday. Had doubts about too much syrop… Was really surprised when it was not suggy. It came out PERFECT!!! Thank you Наташенька!! Very delicious!!! Very light cake . Not too sweat ! Easy to make
PS if I could , would give 10 stars
You’re so welcome, Dina! I’m so happy this was a hit with your family!
Can pineapples be used in place of the strawberries? Might attempt this for husband’s birthday!
Hi Alyssa! Yes, that would work. Just drain them if you are using canned pineapple.
This cake was delicious and so easy to make! My husband loves tres leches and he celebrated a milestone birthday yesterday. I made it on the day of and it tasted amazing. One alter I made was do less sugar in the frosting as I used fresh berries, which already made the cake much sweeter.
Hello Althea, good to know that it turned out well with the minor changes that you made. Happy birthday to your husband, I hope he had a great one!
Can I make this cake the day before? and keep in refrigerator
until ready to serve?
Yes, that would be fine. I usually like to add the fruit on the same day it is served to keep them looking and tasting fresh.
I used this recipe using a heavy gluten free flour, first I sifted out the heavy grains
(Flax) then replaced the amount of grains sifted out with corn starch. The recipe made this way made a lovely light and fluffy 2 layer six inch cake. The whole family LOVED it.
Happy to hear that your whole family enjoyed the cake! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
Everyone loves my tres leches cake and I have used this recipe to make cupcakes (minus the filling).
It’s always a hit! I make it for birthdays all the time!
That’s wonderful! So glad to hear it is enjoyed. It’s one of my personal favorites 🙂
I made this cake last night using 3-8in cake pans and they were very tasty. I used the whipped cream for the inside with the strawberries and an ermine frosting for the outside. I cannot wait for my nephew to try it today for his 16th birthday!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Monica!
Hi Natasha! So excited to try this recipe. One question; when you say “Turn cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp” does that mean to leave the cakes in the pan turned upside down until they cool down? or does that mean to flip them out of the pan and then let them cool?
Thank you!
Hi Chloe, I would invert them onto a wire rack and remove the pan so the cake can come to room temperature without the baking pan.
I’m looking forward to trying this cake for my sisters birthday (who loves Tres Leches)! Is the whipped cream frosting sturdy enough to pre-assemble / hold up for leftovers? Or would you recommend stabilizing it if not all being eaten immediately after serving?
Hi Kathryn, It should work great for the next day or two! We have enjoyed the cake for a couple of days after assembling it. I wouldn’t go past 2 or 3 days.
Recipe was a hit! Cake was super light and fluffy, no sinking and no domes. I made these adjustments for high altitude and it came out perfect: added 1 tbsp flour and an extra egg, subtracted 1/4 cup sugar from the cake, and increased baking temp to 365 for the first 20 mins. Cakes were done at about 28 mins. Can be hard making the elevation changes but this definitely worked out.
I’m so glad that you loved the cake, Morgan! Thank you for your awesome review.
Can I double the syrup part of the recipe to wet the sponge cake just enough ?
Hi Marlene, we have always felt the amount written was plenty for a very moist cake and it should be just right without pooling too much on the bottom. Double would be too much with a layered cake. It would really weigh down the frosting.
Natasha,
I wanted to make this into a 10” 3 layer cake, any recommendations on how to multiply recipe and if you think it will be stable with the extra layer? Any help would be appreciated
Hi Tessie, I have only made this in a 9″ pan. If you happen to experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
I have made this same recipe in 3 8 inch cake pans and it turns out great. I just reduce the baking time by 5-10 mins as the batter in each cake pan is lesser . If you use 3 10 inch cake pan, you might have to increase by 2 eggs and all other ingredients accordingly
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I have used this for Tres Leches Wedding cakes 10” 2 layers & 8” 2 layers 1 recipe for 1 of each pan Fabulous
I have been asked to do a 2- layer 10” Tres Leches cake. This has always been my go to Tres Leches recipe. Do you use all the syrup for each layer? I’m concerned about the syrup coming from the sides of the cake. Any advice is very appreciated!!
Hi Hope! Yes, I do. The cake sponge does a very good job absorbing the syrup. This recipe has been created with a good amount of syrup so this shouldn’t be too much of a concern but you can start with less and add more as it absorbs. If you don’t use it all, the cake can be too dry. You can also prepare this in a plate with an edge to catch any leakage if you are concerned.
Hi!
I’m planning to bake this cake Friday night and giving it for my friend’s birthday on Sunday. Since I have no time on Saturday. Would it work to assemble everything Friday night? That would mean 2 days in the fridge before serving. Or is there a better way that would ensure the cake is in best shape by Sunday.
Thank you! This is my 2nd time making this recipe.
Hi Kristy, It should work great for the next day or two! We have enjoyed the cake for a couple of days after assembling it. I wouldn’t go past 2 or 3 days.
Hi Natasha
I’ve made this recipe so many times with amazing success. I was wanting to make this gluten free for a friend and was wondering if I can swap out all purpose flour with equal amount of gluten free flour for this recipe? (Please note gluten free flour in my country contain xanthan gum I.e vegetable gum 415)
Hi Akbar, I haven’t tried that substitution myself to advise the process or outcome. I skimmed through the comments, and here’s what one of my readers wrote: “I substituted gluten-free baking mix instead of flour, and it still turned out perfect! Thank you!” I hope this helps!
