This easy, melt-in-your-mouth tres leches cake is the perfect dessert recipe for your next celebration! It's made with super moist vanilla sponge cake soaked in "tres leches" sauce and then topped with fluffy homemade whipped cream. After one slice, it may become your favorite dessert!
Best Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Translated to "three milk cake" in English, Tres Leches cake is a classic Latin American dessert, especially popular in Mexico. Traditionally, it's made with a super light sponge cake that's soaked in a mix of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. This irresistible tres leches recipe will leave you with a soft, fluffy cake full of milky flavor!
My unique technique and combination of ingredients create a light, flavorful sponge cake that soaks up the three milks perfectly without the sogginess. I make this tres leches cake recipe easy for everyone with simple steps and expert tips to give you the best results. And you won't need fancy equipment or skills to make it!
Katalin's Key Take on How Wet Tres Leches Cake Is Supposed to Be
The fun thing about tres leches cake is that every version differs depending on where you try it. Some places serve it extra moist and milky, while others are lighter on the milk. I like mine to be super moist yet not so soggy that it falls apart. In my opinion, it should be full of milk flavor and tender enough to eat with a fork, but not so soupy that you need a spoon!
How you bake your cake determines the texture. If it's slightly overbaked, it'll be drier and absorb more milk. On the other hand, if underbaked, it is wetter and messier. And since the cake continues to soak as it rests, it looks and tastes different today than it will tomorrow.
In this version, I use the classic condensed and evaporated milk. However, instead of regular milk, I use heavy cream to keep the cake from getting too soggy. I also use my moist vanilla sponge cake as the base, which includes butter and oil (unlike other tres leches cake recipes that leave out fat in the sponge, supposedly to help it absorb the milk better). My cake soaks up the milk beautifully without feeling too heavy and has a delicious buttery flavor that others don't have! My other trick: I remove the thin caramelized layer on the cake before pouring the milk so it absorbs directly and evenly.
To make sure it turns out just right, I recommend using a fork or toothpick to poke small holes across the surface of the cake, pouring the milk slowly and in stages, and letting the cake chill for at least a few hours or overnight!
Start with a moist sheet cake
Before starting, you need to prepare a few of your tres leches cake ingredients to ensure they emulsify correctly. The Greek yogurt, eggs, and butter (unsalted butter only) must be at room temperature. See my guide on softening butter quickly for tips. Stick your eggs in warm water for 5-10 minutes if necessary.
Preheat your oven to 175℃ / 350℉ (without a fan) and prepare a 9x13-inch / 22x33 cm pan by greasing it or lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for a few minutes until it comes light and fluffy. Then, add the oil and the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, stir in the room-temperature Greek yogurt and vanilla extract.
Next, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredient mixture. Don't skip the salt – it's necessary to balance the sweetness! Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
Pour the cake batter into your prepared baking pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake unless you want dry cake!
Once baked, remove the sides as well as the thin, caramelized layer that has formed on the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely to room temperature while it is still in the pan.
Make the "Tres Leches" sauce
To make the "tres leches," whisk the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream together.
Next, carefully pierce the cake all over using a large fork or wooden skewer, ensuring the holes reach the base of the pan. Then, slowly and evenly, drizzle the milk mixture over the cake, allowing it to soak in thoroughly. You may need to wait a few minutes between each addition to avoid over-soaking the cake.
Let the cake chill for several hours or overnight so the flavor really sets in!
Top with homemade whipped cream
The heavy cream must be very cold and have a high fat content (min. 36%) to make homemade whipped cream.
Using an electric mixer, whip the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar together in a bowl for about 2-3 minutes, until it becomes light and fluffy.
Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake, then lightly dust the top with ground cinnamon. Garnish with fresh strawberries, and enjoy!
Leftovers? This is how you store it
If you have leftovers, you can cover and store tres leches cake in the fridge for up to two days.
I don't recommend freezing the frosted cake, as it may become icy due to the milk, and the texture of the whipped cream will change once frozen.
Try Different Flavor Variations
Instead of making a vanilla cake, you can make a decadent chocolate tres leches using my chocolate sponge cake. Or, give your cake a tropical flavor by substituting some or all of the dairy milk with coconut milk and sprinkling toasted coconut flakes on top as a topping.
You can also swap out the vanilla extract for almond, lemon, or orange extract. Or, add lime, lemon, or orange zest to the sponge batter for an aromatic, citrusy twist.
Add warmth to your tres leches cake by mixing spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom into the sponge batter. Sprinkle in some espresso powder for a coffee-flavored cake.
Add a layer of my strawberry compote, blueberry pie filling, lemon curd, or mango curd between the cake and the whipped topping for a fruity flavor and texture.
