Name: Tres Leches Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 large eggs (separated); 2/3 cup sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup milk; 3 tbsp sugar ((for egg whites)); 14 oz sweetened condensed milk ((1 can)); 12 oz evaporated milk ((1 can)); 1/2 cup milk; 2-3 tbsp rum; 16 oz whipped cream ((I used cool whip)); cocoa powder; berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

This classic Tres Leches Cake from scratch will blow your mind! Soft, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth sweet sponge cake, soaked in 3 milks and topped with whipped cream!

a piece of tres leche cake on a plate with blueberries and strawberries

I’m really excited to share this recipe with you today, because this cake is really one of my favorites. I first tried a Tres Leches Cake about 15 years ago at a pot luck at work when a co-worker (who is Cuban) brought it for us to try. All I can say is that it was love at first bite. I usually love sponge cakes that are soaked in some sort of liquid, but this cake tops them all.

This really is one of my all time favorite cakes and hubs even declared this better than Sex in a Pan. That’s saying a lot for him, considering he’s lactose intolerant and made an exception for this cake.

What Is Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake literally means three milks cake, also known as pastel de tres leches or torta de tres leches. It’s basically a sponge cake soaked in 3 different kinds of milk. It may sound pretty simple, but it’s to die for.

My version here is a butter free cake, a very light sponge cake with lots of air bubbles soaked in the milk sauce overnight, then topped with whipped cream, some cocoa powder and some berries.

a pan of tres leche cake with a few pieces taken out and a spatula

What Are the Three Milks Used

The 3 milks used in the sauce are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and regular milk. But that’s not all, to make this cake a bit boozy, I added about 3 tbsp of rum in my milk sauce. Trust me, you will want to do this if you’re not serving this cake to children.

In my book, this cake ranks as the most moist cake in the world. I really hope you give this cake a try, it’s perfect for a huge crowd, so if you’re having a party for Easter or Cinco de Mayo you will definitely want to give this cake a try!

How to Make Tres Leches Cake

Start by making the batter first. I really recommend separating the eggs and beating the egg whites first before adding them to the batter, that’s the secret to getting this light airy cake. Beat the egg yolks with sugar, vanilla until the eggs are thick and pale. Use a stand mixer but if you don’t have one, a hand mixer works as well.

In another bowl whisk the dry ingredients together. Make the batter next, by alternating between the dry ingredients and the egg yolk mixture. Lastly whisk in the 1/2 cup of milk into the batter. By this time the batter should be quite thick.

Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter. Pour this batter into a greased baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes then cool for 10 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the milk sauce by whisking all the sauce ingredients together. Pierce the entire cake with a fork. Finally, pour the milk over the cake and let it chill for at least 3 hours to overnight in the fridge. Make sure you give the cake enough time to soak up the milk.

I like to top my cake with some whipped cream, cocoa powder and whatever berries are in season.

This cake is also so easy to customize and add fun flavorful twists, like what I did with my Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake!

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover cake in airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

Make Ahead

This cake can be made a couple days in advance. The longer time it has to soak up the milk sauce the better it tastes. If making it in advance, wait to top it with whipped cream until before serving, so the whipped cream is fresh.