Hi there, I’m going to make this one for my partners birthday in a few days. I have only 1 spring form pan and a small oven so I need to do it in 2 halves. I suspect if I make my batter at once then the second half will loose the air while it waits for the first half to bake. Should I try and divide all of it and make the batter in 2 parts completely to retain the fluff? It seems like smaller quantities might be harder to keep consistent or something. Any advice about this? Thank you
Hi Ren, you’re on track! I recommend making 1/2 at a time since I anticipate the batter sitting in the second pan will likely lose its volume.
This is the worst tres leches cake I have ever tasted! I do not know how this cake got good reviews. It is tastes like rubber. I will never make it again. Find someone else’s recipe that you trust. Trying this cake ruined my daughter’s birthday.
Hi Stephanie, this is a popular recipe for us and I haven’t had that result, but I am happy to help troubleshoot. I highly recommend watching our classic Tres Leches single layer cake recipe video to see where things may have changed or gone wrong in the process. I hope that helps.
omg, chill. Don’t blame her. You over-mixed the batter, it’s easy to do on accident. a sponge like this takes practice.
Can I make this cake a day or two before serving?
Hi Sandy, It should work great for the next day! We have enjoyed the cake for a couple of days after assembling it. I wouldn’t go past 2 or 3 days.
Hi! I’ve been watching your tutorials on making cakes but need to buy some round cake pans so when I looked at your recipes I found the size but it just says 9″ and when I’m shopping the labels say 9″ and something (depth) if you could tell me the measurements of your cake pans and the depth it would be really helpful!
Hi Athena, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Hi Natasha, I plan on making this for my mom’s birthday cake. Can I use cake flour to make this instead of flour?
Hi Hanah, I haven’t tested it but the cake might be too soft with cake flour – it holds a substantial amount of syrup so that would be my only concern about using cake flour.
Another delicious recipe! I made this for my son’s 15th birthday yesterday and it was delicious!! It tastes even better today. Wonderful recipe, thank you so much for bringing so many delicious dishes to our home!
Hello Katie, that’s awesome! I’m happy to have read your feedback, thanks for sharing that with us. Good to know that the recipe was a hit!
Can this be made using bananas or other fruits? Can’t wait to make this. Thanks in advance.
Hi Janet, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Janet, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I made it with strawberries on the side due to allergies. It worked great. Those that wanted them piled them on the cake. Those that didn’t/couldn’t, left them out. Next time I will cut a variety of fruit and place in bowls for people to choose from. This cake is delicious without the fruit, too.
Incredible!! Nothing beats this cake!! Thank you for sharing!!
You’re welcome, Cristina! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This was outstanding, thank you!
Thanks a lot, Luis!
This recipe was excellent! I made this with leas sugar in the cake and less sugar in the frosting and it was divine! I also made these as cupcakes and made the syrup less sweet by reducing the amount of condensed milk and they were very good but I personally liked the cake version. One tip when making cupcakes, fill 1/2 way so that it’s easier to pour the syrup and not overflow. Will definitely be making this soon and many times more! Thank you!
Wow, so happy to know that worked great! Thanks for sharing that with us, that is so helpful.
I’m making this tomorrow, and want some clarification – when you poke holes in the bottoms cake layer, you go all the way through, but not when poking holes in the top layer? Thanks in advance.
Hi Lauren, I poke the second layer the same way as the first one.
Question: The layered tres leches recipe and the single layer recipe of yours has the same quantity of ingredients? is that right or am I missing something?
Hi Nive, that’s right. We usually make it as a single-layer sheet cake, but I’ve had so many questions about turning this into a layered tres leches cake that I couldn’t resist.
Can you make them in advice like just the cake and freeze it
Hi Serenyti, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but here’s what one of our readers wrote “Made a couple small ones for trial and froze layers of one for an event later in the week. Worked very well and found it to be the best of two as it was the moistest. Also, I learned to follow the instructions completely. If I didn’t let the pans cool out of the oven before the loosened the cakes form the pans, they shrank! From now on, I let them rest until they are room temp” I hope that helps
Hi Natasha,
This cake is a big family favorite! We have recently moved to a higher altitude and I am having trouble with the cake sinking in the middle. Do you have an idea of what to adjust in the recipe for high elevation?
Hi Kristine, you may check out this article on High-Altitude Baking for some tips.
Natasha I love all your recipes, they simple and easy to make. Thanks.
Thank you so much, I’m happy to hear that!
This is a new family favorite! I’ve even tried substituting with a 1:1 GF flour b/c my daughter has celiac and it came out perfectly! Now she is requesting it for her birthday cake. Thank you for sharing!!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great! Happy Birthday to your daughter!
I have two questions before I try this recipe! If I were to do this on a cardboard cake board do you think it would get soggy? And could I keep the recipe the exact same but put it into 3 6” pans instead of 2 9” pans?
Hi Dannya, there is access liquid that may come out making the board soggy. I would recommend maybe covering it with foil. I haven’t tested this in 6″ pans to advise. If you do the experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Hi, Natasha. I live all your recipes. I made this cake except that instead of 3 leches, I used brandy to moisten the cake. It cake out delicious 😋 . Would love to add the picture but can’t attach it.
So great to hear that you loved this recipe! Feel free to share the photos on our Facebook page or group to inspire others too!
Hello Natasha,
Can I make cake one day before and then add whipping cream next day. Will it be same delicious.
