If you'd never had or made a Tres Leches Cake, prepare to be amazed! It's a light yellow cake, soaked in a sweet blend of 3 types of milk (thus the name) and topped with a meringue icing. Tres Leches Cake does take a little bit of time to make but the end result is completely worth it!
Growing up in a Cuban household, Tres Leches Cake was a special treat that I'm happy to share with my children now. Although it didn't start out as a Cuban dessert, we've adopted it and it's become a favorite of Cuban families!
Tres leches has 3 main components; the actual cake, the 3 milks syrup, and the icing. Because it has multiple parts is the reason that it does take a bit of time to make.
How to make Cuban tres leches:
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
You're going to need to separate your eggs. If you have trouble with this, just crack the egg into a small
bowl, then pour the entire egg into the palm of your hand and let the whites run through your fingers while you hold on to the yolk. HERE is a video on a cool way to try the egg separating thing. (Let me know if you try it!)
After cracking the eggs, you'll add some sugar to the bowl with the egg whites, and some sugar, milk and vanilla to the bowl with the yolks and beat both separately.
Everything then gets added to the dry ingredients, combined, and then poured into a prepared baking dish.
The cake then gets baked and then stabbed all over with toothpicks to allow the liquid to absorb more evenly.
Now here comes the best part! The part that makes a tres leches, a tres (3) leches (milks). Milk pretty much makes anything better with it's creaminess but combine it with condensed milk and evaporated milk and it makes this cake insanely creamy and moist!
After the milk soaks in, you can frost the cake with the meringue icing. The icing is made with egg whites and sugar. It sounds complicated but it's actually pretty easy. You just cook the water and sugar together then add it slowly to the egg whites. It makes THE BEST icing ever!!
You can top the cake with cherries if you'd like!
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 large eggs (separated)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup sugar (divided)
FOR THE 3 MILKS
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
FOR THE MERINGUE ICING
- 4 large egg WHITES
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and Spray a 9 x 13” pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- Separate the eggs. If you have trouble with this, just crack the egg into a small bowl, then pour the entire egg into the palm of your hand and let the whites run through your fingers while you hold on to the yolk.
- Add the yolks to a medium bowl and add in ¾ cup of sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until they are pale yellow. Add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat one more time just until combined.
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir with a spatula until combined.
- Beat the egg whites and ¼ cup sugar on high speed until you see soft peaks (about 3-4 minutes on high).
- Add the egg white mixture to the batter and stir gently until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
FOR THE 3 MILKS
- Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk and whisk together. Pour over the warm cake and allow to soak in while you make the icing. (I put it in the fridge while I make the icing)
FOR THE MERINGUE
- Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and cook (without stirring) until it reaches the “soft ball stage” or between 234 – 240 degrees.
- While the sugar is coming up to temperature, beat the egg whites on high speed in a either stand mixer with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer.
- When the sugar reaches the soft-ball stage. Slowly pour it into the egg whites mixture while continuing to beat.
- Add in the vanilla and beat until just combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the cake is cooled, you can ice the cake by just spreading it evenly over the entire cake. Garnish with maraschino cherries if you'd like! Serve cold.
Notes
Angela Carvajal says
I am an inexperienced baker and I tried this recipe and it came out so good!! It was very simple to do and came out delicious. I definitely recommend making this tres leches!
Coco and Ash says
Thank you so much Angela! 🙂
Barbie says
Hello, do you have a arroz con leche receipe. I love your receipes. Thank you
Coco and Ash says
I don’t but hopefully soon 🙂
Sarah Garcia says
So I loved this recipe and I’m in the middle of making the merengue icing. Is it supposed to form into a thick consistency or will that form when I store it in the fridge?
Coco and Ash says
It should thicken up while you whip it
Johanna says
Hi. I’m making this right now so hopefully you can answer me. You put the warm drenched cake in the fridge while you do the icing??
Coco and Ash says
Yes that’s fine.
Carmen says
Did this cake as a trial and my grandson gave me a thumps up. He asked if I could do it for his birthday as his birthday cake. No grandma can’t say no So I did this cake again. Will be my go-to cake from now on. Thank you for sharing.
Johanna says
Also, is it 40 minutes? Mine seems ready after 23 minutes. Is that normal??
Coco and Ash says
Not sure why yours finished at 23 but if it’s done, go for it! Might be an oven discrepancy or to do with ingredient temps.
Alicia says
Can I pipe with the icing?
Coco and Ash says
You can try it! 🙂
Julie says
Hello,
I am going to make this cake. I have a question. Most similar recipes call for 2 cups of flour for the same size 9x13 pan.
Does your recipe just call for 1 cup or was that an error?
Thank you.
Coco and Ash says
Just 1 cup 🙂
Julie says
Thank you for the quick response. I will let you know how it came out. We LOVE the Tres Leches from https://www.cubadeayerrestaurant.net. Years ago I had a complete disaster when trying to make it. We will try again.
Julie says
Thank you for the quick response. I will let you know how it came out. We LOVE the Tres Leches from https://www.cubadeayerrestaurant.net
Years ago I had a complete disaster when trying to make it. We will try again.
Julie says
OMG!!! DELICIOUS! Followed the recipe exactly. Soooo good! Up until yesterday, I thought the best Tres Leches is sold at a local place (Cuba De Ayer). It is however 30 minutes from here. Well, I used to order a 13x9 tray from them for $65.00 for parties,etc. NEVER AGAIN! This recipe is better. I was going to make a whipped cream topping but decided to go with this icing! Amazing! not too sweet, delicate, authentic, perfect! Thank you!
Papa bear says
Can you make a day ahead? If you make ahead do you need to do frosting day of serving or will it hold up in fridge? Thanks
Coco and Ash says
You can make everything ahead as long as it stays refrigerated 🙂
Jessica says
I am originally from Miami and live in Virginia now and I was missing home so I wanted to make a tres leches. I found this recipe and made it for my in-laws who are Domincan. My mother-in-law said this is the best tres leches she has ever had in her life. One thing I did change was I used Media Crema in place of the whole milk. The result is a bit creamier, but this is an amazing recipe.
Coco and Ash says
Thank you Jessica!! I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Daniela says
Hi - I had saved your recipe and just made it this weekend! This is a wonderful treat and everyone enjoyed it! Will definitely do it again, this time reducing the cinnamon a bit 🙂
Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
Sandy says
I've tried many recipes for Tres Leches cake, and this one is, by far, the best! I think it's best to make the cake and add the milks the day before and then prepare the icing and ice the cake before serving. I also used 1% milk, as that was what I had and it tasted fine. A very delicious cake and the icing is easier than it looks.
Coco and Ash says
Great to hear! Thank you!!
Nilda says
Hello
I’ve made your recipe and it’s one of the best tres leches that I have come across! I was wondering could I make it as a round cake and stack it?
Thanks in advance,
Nilda
Coco and Ash says
Thank you so much Nilda!
This cake has way too much moisture and needs sides supporting it. I don’t think stacking it would work out unfortunately