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Tres Leches Cake from Scratch

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Make this Tres Leches Cake from scratch for your next fiesta! A dessert beloved all over Latin America, this slightly cinnamon-spiced poke cake is always a hit!

If you aren’t familiar with a tres leches cake, it’s pretty simple. Imagine biting into a cake that has three types of milk: condensed milk, whole milk, and evaporated milk! You can also try this delicious Cereal Milk Tres Leches!

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

Tres Leches Cake From Scratch

There is nothing quite like a really good Tres Leches Cake. If you’ve never had tres leches cake, you need to remedy this.

As someone who is just making this statistic up right now, I’m going to go ahead and say it’s the most popular poke cake recipe in the world because so many different countries have their own slightly varied version.

You’ll find tres leches cake in all sorts of restaurants, likely in your grocery store’s bakery section, and even at weddings. Do you know why? Because tres leches cake is that good. 

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

What is tres leches cake?

Here’s the thing about tres leches cake – tres leches means “three milks” by the way – you have to prepare it just right. You can’t have a dry cake, or it’s not “real” tres leches, but it can’t be so wet it’s like cake soup. The trick to getting that perfect in between, is to make the right kind of cake.

You need a sponge cake for tres leches, which means a box mix just won’t cut it. I promise it’s simpler than it sounds though, and since it’s better made in a day in advance, you have no reason not to make your tres leches cake from scratch.

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

Tres Leches Cake History

Tres leches is called tres leches because you use three different types of milk in the cake – whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk.

Sometimes, I’ll make a version I call cuatro leches (four milks) and add a bit of dulce de leche on top. It’s really rich though, so I don’t make that version very often.

I was going to make it for this post, but the Godfather veto’d that idea. I promise to forward all complaints collected via e-mail to him. 😉

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

Tres Leches Cake From Scratch

I forgive him though, because it’s really important to have a good tres leches cake from scratch recipe on hand since that’s the base you need for any variations.

Start with the basics and add variety from there. What I like best about this recipe is that it’s not too sweet (I’m not a fan of super sweet desserts) and the texture is spot on.

I took the cake to my recipe club for our “Latin Recipe Night” and everyone loved it there, but I knew this was a winner when my husband requested I bring back a piece since he ate the piece I cut for pictures before I even walked out the door.

Reasons to Enjoy Tres Leches Cake

  • Irresistible taste: Tres Leches cake is a delicious combination of sweet, moist sponge cake soaked in three types of milk, giving it an unforgettable flavor.
  • Cultural experience: Tres Leches cake has deep roots in Latin American culture, providing an opportunity to explore and appreciate culinary traditions from various countries.
  • Unique texture: The spongy cake absorbs the mixture of milks, creating a soft, creamy, and moist texture that sets it apart from other desserts.
  • Perfect for celebrations: Tres Leches cake is often associated with festive occasions, making it a great choice for birthdays, anniversaries, or other special events.
  • Easy to customize: You can add various toppings and flavors to a Tres Leches cake, such as fresh fruit, whipped cream, or even chocolate, making it easy to cater to individual preferences.
  • Satisfyingly sweet: The rich sweetness of this dessert can satisfy even the most intense sugar cravings without being overpowering.
  • Great for sharing: A Tres Leches cake is typically large enough to serve multiple people, making it ideal for gatherings and potlucks.
  • Versatile pairing options: Enjoy Tres Leches cake with a hot cup of coffee, a glass of cold milk, or even a fruity cocktail, allowing you to tailor your dessert experience to your personal tastes.

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

I hope you enjoy my recipe for tres leches cake from scratch and bookmark it for your next party or family gathering!

More Cake Recipes to Try

Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

Tres Leches Cake from Scratch

Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

A delicious sheet cake popular in many Latin American counties, this tres leches cake from scratch is a great sheet cake recipe to make anytime!

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 3/4 c cake flour, 196 g
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 300 g
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, 118 mL

Sauce

  • 1 14 oz can condensed milk, 397 g
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk, 354 mL
  • 1 cup whole milk, 236 mL

Topping

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • stemmed cherries for decoration

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F (177 C, mark 4).
  2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl (use a hand mixer). Whip on medium speed for about 20 seconds until the mixture resembles a bubble bath, then add 1 1/2 cups sugar and whip on high speed until you have stiff peaks.
  4. Slowly beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and then add half the dry ingredients, half the milk and vanilla extract, the rest of the dry ingredients, and the last bit of the milk. Stir until just combined, then pour into an 9x13" baking dish.
  5. Bake 30-35 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. When the cake comes out of the oven, mix the sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Use a skewer to poke holes around the top of the still-warm cake, and then evenly pour the sauce all over the cake.
  7. Place the cake in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to chill. You may make this cake a day in advance and then just add the topping before serving.
  8. To top the cake, whip the heavy cream and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir in the vanilla.
  9. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the cake and decorate with cherries.

Did this recipe inspire you?

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Tres Leches Cake - Three Milks Cake - is an easy and popular poke cake in Latin America. Try this recipe and you'll see why! * GoodieGodmother.com

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Cakespy

Monday 25th of July 2016

Tres leches = tres delicious! :-) This looks like a perfect specimen.

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Monday 25th of July 2016

Thanks so much! Also, can I tell you I'm having a bit of a fan girl moment over here because I love your blog! <3

Hillary Reeves

Saturday 30th of April 2016

This maayyy just have to make a guest appearance on my blog! Obsessed with this recipe and the presentation is so cute!!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Friday 6th of May 2016

Go for it!!! If you want to get all super fancy, add a bit of dulce de leche and make a cuatro leches cake. Crazy crazy rich, but tasty.

Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe

Friday 29th of April 2016

I LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE tres leches cake! And I've always wanted to try making one from scratch, but I've been really intimidated by it. I'm at Publix regularly purchasing their tres leches....holy yum. They have a chocolate one too that is dynamite delish!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Friday 6th of May 2016

Honestly, I never thought about making one (seriously) when we lived by Publix haha. But it's surprisingly easy to make at home and makes plenty for a party! I don't know if I've tried their chocolate one yet. Will have to look for it when we head to Florida again in the fall.

Whitney

Thursday 28th of April 2016

I have an unhealthy obsession with tres leches cake. It's one of my FAVORITE cakes in the world. I can put down a whole friggin cake by myself, it's ridiculous.

Brian Jones

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

What a wonderful looking cake, the texture looks awesome... A completely new idea to me, Latin American food has barely crossed the Atlantic so always great to find new stuff.

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Friday 6th of May 2016

Funny because I think this cake might go over rather well if "imported" haha

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