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Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Made with simple ingredients, this Tres Leches Cake will melt in your mouth. Perfectly sweet and moist, this cake is so easy to make!

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Tres leches cake topped with whipped cream and fresh berries
Prep
⏱️ 15m
Cook
🍳 30m
Total
⏰ 45m
Servings
12

Tres Leches Cake takes 45 min (15 min prep, 30 min cooking) and serves 12.

👨‍🍳 Instructions

✨ Meez Magic · 8 steps → 21 actions

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Immersive step-by-step Cook Mode with timers.

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1

Preheat the oven to 350F

2

Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish or spray with baking spray

3

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt

4

Separate the eggs into two separate bowls, a medium one for the yolks and a large one for the whites

5

Beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy and doubled in size

6

While beating, slowly pour in ¼ cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form

7

Add the remaining 1 cup sugar to the egg yolks and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy

8

Beat in the milk and vanilla

9

Pour into the flour mixture and beat just until combined

10

Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in two batches, until no white streaks remain

11

Pour the batter into the cake pan

12

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

13

Let the cake cool until slightly warm (the cake will fall and shrink as it cools; this is normal)

14

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk until well combined

15

Poke the cake all over with a fork

16

Slowly pour the syrup over the cake

17

Cover and chill

18

In a large bowl, beat the cream and sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form

19

Spread over the cake

20

The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving

21

Garnish with strawberries, if desired

🎉

You're all done!

Enjoy your tres leches cake recipe — and don't forget to share.

From Cook Mode

Tips as you cook

  • Gather Cake IngredientsMise en place makes baking easier
  • Preheat OvenGive oven time to fully heat
  • Prep Baking DishCoat corners well to prevent sticking
  • Whisk Dry IngredientsWhisking aerates the flour mix
  • Separate EggsKeep yolks free of any egg white
  • Beat Egg WhitesMake sure the bowl is grease-free
  • Add Sugar to WhitesAdd sugar gradually for stable peaks
  • Beat Yolks with SugarPale, fluffy yolks mean enough air

Swaps, storing and making ahead

Good to know

Swaps

No heavy whipping cream on hand? Chilled coconut cream can be whipped the same way for the topping.

Storing it

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Making it ahead

Bake and soak the cake up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; whip and spread the cream on the day you serve it.

Notes by Meez Magic, written for this recipe. Use your judgment.

The story behind itWhere tres leches cake comes from: origins and historyTres leches cake is a light sponge soaked in three kinds of milk, and half of Latin America claims it. Here is what we know about its disputed past, how it varies, and when it fits best.

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