Easy Tres Leches Cake

A slice of tres leches cake topped with strawberries and next to flowers.

5 from 3 votes

Experience the tastes of Latin America simply by making this cake at home! A sponge cake is soaked in a combination of milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk for a treat your taste buds are going to LOVE.

Course Dessert

Cuisine guatemalan, Nicaraguan

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 183kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

Tres Leches Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs separated
1 cup granulated sugar divided
⅓ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Milk combo:

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can can evaporated milk
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Cake Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
In two separate bowls, separate the 5 eggs into egg whites and egg yolks. Set the whites aside.
Add ¾ cup granulated sugar into the egg yolk and use an electric hand mixer to beat until pale and smooth. Add ⅓ cup milk and mix to combine.
Add the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold the mixtures together. Do this gently and don’t overmix. Set aside.
Use a stand mixer to electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites. When soft peaks form, add the remaining granulated sugar, a little bit at a time. Continue to beat on high until stiff peaks form.
Add the whipped egg whites into the flour and egg yolk mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold them together. Do this gently so as not to deflate the egg whites.
Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Then pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely.

Whipped Cream Instructions

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 3 tbsp powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer until a stiff whipped cream is formed (about 5-6 minutes). Set aside.

Assembly Instructions

In a bowl, combine 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, and ¼ cup heavy whipping cream. Whisk until fully combined.
When the cake is cooled, use a fork to poke holes all around the cake. Then, pour the milk mixture over the entire cake.
Allow the cake to sit for 3-4 minutes until the milk mixture is fully absorbed into the cake (or at least until the top has soaked in). Then spread the whipped cream on top of the cake.
Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.

Milk: I recommend whole milk, but 2% will work as well. I would stay away from skim or 1% milk as the fat content isn’t as high, which will lead to a less-rich cake.

Heavy Whipping Cream: This can be found near the whipped creams in the grocery store.

Evaporated Milk: This can normally be found in the baking aisle near the canned milks.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: This can normally be found in the baking aisle near the canned milks.
It is most common to use whole milk in place of the heavy whipping cream in the milk mixture. I used heavy cream because I like how it made the milk mixture thicker, but you can use either.
Some people prefer to make their Easy Tres Leches cake with white cake or pound cake instead of sponge cake. If this is what you prefer, you can use your favorite recipe and then just follow the instructions for the whipped cream and the milk mixture.
If you don’t want to make homemade whipped cream, you can also buy cool whip, though it will change the flavor slightly.
Many people like to top this Easy Tres Leches Cake with Maraschino cherries

Nutrition