Tres Leches Cake has a soft and ultra-moist crumb. It is soaked with a rich 3-milk mixture and topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream. This is an authentic Tres Leches Cake recipe and the best I have tried. It beats any store-bought version all day long!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Helpful Reader Review
“I have been making Natasha’s tres leches cake for years now and I literally won’t make another recipe! She also has a video that helps you along the way if you need it! Best cake ever!!! Truly one of my family and friends favorites!” – Cat ★★★★★
Tres Leches Cake Video
Watch my Tres Leches Cake video tutorial, and you will crave it until you make it. You’ll love the simplicity of this cake.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres Leches is a popular, authentic Mexican cake. I am a fan of moist cakes and the first time I made this Tres Leches Cake it blew me away. The syrup is made of – you guessed it – tres leches (which means three kinds of milk). You poke holes into the cake before pouring over the syrup so every bite is decadently moist. The cake is rich but has a light feel to it and is balanced by the lightly sweetened whipped cream.
My cousin Katerina sent me this Tres Leches Cake recipe 15 years ago. She adapted it from the Pioneer Woman. I love this recipe so much that I developed a Tres Leches Cupcake for my Cookbook and bravely turned it into a Layered Tres Leches Cake (the cake is heavy with the syrup, but I did it!).
I love the simple, crowd-pleasing desserts that come together in a casserole dish like classic Tiramisu, our popular Strawberry Pretzel Salad, and of course, this easy Tres Leches Cake. They are easy to make and perfect to bring to potlucks and parties. They transfer well and are always the first to disappear.
Ingredients for Tres Leches Cake
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients, most of which are refrigerator and pantry staples:
- For the Cake: I use all-purpose flour (although several readers have reported excellent results with 1:1 gluten-free flour), along with baking powder for leavening, salt, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and whole milk.
- For the Syrup: 3 types of milk are poured over the cake for moisture and rich flavor: evaporated milk, heavy whipping cream, and sweetened condensed milk.
- The Topping is a simple whipped cream frosting sweetened with sugar. Traditionally, people sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top, but I love using fresh berries over the top for a prettier presentation and for the tangy and sweet contrast with the cake.
Tips for the Best Tres Leches Cake
- Watch the video tutorial below before beginning to gauge the process and tools needed before starting.
- Measure Correctly – For the flour, spoon it into a measuring cup and level off the top.
- Cold eggs are easier to separate into whites and yolks.
- Fold gently with a spatula just until it is well incorporated then stop. Do not overmix since the cake relies on the volume of the eggs to rise.
- Avoid draft – While cooling the cake to room temperature, avoid any outdoor draft. Any egg-based cake can take on an “eggy” aroma if it gets outdoor air.
- Let the cake rest 30 min after pouring on the syrup so it can absorb every drop.
- Bake in a ceramic or glass casserole dish for the best rise and it’s easier to serve right out of the casserole dish.
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a casserole dish. Set up 3 mixing bowls.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the first bowl. Separate egg whites and yolks into the other 2 bowls.
- Beat yolks with 3/4 cup sugar using an electric hand mixer on high speed, until pale yellow (2 min). Stir in 1/3 cup milk and vanilla.
- Beat whites with clean and dry egg beaters on high speed until soft peaks form (1 min). With the mixer on, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until whites are stiff but not dry (1 min).
- Pour the yolk mixture over flour mixture and use a spatula to blend together. Gently fold in egg white mixture until just combined. Pour batter into prepared casserole and bake 30-35 minutes.
- Make the 3-Milk Syrup: In a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a pouring lip), combine 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 12 oz evaporated milk and 9 oz condensed milk. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake. Let the cake rest 30 minutes to absorb and distribute the syrup then top with whipped cream and berries.
Is Tres Leches Cake Soggy?
It is supposed to be very moist, but not soggy. The cake base is a sponge cake, so it can absorb a generous amount of syrup without getting soggy – this is why I avoid using a boxed white cake mix, which can quickly become “soggy” since it’s not meant to absorb liquid. Letting the cake rest for 30 minutes after applying the syrup also helps to ensure the syrup is distributed evenly throughout the cake.