Hello there, I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good. That process will work too.
This is a great recipe! Always a hit every time! I love all your recipes. Your site is my go to for recipes.
If I wanted to use 6 in. round pans should I half the recipe and use 3 eggs?
Thank you, Nanette. I saw that someone else commented this “I made a test cake with half recipe. I used a 6″ round pan and it worked just fine. I used canned peaches and it went gone in 10 minutes!😅 the cake were baked in 18 minutes, 350F. The cake top went dark brown almost about to be getting burned if I continue baking. I applied toothpick test and they seemed cooked.” I hope that helps and I recommend checking the comments section below the recipe for more tips.
Hi Natasha
I am super keen to try this but was just wondering if I can half the recipe (including 3 milk) for 2 6 inch pans please?
Hi Rukhsana, I saw that someone else commented this “I made a test cake with half recipe. I used a 6″ round pan and it worked just fine. I used canned peaches and it went gone in 10 minutes!😅 the cake were baked in 18 minutes, 350F. The cake top went dark brown almost about to be getting burned if I continue baking. I applied toothpick test and they seemed cooked.” I hope that helps and I recommend checking the comments section below the recipe for more tips.
Hi I’m planning on making this cake for a family member but I want to make the cake in Wednesday and her birthday isn’t until Thursday. If I make it Wednesday night will if still be good for Thursday afternoon?
Hi Julia, It should work great for the next day! We have enjoyed the cake for a couple of days after assembling it. I wouldn’t go past 2 or 3 days.
Awesome, I’m excited to try the recipe. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Julia!
Couldn’t make it as pretty but it tasted so yummy. It also didn’t last longer than 3 days because of the berries molding
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Karol!
Hi Natasha….. I love all your recipes. I have a list (of course your recipes) and I’m determined to complete that list. Love love love creme brulee. Tomorrow I’m going to try layered tres leches cake recipe for a friend and I’m not sure how to store the cake until next days dinner which is when it will be served.
How to store the cake ? If I finish layering the cake and frosting at once and then keep it in the fridge tonight- how do I cover it ? With what I mean ?
Or soak the layers separately overnight and frost the next morning ?
In both scenarios I do not know how to cover the cake 🙈 for storage and what materials or containers to use.
Thank you so much for your videos and recipes. They are sooo yum and you are sooo beautiful
Hi Shalz, I’m so glad you enjoeyd our recipes! We like to use our cake dome or saran wrap to cover the cake. you can put the syrups on today and then cover and refrigerate overnight before adding frosting the next day. I have kept it covered and refrigerated overnight with great results, but I would suggest adding the berries before serving.
Hi.
What if i use a normal sponge cake,will that work?
Hi, I haven’t tested this with normal sponge cake but that sounds like it would work since you are essentially making a sponge cake with tres leches.
Loved this cake. Baked it yesterday with a twist though. I made a pistachio flavored sponge and pista infused milk mixture. The cake turned out awesome.. your recipes are amazing .. just one doubt though, do we have to serve each slice of the layered tre leches with milk syrup or just soaking the sponges prior to layering is sufficient?
That sounds awesome! I have not tried that flavor yet but I can try that in the future. It should be sufficient as it is already moist on its own but you can also do that and add more syrup if you want it to be super moist! Please let us know how it goes if you try that!
Hi Natasha,
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit.
He loved it. I always follow your recipes .Small request ,could you share a death by chocolate cake recipe?
Love it! So great to hear that he enjoyed his Birthday cake! I don’t have a recipe for that yet, I only have the Chocolate cake recipe which is eggless.
This recipe looks delish, and will be making it in a couple of days for hubby’s Bday. Since its only 3 of us, will the cake hold for a couple of days in the fridge (specially the frosting)?
Sounds like a great plan. Happy Birthday in advance, I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good but I think it would be best to bake the day before.
Hi Natasha. Thanks for your quick reply. My question was really around how long would the cake last in the fridge after serving it (Bday day). My concern is mostly with the the frosting. Thanks again. Can’t wait to make this!!
Hi Griz, We have enjoyed the cake for a couple of days after assembling it. I wouldn’t go past 2 or 3 days.
I’m so excited to try this recipe! It looks so beautiful and delicious! I am planning to write a message on top of the cake, do you have any suggestions on what icing I can use? Thanks in advance!
Hi, I don’t really have a favorite but you could use the pre-made gels or frostings that are made for writing. Whipped cream would be too light for piping a message.
This looks great! Can I make and assemble the day before? Or will it get too soggy?
Hello Sam, you can surely make this ahead. I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good.
I made the sheet cake, cannot thank you enough, it was amazing, I have a question cause I am going to make the layered one today, if I do 4 layers, will it be difficult to frost? As the cake is too soft, I am going to make it for my friend’s birthday and I want the cake to be taller.
Hi Najmeh, since this is a softer cake I worry 4 layers may not be as stable BUT, several of our readers have made a few layers of this and it worked fine. Here is what one of our readers wrote. “I stacked 3 layers of this cake for the bottom tier of a 2-tier wedding cake. The lowest layer ended up slightly compressed and leaked some milk after sitting overnight” I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha,
Is it ok to substitute the APF with cake flour on this recipe?
And, will canned peaches work with the Tres Leches Cake as garnish?
