Tres Leches Cake (Three Milks Cake)

  4.4 – 88 reviews  • Mexican

One hot, lazy afternoon, I came across this dish. Be not alarmed by the ingredients; they combine to form a delicious and energizing salad. Consider giving it a try; you might be in for a pleasant surprise!

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Additional Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 10
Yield: 1 (8×12-inch) cake

Ingredients

  1. floured cooking spray
  2. 5 eggs
  3. 2 cups white sugar, divided
  4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  5. 1 cup self-rising flour
  6. 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  7. 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
  8. 1 cup milk
  9. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  10. 3 egg whites

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8×12-inch baking dish.
  2. Separate 5 eggs. Beat egg whites in a large bowl. Add 1 cup sugar slowly to egg whites, beating constantly. Add yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Sift flour over egg mixture and stir until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutess. Allow to cool completely.
  4. Blend together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Pour over cooled cake.
  5. Beat 3 egg whites in a clean mixing bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff meringue forms. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  6. Spread meringue frosting over cake.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 479 kcal
Carbohydrate 84 g
Cholesterol 123 mg
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 13 g
Saturated Fat 6 g
Sodium 320 mg
Sugars 75 g
Fat 10 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Maurice Hess
This cake was so delicious!! Everyone was raving about it! I actually doubled the recipe and made two 9-inch pans . Made only recipe for the Milk mixture and it was perfect! As well we followed the directions a fellow member said after poking holes all over the Cake you pour the milk mixture over the hot cakes. We allowed for it to set over night. An hour and a half be fire my sons birthday we mixed up a whipping cream frosting paved some on top of the first layer then placed sliced strawberries and bananas on it and placed the 2nd cake . We did the same to the top and kind of did a naked cake . We had none left, people were coming back for seconds ! Thank you for this recipe !
Jasmine Franklin
Used whipped cream from a can but otherwise the recipe was the same. Very easy and tastes good.
Stephanie Wheeler
Accidentally used butter extract instead of vanilla. Still delicious!
Monique Jenkins
This is a great dessert. My husband loves it and always asks me to make it for him (he actually eats it all by himself). For those that think it’s too sweet, well, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Also, the first time I made it I screwed up the merengue by using regular sugar, after that I’ve been using powder sugar and it comes out perfect! Sometimes I make it in 2 pans using the same amount of ingredients, that way it’s easier to handle, besides my hubby prefers it when it has a lot of milk.
Jonathan Colon
I loved it. I pored the three milk mix over my hot cake. I didn’t bother making holes or taking off a thin layer off the top and the milk absorbed fine. I didn’t feel like making the topping instead I chose to put fresh strawberries and whip cream. My family loved it
Stacy Gates
The taste was good but I had an issue with the liquid and icing.I didn’t care for the presentation,I will try a different recipe and hope for better results.
Angela Hill
I loved this cake. I did a few things differently: I used less of the milk mixture because it turns out soggy otherwise. I also added the milk mixture when it was still hot. I substituted vanilla coconut milk for the whole milk and added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. (I’m addicted to cinnamon and it’s a good blood sugar regulator.) I put a layer of fresh peaches between the cake and the meringue plus some toasted coconut on top. It tasted like a tropical drink in cake form! DELICIOUS!!!
Cassandra Daniels
Ok this was incredible. I did the recipe as written BUT take note: it really should be doubled (the cake part not the whipped cream) because it makes about half an inch thick cake in a 9×13 pan (the auto 10 serving size). Or just change serving size to 20. Also I added almond extract to the meringue and it was NEXT LEVEL! I put blueberries, raspberries and kiwi on top and it was amazing!
Margaret Sullivan
This was ok but it was not what I expected.
Kyle Brown
I picked this because it had a lot of stars and had great reviews….now I know why!! This is awesome! Anyone who is of Latin or Hispanic decent that has had my cake, has told me it is the best Tres Leches they have ever had:) I did trim the sides and poke holes in the top of the cake. Poured the cream over the top slowly. The only thing I changed was the topping. Instead of the raw egg meringue topping, I used the Dream Whip powder packet and followed the directions on the Dream Whip box. You won’t be disappointed if you give this one a try!!
James Baker
Super fluffy but a better topping would be a homemade whip cream which is super easy just heavy cream and sugar and mix till its a nice texture. Its nice and fluffy and goes well with the fluffy cake
Nicole Moreno
Meringue Frosting make cake taste extremely sweet; other than that cake + syrup taste great just try another frosting
Kendra Hanson
O M G!
Johnny Moore
This is not a good tres leches cake. The milks only soaked into the bottom half of the cake and didn’t penetrate the entire cake as it should have. I knew better than to follow the directions regarding not poking holes in the cake. Had I poked holes I would have had better results. Also, the flavor of the cake is weak and not sweet and delicious. I would not recommend this recipe.
Elizabeth King
Excellent. Loved the texture of the cake. It was perfect. The only change I made was to cook my meringue as suggested by the previous reviewer. I used boiling syrup but I could never get the meringue to thicken properly, so I ended up beating it over a double boiler until the consistency was right. Will go straight to the double boiler next time. Although the meringue did not hold up the fridge as well as I had hoped, I will definitely go through the trouble of cooking it again just o be on the safe side.
Jill Campbell
I have tried several of the tres leches recipes here, and found the base of this the best. I used the stabilized whipped cream recipe instead of uncooked meringue. I served this last week to my gardener and his family ( all from Mexico) and they all agreed it was the best they had ever had!
Crystal Rhodes
I made this 3 times now. I tried different ways each time. This last time I substituted coconut milk used in Asian or Thai cooking for the whole milk and added two Tbsps of dark rum to the milks. I used whipped heavy cream with 1 and 1/2 Tbsp confectioner sugar and 1 tsp vanilla for the topping and I put toasted coconut and maraschino cherries on top of that. This was a huge hit at a party. The dish was completely empty when it was time to go home. Some people complained they didn’t have a chance to try it as many people went back for seconds. I feel like quite a success!
Betty Stevens
I’d give it 4.5 stars if I could, but since I can’t, I’ll round up to 5. 🙂 I’m glad I read the reviews saying it was too sweet. I made a batch and a half in one 9×13 pan. I cut down the sugar from 2 cups to 1 1/4 cup, and added about 3/4 of the syrup mixture to the cake after it got out of the oven. The meringue failed (my hand mixer broke, sad day), but it was still thick enough to use as a “frosting”. I topped it with strawberries and blueberries, and let it sit overnight before taking it to work the next day. The reaction? People loved it. One guy I work with thought about spreading nasty rumors that it tasted bad. That way he could have more. It was almost all gone by the end of the day. If over half the dish you brought to “Food Day” is gone, then that’s a good sign. All in all, easy recipe to follow and fun to make. The only beef I have with it is the high sugar content. This one is definitely going in the recipe box to make again. 🙂
Lindsey Phillips
Ok, this cake was absolutely perfect. It had just the right sweetness and taste. Definitely the best Tres Leches I’ve ever had.
Kimberly Kline
This was very good. I made it for my birthday to switch it up and it worked. I made a whipped cream topping which was nice because it wasn’t too sweet and balanced out the condensed milk. When adding the milk don’t be afraid if it doesn’t instantly absorb, it will. A light cream cheese topping would also be nice
Charles Black
Great cake! I even went a step further and made cupcakes. Baked them, poked holes and then poured the milk. Do not use as much milk for the cupcakes as you would the cake though. otherwise they are hard to hold and eat. Topped them with merigue once and whipped cream another time. YUMMY!! great for anyone that finds normal cupcakes too sweet.

 

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