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Slice of homemade Tres Leches cake with whipped topping and cinnamon.

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Moist, creamy, and rich in tradition; this family-loved Tres Leches Cake features a soft sponge soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with airy whipped cream.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup All-purpose flour Sifted
  • 1½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 5 Large Separated room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar Divided
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract Pure
  • ⅓ cup Whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon Cream of tartar Optional stabilizes whites
Three-Milk Mixture
  • 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk 1 can
  • 12 oz Evaporated milk 1 can
  • ½ cup Heavy cream or whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract Pure
Whipped Topping
  • 2 cups Heavy whipping cream Chilled
  • 3–4 tbsp Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract Pure
  • Ground cinnamon (Optional) for dusting
  • Fresh berries or maraschino cherries Optional garnish

Equipment

  • 1 9×13 baking dish Glass or ceramic preferred
  • 1 Hand mixer or whisk For beating egg whites and whipped cream
  • 2–3 Mixing bowls Separate for yolks, whites, and whipped topping
  • 1 Rubber spatula To gently fold egg whites into batter
  • 1 Measuring cup With spout, for pouring milk mixture
  • 1 Fork To poke holes for milk absorption
  • 1 Plastic wrap To cover cake while chilling

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
  2. Whip egg whites until frothy, add sugar, and beat to stiff peaks.
  3. Beat yolks with sugar until pale; stir in vanilla.
  4. Sift dry ingredients and mix with yolk mixture, alternating with milk.
  5. Gently fold in egg whites. Pour into pan and bake 25–30 mins. Cool completely.
  6. Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla.
  7. Poke holes in cake and slowly pour milk mixture over. Refrigerate overnight.
  8. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
  9. Spread whipped topping over soaked cake and dust with cinnamon.
  10. Add berries or cherries. Serve chilled.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.