Thanks in advance,
Venisse
Hi Venisse, I haven’t tested it but the cake might be too soft with cake flour – it holds a substantial amount of syrup so that would be my only concern about using cake flour.
I’m targetting to do this as Birthday Cake for our Grandmother who’s turning 91y.o so I made a test cake with half recipe. I used a 6″ round pan and it worked just fine. I used canned peaches and it went gone in 10 minutes!😅
Thanks for the recipe Natasha!😊
Oh btw, the cake were baked in 18 minutes, 350F. The cake top went dark brown almost about to be getting burned if I continue baking. I applied toothpick test and they seemed cooked.
You are most welcome! I’m glad the test cake was great, thanks for sharing that with us and Happy Birthday in advance to your grandmother.
We always order tres leches cake from a famous bakery in my hometown. Lately they have lines down the block and we haven’t had the time to wait so I figured I’d try to make one myself.
I doubled the recipe, did three 9×13 layers and put fresh strawberry slices and vanilla pudding in between the layers. It turned out amazing and was gone in minutes. Great recipe!
That is just wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your great comments with us, Victoria. You can now make your very own Tres Leches at home at any time!
Have you ever made this vegan? I’ was asked to make a vegan tres leches and was wondering how to go about it?
Hi Chasteen, I have not tried this as a vegan option to advise. I imagine you will make this with almond flour but this cake does have a good amount of dairy. If you happy to experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
Excuse my english ,
In this recipe we will use 2 round pans??
Hello Maryham, yes that’s two 9″ round cake pans.
Hi Natasha! Can I make the cake layers in advance? Like a night before?
Hi Pauline! That should work! Do not presoak them however or they will turn soggy.
Hi Natasha ! I am planning to make this tomorrow. I need it the day after ! Do you suggest soaking it in milk mixture tomorrow or the day after?
Hi Rinzi, you can do it the day of or a day ahead and both will work great.
I just want to say I love your tres leches cake recipe!!! On Mother’s Day, I made the sheet pan recipe and on Father’s Day, I made the layered. I used your strawberry syrup recipe as a filling along with the whipped cream and it was a HUGE HIT!
I am going to use the double the sheet pan recipe so I can make a large layered tres leches since the regular one disappears in seconds with my family!
I just love how your recipe isn’t overly sweet and just the most perfect consistency!
Your comments are so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your good experience with us. I’m so happy to know that you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha, thank you for posting amazing recipes, we are a big fan of your spaghetti and meatball, and sponge cake recipes. I have a question regarding making this cake in a sheet pan. Can I bake this in a cookie sheet pan and cut it into half for layers?
Hi Asma, have you checked out our Tres Leches Cake here? Its made in a sheet pan.
Hi Natasha! Just wondering if this is really correct?
8 oz (about 2/3 of a 12 oz can) evaporated milk
9 oz (about 2/3 of a 14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
Because in your single layer the evaporated milk was more than the condensed milk. When i followed this it was sweeter than the single layer one.
Hi Cat, the measurements are correct. I used a little less here because it’s a layered cake and I worried that the weight would be too much.
Hi, Natasha! May I use this cake base for a Tiramisu cake? I find that it absorbs so much liquid and holds really well when I followed your Tres Leches recipe. I wonder if this can be used for Tiramisu. Many thanks!
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but you might have to experiment. If you give it a try please let us know how it goes.
This is fantastic recipe: my wife loves layered Tres Leches for special occasions from our local bakery, but they were out of commission at her birthday, so I did this has a homemade treat instead: totally awesome! Bad, admittedly, for the bakery: this is so much better.
One odd question: the recipe uses ⅔ of a can of condenses and evapourated milk, so there’s a bit left afterwards. Other that wickedly sweet creamy coffee for a few days, what’s your best recommendation for cleaning up the leftover ⅓ cans?
Hi Jesse, we often use the leftover condensed milk to make coffee creamer afterward, or drizzle over toast. It’s such a yummy leftover to have! Just make sure to store in a different container besides the tin can it comes in. I’m so glad you love the Tres Leches recipe!
Hey Natasha! Firstly, I concur with someone else who’d posted here, this is honestly one of the ONLY recipes online for a layered tres leches and I already have my cake baked as a tester for an order I got. Was wondering how this would pair with a Swiss meringue buttercream frosting on the outside as the cake requires some added decorations that would need the stability of a buttercream frosting esp since this would also need to be transported.
I’m SOOOO excited to try this.
Hi Arathy, I have not tested this with Swiss meringue buttercream but I bet it could work. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Can keep this frosted cake in the fridge overnight?
By the way, your recipe is amazing.
Hi Taisa, I have kept it covered and refrigerated overnight with great results, but I would suggest adding the berries before serving.
I LOVE this recipe! I made the 9×13 the day of my wedding and everyone loved it! My husband’s family is Mexican, and they always get a tres leches cake from the supermercado down the street for celebrations. I’m starting a home bakery and have tried a few recipes, but always come back to this one! I make a few slights changes (add some vanilla do the whipped cream, add some cinnamon to the syrup, etc), and baked in 2 – 8″ pans with the Wilton bake strips. I wish i could post a picture! Not only does the 8″ pan give me the perfect size layer for the recipe, but the bake strips keep a crust from forming on the sides of the cake, so no trimming! I also hang my cakes upside down while cooling (hang the pans on two short glasses on wire racks, like i do with any chiffon so it won’t sink as much in the center). After about 15-20 minutes the cakes comes out easily and there is zero crust on the bottom also (no crust equals SUPER absorbent spongy deliciousness!). I soaked them overnight and frosted the next day for my nephew’s birthday. EVERYONE raved about the cake, even my nephew, who is quite deadpan, which made me happy! I am going to try to adapt this to make a chocolate version. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Also, you are adorable, and I love every recipe I have tried (the whole family raved about your crispy chicken sandwiches I made last week)!!
