Mexican · Dessert · All year
Tres Leches Cake
4.6 community
30m
Prep
30m
Cook
Easy
Level
420
kcal
The three-milk monument: airy sponge drowned in condensed, evaporated, and whole milk, wearing whipped cream and cinnamon. Wet cake, dry eyes impossible.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
12
200 g
🌾 Flour
5
🥚 Eggs
separated
180 g
🍬 Sugar
2 tsp
🥄 Baking Powder
100 ml
🥛 Milk
+ 150 ml for the soak
300 g
🥛 Condensed Milk
250 ml
🥛 Evaporated Milk
300 ml
🥛 Heavy Cream
whipped, for the top
1 tsp
🟤 Cinnamon
2 tsp
🌸 Vanilla Extract
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
30m
Prep
30m
Cook
60m
Total
12
Serves
Equipment
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Baking pan
Prep checklist
Eggsseparated
Milk+ 150 ml for the soak
Heavy Creamwhipped, for the top
3 steps
Method
1
Sponge: whip whites to peaks; beat yolks with sugar to ribbons; fold together with flour, baking powder, and the 100 ml milk. Bake at 175°C, 28–30 minutes. Cool 10.
2
Whisk the three milks with vanilla. Stab the cake ruthlessly all over and pour the soak on in three patient passes.
💡
An airy egg-foam sponge is the only cake that drinks this much without collapsing — that's why tres leches is never made from a butter cake.
3
Chill 4+ hours (overnight wins). Whipped cream over, cinnamon dusted. Serve cold, from the pan, generously.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Covered at cool room temperature 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5.
Freezing
Most baked desserts freeze well for 2 months, tightly wrapped.
Reheating
Most baked desserts revive in a 150°C oven for 5–8 minutes. Custards and mousses are served cold — never reheat.
Make ahead
Almost every dessert here is better made a day ahead — flavors settle and textures set. Add crisp toppings just before serving.
Wine pairing
A small glass of something sweeter than the dessert itself.
Beer pairing
An imperial stout alongside chocolate is a genuinely great pairing; otherwise coffee.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Softly whipped cream
·
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
·
Fresh berries
Garnish
Powdered sugar
Chocolate shavings
A few flakes of sea salt
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
420
kcal
9g
protein
52g
carbs
20g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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My notes
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