Make-Ahead Tips for Tres Leches Cake
Once the syrup is added to the sponge, you can cover and refrigerate overnight. You can also fully assemble the cake with the frosting 1 to 2 days ahead – as long as you beat the whipped cream topping to stiff peaks, it will keep well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add fresh berries just before serving, especially if the berries are sliced.
Can Tres Leches Cake be frozen?
You can make the cake base ahead of time. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then cover the casserole dish tightly with a couple of layers of plastic wrap and freeze the tres leches cake base up to 2 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter before using it. I don’t recommend freezing the cake once the syrup and frosting are added.
This has to be one of the moistest cakes around. It has such a lovely soft and spongy texture that it disappears fast – you’ll savor every bite. Make this for your next party, and you will become known for your Tres Leches recipe.
More Cinco de Mayo Recipes
If you’re a fan of authentic Mexican recipes as much as I am, you’ll love these reader favorites for your Cinco de Mayo menu.
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or substitute 1:1 GF flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 eggs, (large)
- 1 cup sugar, divided into 3/4 and 1/4 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
Syrup:
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 9 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup berries, to garnish, optional
Instructions
How to Make Tres Leches Cake Base:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F and butter a 9×13 casserole pan. Set up three mixing bowls.
- In a large bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 salt. Separate egg whites and yolks into the other two bowls.
- Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed, until yolks are a pale yellow (2 minutes). Stir in 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla.
- 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)
- Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and combine gently with a spatula. Gently fold in egg white mixture with the spatula until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the 3-Milk Syrup:
- In a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a pouring lip), combine 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 12 oz evaporated milk and 9 oz condensed milk. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake. Let the cake rest for 30 minutes to absorb the milk. You can cover and refrigerate overnight at this point if desired.
To Make the Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Pour 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream and 2 Tbsp sugar into a large chilled mixing bowl and beat on high speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until thick, whipped and spreadable. Spread over the cake with a spatula then decorate with berries if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Looking for Potluck Desserts?
Enjoy these party-favorite desserts that are simple to make, transport well, and can even be made ahead:
Hello Natasha! This recipe is a winner, the way I grew up eating it in Latin America ;)! For a little variation, in my family, we like to add to the syrup mix, another 3/4 to 1 full cup of whole milk (make it 4 leches!), but this one, I bring to a simmer/boil along with a stick of cinnamon. Turn it off right away, let it cool to room temp, then refrigerate. Remove the stick and add to the rest of the milk syrup mix. It gives a delicious hint of cinnamon, along with the vanilla. Yum!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Claudita! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Love it! Both my 2 and 5 year old asked for it for their birthdays this year!
Wow, they both have good taste! This is an awesome cake and one of our favorites too. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha,
I want to make this cake for my friend’s birthday but I was wondering you didn’t use the butter for making the sponge.Without any butter or oil can I make the sponge??Thanks in advance.
Hello there, we’ve made this recipe a lot of times using the same process and ingredients and it always worked great!
Love it! it was my first time cooking it. Delicious! It was the perfect desert for thanksgiving dinner.
Thank you, Andrea. I’m glad you enjoyed this cake!
Hi Natasha, just made this cake and it’s delicious. I had medium eggs so added 6 medium eggs. Made it in a 9×13 non stick baking pan at 325 degrees for 28 mins. It’s turned about perfectly spongy and moist. Will definitely make again and again and…..
Hi Namita! That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Tried this recipe and it was awesome! Thank you for sharing your recipes Natasha! You are a blessing, you are a gem =) God bless!
You are so welcome, glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Based on the 5 star rating from so many, I took a chance and made this for the first time. I took it to a Mexican night dinner party (probably be it the best time to try a new recipe). It was a success, with half of the group having seconds! I think I will use a little less of the whipped cream frosting next time. A definite keeper!
Yay, love it! Thanks for sharing that with us, Denise. That makes me so happy.