I love your very detailed and awesome comment! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, I am so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed the tres leches!
Hi natasha
Can i make tres leches cake in 2 pans 6 inche each one.
Hi Fanny, I haven’t tried but here is a really great resource on how to adapt baking recipes going from the 9″ to the 6″. You may need to do some adaptation.
Hie Natasha. I totally love your recipes. I want to try this recipe for my son s birthday coming up soon. How can i turn it into a lively birthday cake.
Thank you so much and thank sounds like a good plan. You can use this recipe exactly as it is and just change the design and frosting.
Can I make a single layer tres leches cake in one 9 in round or square pan?
Hi Stephanie! You sure can. We have a single layer tres leches cake recipe here.
i was just wondering what size cake pans you happened to use?
I used two 9″ round cake pans
I made this cake for my Grandma’s birthday and everyone loved it! The texture, sweetness, and overall flavor of the cake was perfect! It definitely exceeded my expectations. Thank you for this beautifully made recipe!
Love it! Thanks for your excellent review, I appreciate you sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, I know this is an old post but I made this a few times and my husband and mum both love it.
A quick q. Do you think can make the biskvit layers on a friday and soak and frost on Sunday? Was gng make it for baby’s 1st Bday.
Thanks
Suzanna
Hi Suzanna, that should work! Be sure to store them properly.
Hey Natasha,
Your cake recipes never fail. I made this cake, and it was a instant hit 😊. I altered only 1 ingredient, reduced the sugar in the cake batter to half. Loads of love for sharing this amazing cake recipe 💕
Warm regards,
Romi
Nice, thanks for sharing that with us! I’m so glad you loved it and reducing the sugar worked.
As a person of Latinx descent, I take Tres Leches very seriously, and this recipe turned out fantastic and authentic! Most others I’ve tried, from bakeries and store-bought are usually way too dry or way too sweet (or somehow both…), but this one was perfectly moist and just the right level of sweetness. I added a little bit of cinnamon to the milk and on top for garnish and I put chopped strawberries, kiwi and canned peaches in between the layers – they turned out great!
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us and for leaving great feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed the cake.
I always make Bundt cakes but I had to try this layer cake and it turned out delicious and beautiful.
I love Natasha’s energy; she can always put a smile on my face when her video comes through my Facebook feed.
You’re so nice! Thank you for that great feedback Christopher!
Hi Natasha so can I substitute the heavy whipping cream for the syrup with milk
Hi Jessica, the heavy cream helps keep the syrup from getting watery. You might use a little less if substituting with milk and whole milk would be better than 1%. If you have half and half, that would work here as well.
I tried your recipe for my son’s
birthday and the cake was a super hit. Thanks Natasha.
I had always wanted to try out a Tres Leche cake.
That’s so awesome! Happy birthday to your son!
Dear Natasha, Can i half this recipe to make in two 6 inch pans instead?
Hi Ais, I haven’t tried but here is a really great resource on how to adapt baking recipes going from the 9″ to the 6″. You may need to do some adaptation.
I usually make another Tres Leches recipe in the traditional 9×13 pan format but have always wanted to dress it up for a special occasion.
Tried this today for my brother’s birthday and it turned out beautifully. My cake came out a bit crooked but was probably the way I placed the batter in the pans/my oven being uneven but I straightened the edges out and used cream to even out any unevenness.
I also added some gelatine to the whipped cream as I live in a warm climate and whipped cream deflates quickly.
The taste was excellent and the presentation breathtaking.
Natasha your recipes are easy, fool proof and delicious!
Love it! So great to know that you liked the end result. Happy birthday to your brother and enjoy the good food!
Hi! I was wondering if this cake would still taste good if i left the strawberries out? I am making it for a friend who does not like fruit. Thank you!
Hello Sue, I haven’t tried that version yet but I imagine that should be alright if your friend doesn’t like fruits but it’s awesome with it!
Hi Natascha
I am wonder if The tres lechescake can i leave each layer with milk syrup in the fridge all night next day put it together. I want to make this cake for tomorrow is my aunt birthday
Hi Fanny you can put the syrups on today and then cover and refrigerate overnight before adding frosting the next day.
Hi Natasha, the cake came out delicious! thank you for a great recipe.
One question – When my cakes were in the oven they rose a lot and were pretty tall. When I took them out to cool they deflated a quiet a lot. Is that suppose to happen?
Hi Anya, I’ve never had one go flat but I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you use the full 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and was your baking powder fresh? The other reason is it maybe you needed to beat the egg whites a little longer – did your egg whites look like mine in the photo? I hope that’s helpful!
Hi Natasha,
I only have an 8inch cake pans. Can I bake all the batter in a pan and slice it half to make 2 layers?
Hi Li, I have not tested it in 8 inch pans, so I’m not sure if it would overflow the pan. I think you could make it work if you have taller walls on your cake pans. You would also want to bake a little longer since the cake layers would be taller.