Instead of the vanilla whipped cream frosting, try it with my chocolate whipped cream. Or, try one of the several delicious flavor variations from my Chantilly cream recipe.
Baking With Dietary Restrictions? Check these helpful substitute guides
For a gluten-free cake, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with one of the alternatives listed in my flour guide. For a vegan-friendly cake, you can use an egg substitute and swap out the dairy products with coconut cream, coconut milk, almond milk, vegan yogurt, or vegan butter. Keep in mind that coconut-based or almond substitutes will give your cake a different flavor profile.
Remember that substitutions may also require adjustments to the other ingredients to maintain the same balance in flavor and texture. Check out my substitute guides for the best ingredient swaps and tips.
Expert tips
- For the best results, use full-fat Greek yogurt and milk, European-style butter with 82% fat, and heavy cream with 36% fat.
- Do not open the oven door during the first 25 minutes of baking, or it could cause the sponge cake to deflate.
- Every oven bakes differently. It's best to check for doneness using the toothpick test rather than relying solely on time.
- When making the whipped cream, stop whipping as soon as it starts to reach stiff peaks. Otherwise, it may break and turn into butter!
- If you live in a warm climate or need the whipped cream to hold its shape for an extended period, you can stabilize it with gelatin or full-fat mascarpone cheese, as explained in my Chantilly cream recipe.
Useful Equipment
Successful baking requires precision and accuracy. Always use a digital scale to measure your ingredients. Likewise, a digital oven thermometer ensures you have the correct oven temperature.
An electric hand mixer comes in handy when whipping the wet ingredients for the cake and making the whipped cream. You'll need a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the cake batter.
I use a 9x13-inch sheet pan for this recipe.
Try Some Of My Other Simple Cake Recipes
If you enjoyed making this easy tres leches cake, you will also love my other simple cake recipes:
And for even more impressive cakes for your next special event, check out my roundup of the Top 40 Best Layer Cake Recipes.
Have you tried this recipe?
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Tres Leche Cake
Equipment
- Digital scale
- 9x13 inch sheet pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Sheet Cake
- 300 g (1½ cups) Granulated sugar
- 113 g (½ cups) Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 55 g (¼ cups) Oil
- 3 Eggs at room temperature
- 240 g (1 cup) Greek Yogurt at room temperature
- 1 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 375 g (3 cups) All purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
Tres Leches
- 340 g Evaporated milk 12 oz can
- 400 g Sweetened Condensed milk 14 oz can
- 115 g (½ cups) Heavy cream 36% fat
Whipped cream topping
- 460 g (2 cups) Heavy cream 36% fat, use it cold
- 60 g (½ cups) Powdered sugar sifted
- fresh strawberries to garnish
- ground cinnamon for sprinking
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Preheat your oven to 175℃ / 350℉ (no fan) and grease a 9x13-inch / 22x33 cm pan or line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the oil, followed by the room-temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Finally, stir in the room-temperature yogurt and vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—into the butter mixture. Gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking, as it can cause the cake to dry out.
- Straight after baking, remove the thin, caramelized top layer, which can create a barrier for the milk to soak in. Let the cake come to room temperature in the pan.
Tres leches sauce
- Whisk together the three types of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
- With a large fork or wooden skewer, carefully pierce the cake all over, ensuring the holes extend down to the base of the pan. Gradually drizzle the milk mixture over the surface of the cake, allowing it to soak thoroughly and evenly into the cake. You might need to wait several minutes in between each addition. Do not rush this step, and do not pour all the sauce on top all at once.
- Chill the cake for several hours or overnight to achieve the best flavor and texture.
Decoration
- Place very cold heavy cream with the sifted powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the mixture for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Spread this whipped cream layer on top of the tres leches cake evenly, then lightly dust with ground cinnamon and garnish with strawberries.
- Serve the cake fresh. Any leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
- All cake ingredients must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, butter, and yogurt.
- Condensed milk and evaporated milk are classics. For the third milk, heavy cream helps achieve richness without creating a soggy texture.
- For the whipped cream frosting, it is important to use high-fat content heavy cream to be able to whip it up.
- Baking this cake takes 35 minutes in my oven. However, you should focus on the texture, not the time. Apply the toothpick test (it should come out clean) to avoid overbaking your cake - that would result in a dry texture.
- Whipped cream frosting is very easy to overwhip. When whipping, stop as soon as the mixture has reached a fluffy consistency and stiff peaks. It won't get stiffer after this point. In fact, if you overbeat it, it will only get runnier, and then it will break.
- Add the milk mixture in stages, allowing each portion to fully soak in before adding more. This ensures even moisture distribution. Your cake should be very moist but still hold its shape, easily eaten with a fork—not a spoon.
- Refrigerate your Tres Leches cake for several hours or overnight. Chilling improves the overall texture and allows flavors to fully develop and meld.
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