Must say the best recipe I have used. I multiplied by 4 and still got an awesome, soft, moist cake with a great crumb.
Thank you
I am so happy to ready your great comments and feedback!
Hi! I was planning on making this cake over the holidays – is there any measurement changes or adjustments to be made when using a circular pan instead of a casserole dish? Thanks!
Hi Avril, I haven’t tried making this cake using a circular pan to advise of the measurements. You can use the same measurements if the size of the pan is almost the same?
I am making this for someone’s birthday. I’m nervous about the whipped cream frosting not holding up. The cake will be picked up the night before or the morning of the party. Will this be okay?
It should still be fine for up to 2 days. Make sure to keep it covered and refrigerated.
Hi Natasha!
This cake has quickly become a go to favourite in my family!! So easy to make and absolutely delicious.
I would love to try turning this into cupcakes – how would you recommend doing that?
That is so awesome! I haven’t tried turning this into cupcakes to advise of the measurements. You might need to do an experiment on that one. Please share with us how it goes if you try it!
Tres Leches is the result of the Germanic migrations to NICARAGUA in the 1850s. More focalized, it comes from the Swiss-Nicaraguans in Jinotega Province of Northern Nicaraguan.
No one from Mexico had ever tasted it before 2000 and that was due to the Nicaraguan refugees that had arrived in FLORIDA in 1980.
“ Between 1979 and 1990, the violence of the Nicaraguan Revolution, coupled with an earthquake, forever changed both Nicaragua and Miami. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans fled the country to Miami, a growing metropolis where Latin Americans thrived, forged in large part by the Cuban community. Much of the population settled in the suburb communities of Sweetwater and Kendall.
Today, Sweetwater is known as Little Managua, which is also where the famous Los Ranchos opened in a small stripmall in 1981. Since then, they’ve expanded to three additional locations. Tres leches cake was added to the menu and thus reintroduced to the Nicaraguan community as well as formally introduced to Miamians.”
Nice to know, thanks for sharing!
Best recipe I have made!
So fantastic! Thank you so much, Holly.
This is fantastic recipe for tres leche cake. I’ve made it numerous times and it’s been a hit each and every time. Lately I’ve used 1 3/4 cups of sifted Swan Cake Flour and 2 tsp of baking powder and find the cake is a bit taller and slightly denser in a 9×13. Life is good, eat the cake! Thank you Natasha!
Yes so true! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this cake, it is so good and also one of our favorites, Paula.
Yum! This is a fantastic recipe. If I wanted to make this in an 8×8 would you recommend 1/2 or 2/3 of the recipe?
Thank you for sharing that with me, Amanda! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe!
The best cake I have ever had. Passed some out to neighbors and family and they all loved it. I made it 4 times already
That is so nice of you, Joan. Thanks for your great feedback and I hope that you will love all the recipes that you will try!
So I’ve made this cake twice and i get a beautiful bake, however both times it completely collapses as it cools. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Candace, some tips, it’s best not to open the oven when cooking this cake – the heat escaping quickly can cause the cake to sink in the center. Also, try mixing another couple of minutes – if you are using a hand mixer or anything other than the highest speed, the cake won’t rise properly since it relies on the volume of eggs and sugar to rise. Also, are you making sure to measure your dry ingredients properly? I hope that helps!
hello wanted to know why my cake came out so skinny lol
Hi Nuritza, it could be due to either leavening that is not active or expired, or it could be due to under beating the eggs. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things started to look different.
Should there be any adjustments made for high altitude?
Hi Sharon, there are some great tips on the King Arthur website for High Altitude Baking.
I’ve baked this recipe two times already and it’s always a hit!
Since I’m planning to give this as a birthday gift, will it be okay to cook this using an aluminum foil pan?
That’s just awesome, Kristy! I have not tried it in aluminum, but I imagine that may work; if you experiment, please let me know how you like that!
I usually use an aluminum foil pan because I don’t have a big enough baking pan. I’ve never had difficulties with it.
Aluminum Foil Tray works perfect! I tried it over the weekend 🙂