Would the cake still work out if I made it only one layer?
Hi Zoe, we have a recipe for that! You can make this recipe here for a one layer cake.
Hi Natasha, I would like to ask what kind of heavy cream I can use with frosting because every time I make, it always gets melt easily after I put it in the ref. I tried your banana bread and it turns out good, been my fav.
Thank you.
Hi Claudine, the best would be heavy whipping cream. We often use Darigold heavy whipping cream from Costco.
I add 2 Tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder to the 2 1/2 cups of whipping cream when beating it. The powdered milk stabilizes the whipped cream so well that it can keep its shape for several hours at room temperature.
Hi Natasha !
I loved your tres leches cake recipe so much that now I will be making this layered one for my brother birthday.
Quick question: I want to make the cake tonight and just decorate tomorrow , if I make the cakes today and Soak them overnight should I refrigerate them with the frosting already in the middle or let the cakes soak overnight separately ? Thanks !
Hi Barb, you can put the syrups on today and then cover and refrigerate overnight before adding frosting the next day.
I have the same question. What is the best way to soak/store them overnight? Should they be on two separate plates covered in plastic, then flipped onto the cake stand the next day? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, with the layered cake, it would be better to soak and assemble right away. It will be very difficult to try to transfer the cake layer later without breaking it.
Love this cake recipe but for some reason my cakes always sink in the middle can anyone help me by telling me why that happens I would love to fix the problem.
Hi Yazmin, I haven’t had that experience but it might help for you to watch our tres leches video tutorial to see how the batter should look at the different stages.
Hi Natasha,
What would be the measurements if I want to try it first with a 4 inch diameter cake having 2 layers? Thank youuu
Hi, I haven’t tested it that way so you will have to estimate based on the height of your pans.
Hey Natasha! I have a question.
First, I want to make this cake the night before, but it might not get eaten until almost a full day after. How long can the cake be refrigerated before consumption, so it doesn’t get soggy?
Hi Londyn, I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good
Hi Natasha,
I made this cake for husband’s birthday! It tastes so so good. I used 2x 8 inch cake pan and increased bake time by 5 min. I love Tres Leches cake. My hubby who does not like cakes and sweets, ate a big slice!! He says cake was so tasty yet not so sweet.
In fact I love your recipes. I do sometimes adjust as per my liking such as less cheese, less salt/sugar etc. But they are still good. I already tried your meatloaf, Asian beef and broccoli, baked donut (filling was seabuckthorn jam I made), breakfast burrito, beef plov and past salad. All are tried and approved by 2 picky kids and husband.
You are awesome.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience making this recipe. So happy that you and your husband loved this and I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Do you know of any adjustments I should make for high elevation?
Hello Kaiza, you may check out this article on High-Altitude Baking for some tips.
super good recepie! made it yesterday for my husband’s birthday, he loved it!!!
even my daughter who only likes chocolate cake loved it!!! super easy to make.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi, can you please add this recipe in metrics?
Hi Nabe, We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
Hi Natasha! I was wondering if I could make this cake with just the heavy whipping cream and the condensed milk? I don’t have evaporated milk right now and was wondering what measurements I would use if I were to use just condensed milk and heavy whipping cream for the syrup.
Hi Emily, To be honest, this is the only recipe I’ve used evaporated milk for. lol. I only buy it for this. You can replace it with regular milk and that would be ok.
How can I make this into a single layered cake? Do i cut all ingredients in half?
Hi Margarita, we actually have a single layer Tres Leches cake here. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! Oh yes, that was actually the first cake I looked at. It looks and sounds delicious it’s just a tad too big for us. 2 adults and 2 kiddos. I was thinking to make a one layer 9″ or 10″ cake for my husband in a few days.
Hi! Is it possible to make it a 3 layer? Or is it too risky?
Hi Eve, I haven’t tried it as a 3 layer cake. I think it would be too heavy to put it in 1 large pan and cut it into thirds. I think the best way to achieve that is to divide the batter into three cake pans and bake the 3 pans at the same time. You would have to cut down the baking time since the cakes will be thinner. Multiplying the recipe by 1 1/2 might create too heavy of a cake with the weight of the milk syrup.
how can I make this keto?
Hi Heather, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha!
I absolutely love all your cakes. I’ve made quite a few and they’ve always been a success. I wondered if you would have any recommendations for substituting some of the ingredients in syrup for Kahlua to sort of have a “White Russian” tres leches? Thank you!
Hi! I have not tested that to advise. I imagine you could add it to the syrup. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Absolutely LOVED this recipe! I had to make a few changes but overall it came out great! First, I was having oven issues and overcooked both layers. I was afraid it would be too dry so I made it into 4 layers (cutting both into 2). Second, my grocery store did not have strawberries and I had only 2 hours to make it, so I made this strawberry sauce and added a small amount in between layers. I was afraid of making it too moist so I was very conservative with the strawberries, but I should of put more! With the leftover sauce I used it as a topping. The strawberry sauce added a sweet & sour taste (I add extra lemon juice to it) and my guests absolutely loved it!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Galya!
Hello, do you have any advice on adjusting baking times for two 8 in pans instead of 9? Or would it be about the same?
Hi Gabrielle, The timing should be pretty similar, I would check the batter closer to the end to be sure it is not getting to dark.
