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Tres Leches Cake

If you haven’t heard or tried Tres Leches Cake before, you haven’t lived in my humble opinion.  Seriously though, Tres Leches (3 milks) became popular in Latin America and has evolved into a standard celebration cake.  It is a very rich cake, with a light and airy sponge base, followed by 3 types of milk (leches), condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream.

Now tell me, who does not like condensed milk right out of a can?  As you will see from the ingredients, this cake is rich, decadent, calorie-laden, sinful, but oh so satisfying!  This was my first attempt at trying this cake; I had tasted it a few times before and really fell in love with it.  I thought I’d bring it to our friend’s brunch farewell party.  I wait for opportunities such as these to try something “sinfully outrageous” and this definitely was very well received, and no……. I do not make desserts on a regular basis for precisely this reason, so allowing myself some treats every so often works!  I wanted to decorate the cake in many ways, but I did not think it would actually make it through the journey.

I’d love to try Mango Tres Leches next, perhaps incorporating some mango pulp in the soaking process, topping it with a few slivers of mango or other tropical fruit to give it color and contrast.  You have to try this folks, it will definitely satisfy all your senses.  :)

Beating egg yolks with sugar on high speed

Beating egg yolks with sugar on high speed

Beating egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form

Beating egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form

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Folding the egg white mixture into the batter very gently

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Poking cooled cake with a fork to absorb the milk mixture

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Come and get it!

Tres Leches Cake

  • Servings: 12 squares
  • Time: 1hr 30 mins
  • Print

 Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 whole eggs
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 can Evaporated milk
  • 1 can Sweetened, Condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream

For the Icing

  • 1 pint Heavy Cream for whipping
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Separate eggs.
  3. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow.  Stir in milk and vanilla.  Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
  4. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.  With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
  5. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined.  Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Turk cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
  7. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream in a small pitcher.  When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times.  Slowly drizzle the milk mixture – try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can, as the edges can get pretty dry.
  8. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.  To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons sugar until thick and spreadable.  Spread over the surface of the cake.  Decorate cake with whole maraschino cherries or any type of fruit or even chocolate shavings.  Cut into squares and serve.

I’m taking this dish to Fiesta Friday # 73 where each week Angie and her co-hosts welcome us in a virtual setting.  It is always fun to see who is around and sample the offerings.  Thanks to Michelle and Juju for co-hosting today.  Click on their blogs to see the wonderful display of dishes today.

53 comments

  6. I have just started hearing about this cake, and while sinful, it looks totally worth the splurge. I would say your first attempt was an amazing success! I am going to jump on this band wagon and make one soon. I usually pour water in my emptied sweetened condensed milk right away so I don’t go slurping up what’s left…I am weak!

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    1. I think it is becoming quite popular now Julie, lots of countries claim its origins, but I’m happy it made it to the USA :). Yes, you have to try it, it can be pretty plain looking on its own, but when decorated, it’s a masterpiece! You are pretty astute with avoiding temptations I must say, I have a weak disposition, I cannot throw out the can without making sure it is clean :)))

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. Loretta,
    I almost jumped in my car to drive when I saw those serving plates with your caption ‘come and get it’- The cake looks so divine that I would drive 10 hours to get it:) When you make the mango one, please let me know in advance:)
    Oh and you are so right about eating condensed milk out of the can. I think I purposely leave some behind in the can so I can slurp it:)

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    1. Ha ha Sandhya, that’s too funny! It would have been great though, you could bring your mango dessert (that I will be trying one of these days), and we could both pig out and get acquainted :)). The condensed milk is so sticky, so there’s a good portion that sticks to the side of the can, so before disposing of it, I like to make sure it is clean LOL!

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks Suzanne, yes it is so moist, and that makes it all the more desirable. You’re right though, that’s how I ate mine, just savoring each morsel as it went down :)

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    1. Hmmm, I wonder if the whipping cream had too much sugar, you can definitely avoid that, since the condensed milk is sweet enough. I love desserts with condensed milk, but then I do have a sweet tooth – one of my downfalls I’m afraid. Thanks for stopping :)

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  17. Wow Loretta – your cake looks delicious! This is another dessert I have been wanting to make. My Tiramisu I just made has a syrup that is absorbed by the cake – I can only imagine how good the milk mixture in your cake is. Maybe I should have poked my cake a few times! Great dessert and thanks so much for sharing your recipe with Fiesta Friday :)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Agreed Judi, it is very much like your Tiramisu – love that cake also and the way you adapted yours with the strawberries and all. Thanks again for co-hosting. :)

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    1. Thanks, it is wonderful isn’t it? I too became a fan not so long ago, but knowing how rich the cake was, I didn’t want to tempt myself making it at home. So this came in handy when I took it to a Farewell event.

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  20. Tres Leches Cake is my absolute favourite, in fact I don’t make it unless I know I can send most it of it off somewhere else since I WILL eat the entire cake if it’s left in my fridge! This recipe looks absolutely delicious Loretta, I could go for a huge slice right now!

    Thanks so much for sharing it with us at Fiesta Friday!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Same here Michelle, I could not trust myself with the leftovers. I made it for a farewell brunch, so at least it was out of my house :). This was the first time I made it, if I make it again, I’d love to decorate some more perhaps with mangoes and some mango pulp in the mix too.

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    1. Thanks Lili – I recall that you had a Tres Leches week not so long ago? Made it for the first time and loved it, I’ll experiment with it a bit more on the toppings the next time.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks to you too Freda, I stumbled across your blog and saw that you are a “fellow Goan”, so naturally I was curious to see what dishes you were putting forth. I have one of my posts on Goa and the food and culture as so many folks in the USA have not heard of Goa. Welcome to my blog too, I should be getting your future posts, so looking forward to it.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Aww thanks so much Loretta:) I’m equally thrilled to meet a ‘fellow Goan’. Though I lived in Mumbai , and just visited Goa during summer vacations ,practically every year , I love this place a lot and have some really fond memories. I’m still jotting down recipes from my mum and mum in law, as I would love to keep the essence of this cuisine alive for the future generations:) I look forward to reading more of your posts 😊😊

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  23. I have been wanting to make one of these cakes for the longest time. I keep hearing about it, but have never tasted one. Yours looks incredible! I definitely have to try this.

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  24. Pingback: Tres leches cake | Aromatic essence

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