If you haven’t had Tres Leches Cake yet, you’re in for a treat! This classic Latin American dessert is the definition of indulgence—a light, spongey cake soaked in three kinds of milk, making it irresistibly moist and rich. But here’s the surprising part: there’s no butter or oil in the cake batter! Yep, you read that right. What makes this cake so special is that it gets its incredible texture from whipped eggs, which give the cake its airy, sponge-like structure.
Instead of relying on fat for richness, this cake soaks up a mix of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream (the famous “three milks”) after baking. The result? A cake that’s ultra-moist, sweet, and totally melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
The best part? It’s topped with a fluffy whipped cream frosting that takes it over the top. Whether you’re making it for a special occasion or just because you deserve a sweet treat, this Tres Leches Cake will be your go-to for impressing guests (and yourself!).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish and ideally line it wiht the parchment paper with the sides overhanging, to make it easier to remove later.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Sift it once or twice. Separate your eggs.
Add egg whites to the clean bowl of your stand mixer. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, very slowly pour in 1/4 cup sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat until egg whites form stiff (but not dry) and glossy peaks. Transfer the egg whites to a medium bowl.
No need to wash the bowl of your mixer after you removed the egg whites. Add egg yolks to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat them with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla on low speed. Be sure to scrape up the sides of your bowl. Remove the bowl form the mixer. Sift the flour mixture over the yolk mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula.
Fold in 1/3 of egg whites into the egg yolks with a whisk. Then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the rest of egg whites into the batter until incorporated. Pour the batter into prepared pan and try to spread it as evenly as possible.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear and the internal temperature of the cake is 200F. Keep in mind, you are technically gently "overbaking" the cake - that's because you need a sturdier sponge to absorb all of the milks to come! Invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Transfer the cooled cake into a rimmed glass/plastic/ceramic platter to hold in all the milks you will be adding in the next step, make sure the platter is not metal or it will alter the taste. Cool the cake completely.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Poke the cake with a fork all over its surface. Drizzle your milk mixture (reserving 1 cup) all over the cake. Reserve the remaining 1 cup of the milk mixture and if desired, serve it along with the cake. Try to ensure to drizzle the mixture evenly over the cake - don't forget the edges!
Whip the cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt until medium peaks form and the cream is thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake and chill for at least an hour to cool and set. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries, chopped chocolate, fresh strawberries - whatever you like. Cut into squares and serve. It's best served cold straight out of the fridge.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish and ideally line it wiht the parchment paper with the sides overhanging, to make it easier to remove later.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Sift it once or twice. Separate your eggs.
Add egg whites to the clean bowl of your stand mixer. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, very slowly pour in 1/4 cup sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat until egg whites form stiff (but not dry) and glossy peaks. Transfer the egg whites to a medium bowl.
No need to wash the bowl of your mixer after you removed the egg whites. Add egg yolks to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat them with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla on low speed. Be sure to scrape up the sides of your bowl. Remove the bowl form the mixer. Sift the flour mixture over the yolk mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula.
Fold in 1/3 of egg whites into the egg yolks with a whisk. Then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the rest of egg whites into the batter until incorporated. Pour the batter into prepared pan and try to spread it as evenly as possible.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear and the internal temperature of the cake is 200F. Keep in mind, you are technically gently "overbaking" the cake - that's because you need a sturdier sponge to absorb all of the milks to come! Invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Transfer the cooled cake into a rimmed glass/plastic/ceramic platter to hold in all the milks you will be adding in the next step, make sure the platter is not metal or it will alter the taste. Cool the cake completely.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Poke the cake with a fork all over its surface. Drizzle your milk mixture (reserving 1 cup) all over the cake. Reserve the remaining 1 cup of the milk mixture and if desired, serve it along with the cake. Try to ensure to drizzle the mixture evenly over the cake - don't forget the edges!
Whip the cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt until medium peaks form and the cream is thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake and chill for at least an hour to cool and set. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries, chopped chocolate, fresh strawberries - whatever you like. Cut into squares and serve. It's best served cold straight out of the fridge.
Notes