Hi Natasha, i want to make this cake for 40 guest .i was thinking of baking in two 12 x 2 round pans,doubling the recipe for each pan . Will that work and what should be the oven temp and cooking time for it.
Hi Billie, We doubled the recipe for a 9×13 pan so I’m not sure it will fit in a 12×2 doubled. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
THANK YOU! This is one of my go to recipes for birthdays and big get togethers. I combine this recipe with a homemade strawberry whip cream. I have doubled this recipe into a 4 layer cake to feed 60. Not a single complaint. So yummy!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and for sharing that with us, Kamryn!
I love this cake! I’m making it for my sons birthday on Saturday. Do I need to do anything special for 3 layers to avoid it falling? Thank you!
Hi Galina, Several of our readers have made a few layers of this and it worked fine. Here is what one of our readers wrote. “I stacked 3 layers of this cake for the bottom tier of a 2-tier wedding cake. The lowest layer ended up slightly compressed and leaked some milk after sitting overnight” I hope this helps.
Hi,
When you say Butter and flour two 9″ round cake pans. Is it side and bottom or just the bottom? In other recipes you have parchment paper instead of the butter. Which one goes better for this cake?
I butter and flour the sides and bottoms which works best.
Hi Natasha,
Would it be ok to use a 10 inch round cake pan instead of a 9 inch for two layers? If so, what do you suggest as the bake time? Thank you!
Hi Kelley, I think you could keep the recipe the same and use a 10″ pan. The cake will just be slightly shorter and you may need to reduce the bake time a little bit since the cake will be shorter and wider, it will bake faster.
Can I freeze the whole cake after the milks have been added and frosted with whipped cream?
Hi Judee, I honestly haven’t tried freezing the finished cake so I can’t speak to that. If anyone else has tried, please let us know.
This cake is just perfect! I was worried it would be too soggy from so much syrup or too sweet. But it wasnt! It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Thank you! I added it to my go-to collection :)))
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Irina!
Can i bake the layers in advance and keep them refrigerated wrapped in plastic? And then next night pour milk mixture and let them soak and then frost in the morning? Do i need to rewhip frosting if frosting in the morning? Thanks!!!!!!
Hi Irina, that will work the way you are describing but I would whip the cream fresh before putting it on the cake. Also, once the milks are on the cake, I would suggest covering it somehow before refrigerating because it has dairy which should be refrigerated if not eaten the same day and also so your cake doesn’t take on any refrigerator smells.
How long does the milk need to soak in the cake before I put the whip frosting on it? Because I wanted to make the layers one night then the next day put the milk and whipped frosting and use for the same day but does milk have to sit for a while before frosted?
Hi Angela, I have frosted the top as quick as 20 minutes after letting the milks soak into the cake. Once the liquid is absorbed, it’s ok to frost. You can also add the milks the night before and cover and refrigerate then add frosting the next day.
Just made this cake today as the recipe states and it was a hit! The cake was moist and not overly sweet. This one will be a keeper
Sounds like you have a new favorite Tina! Thank you for sharing that awesome feedback with me!
Hi Natasha, can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
Hi Tanya, Honestly, that’s a great question but I have not tested that! I hope you find what this reader here wrote is helpful “I took a risk and the cake came out fabulous in two 8 ” cake pans!!! I used 80% of the cake batter.. and the rest I made cupcakes, it took just 20 minutes to bake and the cakes came out super moist and just perfect, Thank you again!”
Hi Natasha~
Looking for your expertise – could this recipe be used as written for cupcakes? What changes or things would you watch for? They wouldn’t be layered but the stronger sponge may make it more suitable for a cupcake than the sheet pan recipe.
For a graduation party I’m thinking cupcakes would present better (and be easier?) instead of 2-3 cakes to serve the number needed. And I could decorate them a few ways to represent school colors – blueberries on some and lemon curd under the frosting on others?…..
Hi Jackie! Honestly, that’s a great question but I have not tested that! I hope you find what this reader here wrote is helpful “I took a risk and the cake came out fabulous in two 8 ” cake pans!!! I used 80% of the cake batter.. and the rest I made cupcakes, it took just 20 minutes to bake and the cakes came out super moist and just perfect, Thank you again!”
Thank you! I hadn’t seen that comment! – I’m baking a test batch this coming weekend and I’ll let you know! This way I can try out other cupcake flavors too, and serve all in a cupcake stand!
What is the “proper” level for cupcake batter? – 1/2 or 3/4 full??
Hi Jackie, 2/3 to 3/4 is about how we fill them.
Hello. I want to make this cake for Sunday dinner. How do you keep the strawberries from bleeding if I make it ahead of time? Thank you!
Hi Brenda! Are you using fresh strawberries? Fresh strawberries should bleed that much. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
This looks amazing. I’ve make Ree’s tres leches before and it was always great.
Would it be less messy to put the cake layers back into the cake pans to soak up the syrup, or am I over-thinking it?
Hi Karen, our cake layers absorbed that syrup just fine on our serving platter. 🙂
Hi Natasha! I just watched your tres Leche cake video on Instagram and I saw a comment that you had a 2 layer tres leche cake recipe on your website, so here I am! Can I make this entire cake ahead of time? (Cake, soak, icing, covered, refrigerate) Thank you!
Hi Tracy, I have made this the night before and it does work, just make sure your strawberries are fresh, also cover and refrigerate until serving and you should be good
Thank you so much!!! I just bought all of the ingredients and excited to make for my mamas birthday!
