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!
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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
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Can I make this cake eggless? Is there a substitute I can use?
Thanks!
Hi Sue, I have not tried an egg replacement to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
a “Sponge” Cake depends on eggs for volume (airy rise) and is great at evenly soaking up liquid like the Tres Leches syrup. If you can’t use eggs, search online for an eggless cake recipe instead. The texture will be different but the flavors would match this one. Part of the appeal of this cake is the super moist mouthfeel. I’d suggest using less syrup on an eggless cake base, though. Instead of soaking the cake before frosting, cut and serve each piece on a small dessert plate sitting in a shallow puddle of the sauce, for dipping each bite. (Otherwise the cake might fall apart). happy baking
I love this cake and it’s now our family go to for birthdays. It’s constantly being requested by my cousin’s for family get together’s as well. My only question is how do I stop it from deflating? It’s so pretty and full in the oven but every single time I’ve made this it deflates quite a bit. I’ve pulled out out and let it cool on the counter. I’ve let it cool with oven cracked. Even let it finished baking in over without opening and let it come to room temp. Nothing helps. I’ve bought my ingredients to room and temp and measured everything carefully. Any tips? Advice?
Hi Edith, It’s hard to tell without being there to know exactly what went wrong. Watch my process again to see if at any point your process or the batter looked different than mine. If you used the same size pan and if everything was measured correctly and no substitutions were made, or changes in the process, I wonder if it could be your oven temperature. If your oven runs too hot, it can cause the batter to rise too quickly causing it to deflate and shrink afterwards. I highly recommend the use of an internal oven thermometer (affiliate link) to ensure your oven is heating correctly.
you haven’t done anything wrong. The cake slowly deflates (good old gravity) as it cools–all sponge cakes do. This is what makes this cake ideal for the fun dessert roll ‘cream cakes’ now back in fashion. Just use the baked and cooled cake as is, frosting generously. Cracking doesn’t matter at all when it comes to the quality of the finished product that a sponge cake delivers! 🙂
Hi, i would like to prepare this recipe in a 30cm square cake tin (15″). Do you think it would work or do I need to increase the quantity of ingredients?
Hi Karina! You’ll have to experiment with it because I have not tested different size pans to know how to adjust ingredients quantities.
yes it might take experiments. Calculating by square inches, the volume of a 9×13 pan is 117 sq inches. The volume of a 15″ square pan is almost double at 225 sq inches. So it would take slightly less than a double recipe to fill your 15″ sq. pan. Be sure to give enough room for the cake to rise, don’t overfill. If you dbl the recipe, you could use any excess batter to make some sponge cupcakes for berry shortcake!
This recipe is perfect as-is. Have you made a chocolate tres leches cake? Would it be as simple as adding cocoa powder?
Thank you, Amanda. I’m working on that. It’s been quite a popular request.
Can I cook in a aluminun pan? I am taking to a barbecue and will be leaving early so don’t want to leave my casserole pan at the party.
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried baking this in disposable bakeware so I’m not sure if the baking time would change. You might check the instructions on our layered tres leches cake, which we baked in 2 9-inch pans to help gauge the baking time.
I tried in aluminum dish but I put that in 9×13 pan. So later I just removed it and no changes in bake time
I made this last night for family and friends. We live close to the Napa Valley, where there are many good bakeries, this was better than anything we have ever bought. I got a whole lot of ooohs and ahhhs .Everyone raved about how moist and delicious it was. THANK YOU for such a yummy tres leches recipe. You never fail.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, David!
I made this cake last night for company and it was to die for! It may be new favorite cake. In fact, my friend said it was better than the one she purchased at the Mexican bakery here, in town. It was easy to make due to the straightforward instructions. I made it exactly as written , but did a 1 tsp of vanilla to the whipped cream. i was a little concerned that using all of the milk syrup would make it a soggy mess, but it was perfect. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Erin!
I made it. So delicious. Never tried it before. Thank you so much ♥️ for the perfect recipe. God bless you 💖
I’m so glad you love it!
Very nice recipe.. the cake turned out well. It was my first time making this recipe. I seemed to have lots of the condensed milk and other milk part of the recipe left over. I did soak the cake in it but it seemed a lot. I served mine with raspberries. Thank you for your recipe. Happy Baking 😊
Hi Julia, I’m so glad that you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing your experience trying this recipe.
Can this icing also be pipped from a pipping back to make flowers etc or does it have to be stablized?
Hi Deborah. It will hold its shape to pipe but it’s not very stable.
I made this Tres Leches cake for my grandson’s 11th birthday celebration. I wish I had baked 2 since everyone loved it – to only that, the best compliment is my sister-in-law NEVER eats sweets. She tasted her husband’s cake and came as asked for a slice herself. She said it tasted like a pudding and she loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Teri! Wow, that’s amazing. I’m so glad it was a hit. I love this cake too.
Would your recipe for easy sponge cake work just as well for this Tres Leches cake?
It’s very similar to this recipe but we’ve had the best result with it as written above.
Made this cake this past weekend. It was fabulous! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
It’s my pleasure, Sandy. Happy to know that you loved it!
I have made this cake many times in low elevation and it is always a hit, but what temperature or timing do you recommend for high elevation? I am currently at 7000 elevation.
Hi Amanda, Since I don’t live at a 7000 elevation I like to refer to this High-Altitude Baking article. I hope this helps for any adjustments you’ll need to make here.
I made this exactly as instructed and I’m an experienced baker. It came out of oven high and light, as it cooled it deflated by half! What did I do wrong? Should I continue with the milk addition?
Hi Elizabeth! It’s hard to tell without being there to know exactly what went wrong. Watch my process again to see if at any point your process or the batter looked different than mine. If you used the same size pan and if everything was measured correctly and no substitutions were made, or changes in the process, I wonder if it could be your oven temperature. If your oven runs too hot, it can cause the batter to rise too quickly causing it to deflate and shrink afterwards. I highly recommend the use of an internal oven thermometer (affiliate link) to ensure your oven is heating correctly.
I see a number of comments about a deflated cake. I have read elsewhere that a cake like this is best cooled upside down, and that doing so will allow the cake to NOT deflate. Has anyone tried this with success?
Hi Natasha
I want to make this cake, but my husband does not like whipped cream frosting. Is there another frosting that you think would go okay with the cake? Thank you.
Hi Christina, you might try our Vanilla Buttercream, or Cream Cheese Frosting
Made this cake for a Mexican birthday party and everyone told me that I can make a cake for them any day. Was also told that it was better than cakes bought from stores and bakeries. My go to recipe.
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing the comments with us, Donna. We’re so glad that it was a hit!
Made your Tres Leches Cake for my kids and granddaughters. Everyone thought it was very good. My husband said it was a home run! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I had never made this cake and the directions were easy and it was fun to make! Blessings to you and yours!
Hi Rebecca! That’s amazing. I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for the feedback.
I have made this recipe over and over for about 8 years now has always been the best! Get many compliments my husband requests on his birthday every year now
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing.
Let this sit overnight and it was really good. The second day it was better. Third day (we finished it) it was the best. If you have the time and like it juicy, let it sit.
Hi Kris! This is one of our favorites. I’m so glad you loved it too. If definitely is best on the second and third days! Thank you for sharing.