Easy Tres Leche Cake

Enjoy an authentic Tres Leche Cake Recipe is a light sponge cake topped with a tasty whipped cream frosting. A fantastic Mexican dessert that is always a hit!

A slice of tres leche cake topped with whipped cream on a black plate.

Why you'll love this recipe

Tres Leche Cake is a rich and decadently delicious cake that is always a welcome dessert.
This is a great dessert to make ahead of time and can even be frozen for up to 3 months.
A great Mexican dessert for Cinco de Mayo.
This cake travels well and is awesome for any celebration.

🧾 Ingredients

Tres Leches Cake uses three different types of milk mixtures, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
Don't scrimp on the flavors and use full-fat ingredients for a flavorful cake.
Vegetable oil adds moisture and tenderness to the cake crumb. I don't recommend substituting it with something else.
Heavy cream is what makes the frosting fluffy and fantastic.
Unsalted butter is always my go-to for baking and cooking unless otherwise noted. This way you control the sodium added to any savory or sweet recipe.
As long as you use pure vanilla extract, use your favorite.
Eggs bind everything together for a yummy dessert.
Baking soda gives tenderness and helps the cake rise.
Salt adds a small balance to the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9" by 13" baking dish. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, using paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter, oil, and granulated sugar until well combined, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating each egg into the mixture. Pour in the vanilla extract.
In another medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Use a spatula to gently fold half of the dry mixture into the butter mixture.
Using the spatula, stir the whole milk into the butter mixture. Then fold in the remaining flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, insert a toothpick into the cake, it will come out clean when the cake is completely baked.
Let the cake cool completely on a cooling wrack.
Once the cake is cool, use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream together.
Pour the milk mixture over the cake and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but overnight is best.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Once the cake is cooled and ready to serve, in a large mixing bowl use a hand electric mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attached, whip the heavy cream for 4 minutes. Soft peaks will begin to form.
Add in the granulated sugar and vanilla extract, continue to whip until the frosting is light and fluffy with stiff peaks.
Spread the whipped cream frosting onto the cooled cake.
Garnish the cake with sliced strawberries or cinnamon, optional.

Storage Tips

Once baked and frosted, keep the Tres Leches cake in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or in a plastic cake holder.
This is a cold cake so do not keep it out on the dessert table for a few hours. It should be sliced and eaten, leftover go right into the fridge.
Since this is a milk and cream-based cake, it is important for food safety to refrigerate it when not being eaten. If dairy goes above 40°F there is a risk for bacteria.
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered airtight covered container.

A slice of cake with a whipped cream frosting on a black plate.

Expert Tips

Use room temperature unsalted butter so it incorporates well with the sugar and oil.
Let the cake cool completely before poking the holes and adding the milk mixture.
For optimum flavor, keep the milk-soaked cake in the refrigerator overnight before frosting.
Keep the cake in the refrigerator. Dairy and milk should not come above 40°F in temperature.

FAQs

Why is it a Tres Leche cake?

This delicious Mexican dessert is made with three milk products, thus the name.

Is this cake better on the second day?

In my opinion, the longer the cake sits in the fridge the better the flavor. I recommend refrigerating it overnight so the milk mixture absorbs into the sponge cake.

Can I freeze this cake for a later date?

Absolutely. Freeze the tres leches cake after baking, without the milk mixture or frosting. Wrap the dry baked cake well in plastic wrap or in a freezer-safe, airtight container. The cake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove the cake from the freezer, let defrost in the fridge. Continue with the milk mixture and frosting.

How long should the cake be refrigerated before frosting it?

I recommend refrigerating overnight. The milk will absorb the milk and have an amazing flavor.

A slice of tres leches cake on a plate with a red polka dot napkin in the background.

Similar Recipes

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few recipes to go along with this easy cake:

When you make this recipe, take a pic and tag me on Instagram @everyday_eileen or #everydayeileen.

Keep up to date with recipes and posts by following me on:

FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, TWITTER

Love this recipe, it would be awesome if you give it a 5-star rating and share comments below.