This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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 :).
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!
How can I make this into chocolate sponge cake?
Hi Yazmin! You are the second person to ask this today!! That sounds like such a great idea I will have to test it out. I would add unsweetened cocoa to it but other adjustments would have to be made to make it perfect. If you experiment I’d love to hear your results
I’d love to adapt this and make a chocolate version. Do you this you could make it into a chocolate pound cake? How would I do that?
Hi Aimee! That is actually a really great idea!! I did a quick google search and yes it has been done. I haven’t tried it yet I will have to put it on my to do list. Thanks for the idea!
Hey Natasha !!
Baked this cake for our girls foodie night. It turned out to be a hit .. love to bake it again !! Thank you !!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I am planning to make this next weekend for my father-in-law’s birthday. I wanted to try adding Brandy in with the frosting and/or filling. Do you think that it would taste well? If so how much do you think I should put in, thanks!
HI Tiffiny, that is very sweet of you to make that for him. I haven’t tried with brandy but I have come across versions that add 2 Tbsp Brandy to the soaking milks syrup.
Can I make 2 days ahead
Hi Paige! I’m copying the same response here 🙂 I think it would be best to bake the day before. It would still taste great even if you made it Friday since this is a sponge cake and absorbs liquid well without turning soggy but for best results, I’d make it Saturday to serve on Sunday if possible.
I’m making this for my daughters birthday. Its Friday and her birthday celebration is Sunday. Could I make the whole cake then refrigerate till Sunday or do you suggest just making the cake and wrapping and leaving at room temp till I can finish Sunday. I would love to add the tres leche to soak up today but would I just add to the 1 bottom layer or go ahead and add the frosting and strawberry and soak the top layer… then decorate top sunday.
Hi Paige! I think it would be best to bake the day before. It would still taste great even if you made it Friday since this is a sponge cake and absorbs liquid well without turning soggy but for best results, I’d make it Saturday to serve on Sunday if possible. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Do you think peaches would work in this recipe instead of strawberries?
Hi Lindsay, I think it would work with peaches but keep in mind that fresh peaches brown so if you want to refrigerate for awhile, you might consider canned peaches. Hope this helps!
I doubled the recipe and made in two 11″ x 15″ sheet cake pans so I would have a bigger cake as we had guests coming over. It wasn’t as pretty, but it was delicious – everyone loved it!
That’s so awesome! I’m happy to hear doubling it works fine! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Natasha can i do this recipe in 2 8×3 cake pans
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t tried it that way but I suspect it would work – you will probably need to bake a little longer since your cakes will be taller. Also, keep in mind if the cake layers are taller and heavier, it may be more likely to squeeze out the frosting between the layers as this is an already fairly heavy cake with the syrup.
This is very delicious cake. Now I want to Super size it. Do you think if I double the recipe would I get a single layer 14x14v2 cake? Maybe triple the recipe. Thanks you for sharing your recipes.
We doubled the recipe for a 9×13 pan so tripling it may work to accomplish a taller cake, otherwise your cake won’t be as tall. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe. 🙂