One of my favorite desserts is Tres Leches Cake. It is amazing- hands down my favorite of all the Spanish desserts out there.

Three different milks, poured over a delicious cake topped with a sugar whipped topping. Add some cinnamon and garnish with strawberries and you have an amazing treat for a crowd.

Don’t let this dessert intimidate you. We have a super easy Tres Leches Cake recipe that you will want to try as quick as you can. It is one of my favorite cake recipes of all time!

Ingredients:

For Cake:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 large egg yolks, separate whites into a separate bowl and ideally at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided into ⅓ cup and ¼ cup
⅓ cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

For Pouring Liquid:

12 oz can evaporated milk
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup whole milk

For Whipped Topping:

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Other Topping:

Ground cinnamon to sprinkle over top

Directions:

Here is how we made this amazing cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. I love this one from Pioneer Woman.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Beat on high until combined.

Stir in ⅓ cup milk and vanilla.

Gentle fold in egg yolk mixture into dry ingredients until combined but do not over mix.

Beat egg whites on high with an electric mixer and slowly add in ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks.

Fold egg white mixture into cake batter and then pour into pan evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes and allow cake to cool completely.

Once cake has cooled use a fork or end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in cake.

In another bowl, mix evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk and pour Slowly into all the holes and around all the edges of the cake.

Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow cake to soak up pouring liquid.

Add heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla into a bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks.

Spread evenly over entire cake and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serve immediately and top with your favorite garnish.

This three milk cake is perfect for your next family gathering.

Trust me, everyone will want the recipe!

Does Tres Leches Cake Need to be Refrigerated?

As the instructions state, you need to refrigerate the cake at least 1 hour or as long as over night before serving it. This allows all of the flavors to come together but also it allows that cake to get soaked in the moistures of the three milks that you’ve poured over the cake.

I also recommend storing any leftovers of the cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You want to keep it refrigerated so it does not go bad.

You also want to ensure that when you’re storing it in the fridge that you cover it. If your 9×13 pan does not come with a lid, use foil or clear plastic wrap.

What is Tres Leches Cake Make Out Of?

The ingredients that make Tres Leches Cake unique is the three milks (which is what tres leches means) that the cake is made out of.

You are using evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk to pour into the cooked cake. The cake soaks up these milks making it very moist.

How Long Does Tres Leches Cake Sit?

Once you poke holes in the cake and pour the three milks over the cake it needs to sit for at least one hour in the refrigerator. I highly suggest letting it sit overnight. The longer you can let the milks soak in the more moist the cake will be.

Where Does Tres Leches Cake Originate From?

This 3 milk cake is popular and traditional in Latin America. The recipe made it’s way into the US back in the 1960’s when Nestle placed the recipe on the back of an evaporated milk can. Thank goodness they did, because it is now a family favorite for many!

Can You Freeze Tres Leches Cake?

While this is not my favorite way to store the cake, it can be frozen and then thawed.

If you do decide to freeze it, freeze it before you ice the cake and after all of the milks have soaked into the cake.

It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Once you’re ready to defrost it just remove it from the freezer and pop it in the fridge for about 24 hours, or until it is thoroughly thawed. Then frost and serve!

Can You Add Fruit to Homemade Tres Leches Cake

Yes! I love to top my frosted cake with fresh fruit.

Sliced strawberries, kiwis, mandarin orange slices or blueberries are popular for topping your Tres Leches Cake.

If you love Tres Leches cake as much as I do, this is a must try recipe!

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