Tres Leches Milk Cake

Moist, creamy, and utterly irresistible, this Tres Leches Milk Cake is a Latin American classic that will leave you hooked. A tender sponge cake soaks up a mixture of evaporated milk, heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar, resulting in a decadent dessert that’s equal parts rich and refreshing.

Ready Time

1 hrs 30 mins

Yields

5 servings

Ingredients

Butter, softened, 1/2 cup
Granulated sugar, 1 cup
Large eggs, 2
All-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Whole milk, 1 cup
Evaporated milk, 1/2 cup
Heavy cream, 1/2 cup
Confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set it aside for now.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together that softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Yeah, it’s gonna take a few minutes! Beat in those large eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then, gradually add this dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture.

Beat just until combined – don’t overdo it! Stir in that lovely vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.

Pop that cake into the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. While the cake is cooling, prepare those tres leches (three milks) by whisking together the evaporated milk, heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar.

Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer or fork.

Yeah, get in there and make some holes! Pour the tres leches mixture evenly over the top of the cake, making sure the milk seeps into those holes. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow all the milky goodness to soak in.

Slice and serve! You should get about 5 slices out of this beauty.

Notes

Make sure to use room temperature eggs for a lighter, fluffier cake. Don’t overmix the batter, as it’ll result in a dense cake.

Stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are just combined.

If you don’t have a 9×13-inch baking dish, you can use a similar-sized pan or even split the batter between two smaller pans. When poking holes in the cake, be gentle so you don’t break the top of the cake.

You can adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar in the tres leches mixture to your taste, or omit it altogether if you prefer.

This cake is best served chilled, so try to resist the temptation to slice into it as soon as it comes out of the oven! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.