Are you familiar with Tres Leches cake? It’s a light, sponge-like cake that’s soaked in three milks (tres leches). Typically the cake is made in a larger form, Tres Leches Cake (or Pastel de Tres Leches) is one of those Mexican desserts that will make you swoon (like the girls at a Beatles concert), but it has to be made right. So delicious and a great way to end a meal. The cake is similar to an angel food cake.

The BEST authentic homemade Tres Leches Cake, An ultra light cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. This simple Mexican dessert is one of our favorites!

The problem with most Pastel de Tres Leches cakes is that the cake is too sweet. Then, the end product is like eating sugar over sugar. Bleh!

INGREDIENTS:

• All-purpose flour – 1 cup
• Baking powder – 1-1/2 tsp
• Salt- 1/4 teaspoon
• Whole eggs- 5
• Sugar-1 cup granulated divided
• Vanilla essence-1 tsp divided
• Milk-1/3 cup
• Evaporated milk-1 can(12-ounce)
• Sweetened condensed milk -1 can(14-ounce)
• Heavy cream – 1/4 cup

INSTRUCTION:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a pan liberally until coated.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
• Separate eggs and beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow.
• Stir in milk and vanilla.
• Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
• Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
• With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
• Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined.
• Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
• Turn cake out and allow to cool.
• Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher.
• When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times.
• Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
• To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. You can decorate the cake with fruits and nuts, but my favourite is lemon.

Nutrition:

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 8.4% | Vitamin C: 15.8% | Calcium: 18.6% | Iron: 10.3%

Here many of you would have some doubts, just scroll down and keep reading.

HOW TO STORE TRES LECHES CAKE:

Store Tres Leches Cake in the refrigerator after covering it with plastic wrap or a secure lid. It’s best to store this cake for several hours or overnight before serving so that the cake has a chance to soak up the milk mixture.

If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

IS TRES LECHES CAKE MADE WITH OIL OR BUTTER?

This tres leches cake is NOT made with butter or oil.  And trust me, you won’t notice or miss those ingredients!

CAN YOU MAKE TRES LECHES CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can make Tres leches cake 1-2 days in advance.  In fact, I love to make this cake the night before so that the cake has a chance to soak up some of the milk that was poured over top.  You can store it with whipped cream on top as well or wait to top it with whipped cream before serving.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. It is great for any occasion, including Cinco de Mayo, Christmas, and Easter.

Let me know in the comments below how it turns out.