Easy Homemade Tres Leches Cake

Updated November 18, 2024

By Rebecca St. Clair

The easy homemade Tres Leches Cake is so rich and decadent. A true melt-in-your-mouth cake!

Tres leches is a sweet light sponge cake that is super moist. I mean, it is called tres leches, which means three milks. The reason for the extreme moisture is in the title!

My husband has been asking for this, on his birthday, for years! I can’t even remember the last birthday we made something other than this exact tres leches cake recipe.

Over the years, I have adapted this recipe to fit our family’s tastes. He insists that the best tres leches cake is not fancy or intricately decorated.

It should be made, and kept, in a casserole dish with simple ingredients, no fancy decorations. He insists that the most delicious food should look simple and be made with simple ingredients.

In his opinion, fancy decorations are made to distract from a poor quality cake. So, that is how we make his cake.

How to make homemade Tres Leches Cake

A great homemade Tres Leches cake is not hard to make. There are 3 basic parts to the cake.

1. The sponge – This is the actual cake part of the dessert.
2. The liquid – A mixture of 3 milks. This is the leches part. The milks in this tres leches cake are evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and 10% (half-and-half) cream.
3. The topping – The icing is whipping cream (35% cream), whipped with icing sugar. It can have a variety of garnishes from a dusting of cinnamon, fresh fruit, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings to name a few.

Tres Leches cake should be made ahead of time. I make mine the day before and keep it in the fridge. The added day allows the cake time to soak up the milk layer.

The day of, make, and place, the icing and garnishes on the cake.

How to store homemade Tres Leches cake

Tres Leches should be covered, or kept in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Even though the cake has a high sugar content, it is filled with dairy and eggs, as well as being super moist. This makes the refrigerator, and not the counter top, the best option for storage.

When is Tres Leches cake eaten?

Like most cakes, Tres Leches is served for celebrations like birthdays, weddings, graduations, and family gatherings. It is a common dessert centre piece in many homes in and around Mexico and Latin America.

Can homemade Tres Leches cake be frozen?

Yes! You can freeze Tres Leches cake.

Freezing the sponge – Making the sponge ahead and freezing it is a great time saver. To do this wrap the sponge in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready for use, remove and let the cake come back to room temperature. Assemble the cake the same way you would with a fresh sponge.

Freezing the sponge and the milks – Another great option is to make the sponge, poke the holes, and allow it to soak up the milks layer. Then store in an air tight container in the freezer.

When you are ready to use the cake, let it come back up to room temperature. Freshly apply the icing and garnishes before serving.

Freezing a fully assembled tres leches cake – This is also possible. Wrap the cake tightly in cling-film, or place in an air-tight container, and store in the freezer.

When you are ready for use, remove the cake and let it come back up to room temperature. Icing and garnishes will not be preserved as well. It is best to apply this fresh before serving.

Ingredients for Tres Leches Cake

For the sponge

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 262 g

2 Tablespoons cornstarch 15 g

1 ½ Tablespoons baking powder 20 g

6 eggs, separated

½ cup whole milk 125 ml

1 ¼ cup sugar 250 g

1 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 ml

The milks

1 can evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1¼ cups half-and-half (10% cream) 310 ml

Topping

2 cups whipping cream (35% cream) 500 ml

¼ cup icing sugar 32 g

1 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 ml

Garnishes (optional)

Some ideas include: Chopped nuts, cinnamon, maraschino cherries, sliced fresh fruit, chocolate curls or shavings.

Method

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
2. Grease a rectangular 9 x 13 in. casserole dish.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch 5 times. Set aside. (Don’t skip this step. It makes the flour really light and airy!)
4. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the whites until they hold a stiff peak. Set aside.

5. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until light and creamy.

6. Add in the sifted flour mixture and the milk. Beat until smooth.

7. Gently, with a large spoon or spatula, fold in the egg whites. Try to incorporate without destroying too much of the light airiness of the egg whites.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

9. Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Set the cake aside to cool to room temperature.

For the milk mixture

1. In a large bowl combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the 10% cream.
2. Whisk to combine.
3. Use a skewer and punch hundreds of holes in the cake.

4. Pour the milk mixture, evenly, overtop of the cake.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight, to soak up the milk mixture

Icing and Topping

1. In a large bowl, add the whipping cream (35% cream). Whip until it starts to hold soft peaks.
2. Mix in the vanilla and icing sugar.
3. Gradually increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Spread the cream evenly on top of the cake.
5. Garnish with your favourite toppings.

Looking for more cake recipes? Try one of these! Autumn spice Apple Crisp Cheesecake Halloween Chocolate and Caramel Torte, The Best Vintage Vanilla Cake