Mexican tres leches cake is a light sponge cake soaked in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream, then topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. The three-milk soaking method keeps the cake incredibly moist and tender.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring eggs to room temperature for easier beating. Separate egg whites and egg yolks into two small bowls.
Sift flour using a fine mesh strainer or flour sifter.
Pour egg yolks, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer.
Beat egg yolks until uniform, smooth, pale yellow and doubled in volume. Pour mixture into a separate bowl.
Wash and dry the stand mixing bowl and whisk, add egg whites to the bowl and beat on high speed. This is the secret to a light and spongy cake.
Slowly add half of the remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
Add remaining sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Mixture should be light and fluffy and stick to the whisk attachment or beaters when scooped from the bowl.
Gather your three bowls: one with flour, one with egg white mixture, and the other with the egg yolk mixture. Using the egg yolk mixture as your main mixing bowl, you’ll add flour and then egg white mixture little by little, alternating as you fold into the batter.
First, add two tablespoons of flour to the egg yolk mixture.
Fold flour into the yolk mixture.
Add a scoop of the egg white mixture to your main mixing bowl.
Gently fold into the flour mixture.
Add more flour.
Fold into the cake batter.
Add more egg white mixture.
Gently fold in the egg white.
Continue alternating and folding in flour and egg white until you’ve added everything to the main bowl. Mixture will become lighter in color as you add ingredients and the final cake batter should be smooth, thick and fluffy.
Grease and flour an 8 1/2 or 9 inch pan. Use a pastry brush to spread the butter in the round cake pan.
Place a cookie sheet under your cake pan. Then, pour the tres leches cake mix into the prepared pan.
Use the spatula to scrape the batter from sides of the bowl into the pan.
Smooth the top of your cake evenly with the spatula.
Place your cake on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let sit five minutes, and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.
Line the cooled cake pan with plastic wrap. You’re going to place the cake back in the pan and then cover, so be sure you leave enough wrap on the sides to do so.
Carefully place your cake bottom up into the lined baking pan.
Gather your condensed milk, evaporated milk and light cream (or table cream) in separate bowls, as well as a large bowl, measuring cup and wire whisk.
Pour the cream into the measuring cup.
Add the sweetened condensed milk.
Pour in the evaporated milk.
Empty the measuring cup contents into a large bowl.
Whisk the three milks until combined, and then pour back into the measuring cup.
Using a fork, poke holes into the cooled tres leches cake.
Pour the milk mixture into the holes and all over the surface of the cake. Don’t forget the edges.
Lift and fold over the flaps of the plastic wrap to cover the soaked cake.
Once your cake is completely covered, place in the refrigerator and let rest for at least 8 hours. Overnight is best.
Once the cake has rested, make the whipped topping. Gather your ingredients: heavy whipping cream, clear vanilla extract, sugar and vanilla pudding mix.
Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Then add the whipping cream to the mixing bowl.
Pour in the sugar and vanilla extract. The frosting uses a clear vanilla extract to keep it from changing color.
Pour in the vanilla pudding mix.The pudding creates a stabilized whipped cream so you won’t have to worry about it melting all over your cake in the refrigerator.
Whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Take care not to over beat. If you do so, the cream could separate. The cream should be light and fluffy.
Remove your tres leches cake from the refrigerator and prepare a serving dish or cake pedestal.
Turn out your cake into the center of the dish.
Carefully separate the pan from the cake.
Slowly unwrap the plastic wrap by folding the wrap over itself.
Remove the plastic wrap completely from the cake.
Frost the sides of the cake with the whipped topping using a frosting spatula.
Carefully frost the top of the cake, being careful not to let the spatula touch the cake directly. You don’t want the cake crumbs to show up on your beautifully frosted cake.
Gather your garnishes. If you’re using strawberries, slice them in half and make a ring around the center of the cake, pressing the tops of the berries gently into the cake, cut side up. Fill in the ring with more strawberries, then sprinkle with raspberries and blueberries. Serve cold.
Refrigerate covered in plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Do not freeze once soaked in the milk mixture, as the texture becomes grainy upon thawing.
Stand mixer or hand mixer · Wire whisk attachment · 8.5–9 inch round cake pan · Wire cooling rack · Pastry brush
Beating yolks and whites separately creates two different textures: yolks become pale and dense for richness, while whites form stiff peaks for lift. Folding them together produces a light, spongy crumb.
Bake at 350°F for 40–60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. The cake will pull slightly from the pan edges.
Yes. After cooling and soaking the cake in the three-milk mixture, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Add whipped cream frosting and fruit just before serving.
Table cream (18–30% milk fat) works as the recipe states. Half-and-half or whole milk can substitute, though they will slightly alter richness and texture.
Instant vanilla pudding mix stabilizes the whipped cream, preventing it from separating or deflating over time, especially in a refrigerated cake.
