Tres Leches Cake is a delicious Latin American dessert with the texture of a sponge cake soaked in several types of milk. The cake is then topped with homemade whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

I’ve never made or even tasted a Tres Leches Cake and oh…my…goodness!!! I can’t believe that I’ve totally been missing out all of my life…not anymore! 🤣

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients

5 Large Eggs, Separated

1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter, Softened at Room Temperature

2 Cups Granulated Sugar, Divided

1 + 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Whole Milk

Ingredients for the Leches Topping

14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk

12oz Evaporated Milk

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ingredients for the Whipped Cream

1 + 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ground Cinnamon for topping (optional)

PS. If you don’t enjoy cinnamon, fresh fruit for a topping is amazing too!

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying with baking spray.

Separate your eggs. Place the yolks in a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and use an electric hand-held mixer to beat until foamy.

Gradually add only one cup of granulated sugar, adding about two Tablespoons at a time and mix after each addition. Place your mixer speed on high and beat until the egg white mixture is thick and glossy and you achieve stiff peaks – almost like a meringue. Set the bowl aside.

In a medium bowl, add the sottened butter and remaining one cup of granulated sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and gently stir.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Use a spatula to stir by hand the milk and flour mixture into your egg yolk mixture (I found it easier to alternate the flour and milk by adding in about 1/4 at a time and stirring after each addition).

Add in the egg white meringue and use a spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter. Make sure the batter is completely combined and no white spots of the eggs are remaining. It’s best to be gentle when folding (no mixing!) because you do not want to deflate the egg whites or over-mix the batter – if you over mix you will have a dense cake.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake will be golden brown on the top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely for about an hour.

Once cake has cooled completely it’s time to prepare the leches topping.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the milk mixture slowly and evenly over the entire cake.

Cover with plastic wrap and place the cake into the refrigerator and chill the cake for at least several hours or overnight.

Once the cake has chilled for several hours (or overnight) make the whipped cream.

In a medium bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract and use an electric hand held mixer to beat until thickened and stiff peaks form.

Spread the whipped cream over the entire cake from corner to corner. Sprinkle cinnamon if desired.

Enjoy 😉