That’s so great! Happy Birthday to your Mama! I hope you both love the Tres Leches Cake.
Hi Natasha,
I would like to make this for a pot luck, but am concerned about possible food allergies. Would it be okay to make this without the strawberries?
Blueberry and raspberries would also work great 🙂
Is it okay to put food coloring to color the cake? Also, how many layers at most can i make this without destroying how it looks on the outside? This was a request for a gender reveal cake by a friend. Thank you.
Hi Liza, I don’t see why not! Regarding layering, here is what one of our readers wrote “I stacked 3 layers of this cake for the bottom tier of a 2-tier wedding cake. The lowest layer ended up slightly compressed and leaked some milk after sitting overnight, so I think stacking 4 layers would cause problems.
Baking thicker layers might be tricky, too, because the edges of the cake could get dry before the middle is baked. If you need 4 layers I would suggest making 2 tiers with 2 layers in each tier. The posts and platform that support the upper tier will take the pressure off the lower layers. When I made my brother’s wedding cake I was able to buy inexpensive cake tier supports at Michaels, and I am sure many other craft stores have them also.” I hope this helps.
I made this for Christmas this year. I was worried that it would be soggy but it was perfect. The recipe was spot on and I didn’t run into any issues. I baked it the night before and it held up perfectly. I will be making this again for sure.
That’s so great, Ashley! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi, this recipe looks great but I was wondering if it would be possible if maybe doubled up on batter to make it into a 2 layer 9×13 (for a friends party) and If the party were to start around 8 pm would it be safe to make it the night before and it be ok or should I make the day of to ensure freshness?
Hi Alicia, I worry that a 2-layer 9×13 would be very very heavy and might compress the frosting in the center too much since it is a fairly light whipped cream. This 2-layer round cake is the bravest I got. Here is the recipe for a single layer 9×13 tres leches cake if that helps.
Hi natasha! Can I use unsweetened Almond milk instead of the whole
milk? Thank you
Hi Angel, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha! I have a question – can I substitute evaporated milk for regular or anything else?! Don’t have it on hand now ☹️
Hi Ilona, You can replace it with regular milk and that would be ok
Last week my 17-year old daughter and I were in Guatemala on a mission trip, and a round layered version of this was served at a birthday celebration. We both agreed it was ABSOLUTELY the best cake we’d ever tasted! It was topped, by quarters, w/ thin sliced apples, peaches, and grapes, w/ the last quarter being chocolate shavings. We’ll be trying your recipe for Thanksgiving.
That’s so great Jeff! Thank you for sharing this with me! I hope you love this recipe!!
Hey! Just wanted to let you know that in the recipe it calls for the 1 1/2 tsp baking powder but in the instructions it only has you add 1/2 tsp to the flour mixture. Probably a typo but makes it a little confusing. Thanks for the tips on stacking, I’m making a tres leches for a bday party and wasn’t sure how to make it a layered cake. Happy Baking!
Hi Jess, I just reviewed the recipe & step one states “whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.” I hope that helps
Can I put chocolate ganache on top (like a drip cake) plus fill the top with fruits? Or will it be too heavy? The last time I made a layered Tres Leches cake, after soaking and frosting and putting it in the fridge, my cake cracked, right in the middle. I don’t know what went wrong. Maybe too much liquid? Or layers were too heavy? How do I avoid this?
I have tried that before with soft drip edges and it was a great combination but I believe the ganache tried to steal the show from the cake! It also added some sweetness. Presentation wise it was perfect! I’m wondering if it was too heavy. Did it look like a dry crack? It should have with that much moisture!
Regarding the three milk mixture, it says 8 oz evap milk, 9 oz condensed milk, and 1/4 cup cream. I noticed that 9 oz is more than 2/3 of a 14 oz can of condensed milk. Should I go with the measurements in oz or just measure 2/3 of a can of condensed milk?😁
Hi Cassie, It doesn’t have to be ultra precise in this recipe. This is how I arrived at 9oz – so if the 14 oz can was divided into 3, it would be 4.6 times 2 would be 9.333 oz which is rounded down to 9 oz or 2/4 of the can. The measurement of the can is by weight, not volume, which can be confusing. I hope that clarifies (and doesn’t confuse the situation more). lol 🙂
Thanks! I made them. It was a hit! The pictures helped a lot.😁
You’re so welcome!! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
This cake is the best one I have ever tasted! Sure beats store bought cakes. I was wondering if you could tell me why my cake deflated after it was out of the oven cooling??
Hi Marina! I’ve never had one go flat but I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you use the full 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and was your baking powder fresh? The other reason is it maybe you needed to beat the egg whites a little longer – did your egg whites look like mine in the photo? I hope that’s helpful!
Natasha, do you think it’s possible to create a 6-inch double tiered tres leche cake and stack it on top of another cake? I’m wondering if the milk makes it too dense to sit on top of another cake or if the liquid would soak through the cake board. Any tips would be appreciated!
Hi Wendy! Several of our readers have made a few layers of this and it worked fine. Here is what one of our readers wrote. “I stacked 3 layers of this cake for the bottom tier of a 2-tier wedding cake. The lowest layer ended up slightly compressed and leaked some milk after sitting overnight” I hope this helps.
AHHHHH! SO AMAZING! This cake was just right for me; it wasn’t too sweet or too bland, it was PERFECT!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!