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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 :).
Hello Natasha,
I was wondering if the heavy whipping cream needs to be cold when making the syrup as well? or should it be at room temperature then?
Hi Narmeen, for the syrup you could have it either way. I just prefer to keep dairy products refrigerated for food safety. I hope you love the cake!
Hi Natasha!
Trying to make a 6-inch Birthday cake for my husband. Any way you have the measurements for that?
Hi Adry, I think this cake would overflow a 6″ cake pan, unless you made it a 3-layer but then it might be too heavy for the light frosting. I haven’t tried scaling down the recipe. I’m guessing for a 6″ cake, you would want to make about 2/3 of the recipe.
I’m going to use your recipe for my twin daughters’ first birthday party. Thanks for sharing! Have you ever made this a three layer cake? I’m somewhat experienced as a baker so can 1.5x the recipe but am wondering if the moist nature of the cake layers makes a three layer unstable.
Hi Caitlin, Happy Birthday and blessings to your twins!! 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.
Thanks so much! I’ll just stick to two layers, then!
My pleasure Caitlin 🙂
Oh my holly goodness!! Made this cake last weekend turned out soooo good and its so easy to make… and my husband (he’s extremely peaky in sweets) told me to remember it and make it again and again!!:) Thank you so much for recipe..going to try another one this weekend and very excited!
You’re welcome Kristina! Love to hear the recipe is “picky eater” approved! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This look amazing! I was actually looking for a strawberry cake when I found your strawberry layered cake. I was planning on making that one for a friend’s birthday this weekend, but then I clicked around and found this tres leches and I cannot say no to tres leches! Really looking forward to making it!
It is SO GOOD! Let me know what you think when you decide to make it please! 🙂
Hi Natasha, hopefully you can answer this for me: what do I do if my oven can only fit one cake pan at a time? Is it OK to make the batter all together and just bake in batches?
Hi Kiki, I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how it would affect the cake’s rising if it sits out for awhile. I wish I had a better answer for you!
can I use fresh raspberries instead of strawberries?
Hi Robin, yes absolutely! 🙂
thanks for the recipe, i’m going to use this for my school project hope you don’t mind!
no problem! 🙂
when making this cake, is it best to make day of serving it or the day before?
I think it looks the prettiest the same day. It’s so moist that you don’t have to wait until the next day for it to be ready. It can be enjoyed the same day it’s made 🙂
Natasha, this is the perfect recipe for Tres Leche. I made this for my husband’s birthday last year, and it was a hit! I asked him, “what dessert would you like for your birthday this year?” He replied, “the same as last year.” Thank you for your efforts, and wisdom.
You’re welcome Katrina!! That’s so great to hear! Thank you for sharing your awesome review!! 🙂
Thank you Natasha for this recipe! I made this cake about a dozen times now. My husband loves it and doesn’t want to try anything else.
P.S. I am not a baker at all!
You’re welcome Marina!! That’s so great to hear! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Hi,
This looks perfect! I have made Ree Drummond’s Tres leches cake before and always make the cake the previous day but frost it on the day that we cut it.
I would love to make a layer cake for a birthday. Can it be frosted the previous day? Don’t want to take on too much work on the day of the party.
Hi Nan, 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 🙂
This cake is so so good!! Since strawberries are pretty spendy in Washington during the winter months, I decided to use thawed frozen strawberries and raspberries. Also I realize I didn’t have any evaporated milk, so I just left it out of the ingredients. The cake was still GREAT! The sauce just got a little thicker, but still was able to soak into the cake layers, and the strawberries still added their tangy contrast (:
Thank you Natasha for all your hard work, recording these recipies!
You’re welcome Lena! I am glad to hear it turned out so well! 🙂
Great recipe, Thanks!
You’re welcome Lorena! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Lovely recipe and a beautiful cake! I’ve seen Lee Drummonds recipe and I remember she used the entire can of the evaporated milk as well as the condensed milk. But your recipe calls for 2/3 of each. Is it so the extra liquid doesn’t leak out? Or to cut the sweetness?
Hi, it ‘s more to keep it from being too wet. I’ve tested it with more and there just always seems to be leftover syrup.
Thank you for the reply. I am going to try it this weekend so your suggestion really helps! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much!
I’ve made this several times now and it is one of my favorite cakes to make!
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that Laura!
Hi, I’ve been using your recipe for a while now and just love it! I’m Mexican and tres leches is the go-to cake and this recipe is just too good!
I do have a question: Have you tried making this with a cream cheese frosting? I would love to try it with a cream cheese frosting.
Hi Elba, I haven’t tried it with a cream cheese frosting only because I like the contrast of a really light and simple frosting with the more flavorful juicy cake 🙂
Hi, I only have the extra large eggs they sell at Costco. Would I just use 4 instead of 5?
I haven’t tested that substitution and I hesitate to guess without trying it since baking is so much of a science. I imagine that would work though. It’s what I would do!
Hi. Can cake flour be used instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Ivania, 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.
Thank you for the quick response!!!! I will be making this cake for my friend’s birthday in two weeks (she loves tres leches). Will definitely let you know how it goes ☺️️
I made this cake today and it was a huge hit!!! Thank you for the great recipe ❤
I am glad you loved it! Thank you 🙂
Will it change it much if I subsitue the heavy whipping cream for 1/4 cup of whole milk for the syrup?
Hi Kayla, the syrup will be a little thinner but it will still work fine 🙂
Thank you! Also do you let the cakes completely cool down before putting the syrup on top of them?
Yes, definitely. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this for my son’s birthday last year. He loved it and requested it again for this year, so I am making it this weekend 🙂 Yum!!!
Ksenia, I’m all smiles hearing that 😬. Happy birthday to your son and thank you for the great review!