Tres Leches

Tres Leches Cake

A classic Mexican celebration cake: a light vanilla sponge is soaked with the three milks (evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream), then topped with billowy whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. Plan ahead — the cake needs at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to absorb the milk mixture.

Prep

25 min

Cook

30 min

Total

55 min

Serves

12

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• •5 whole large eggs, separated, room temperature; yolks and whites divided
• •200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar, divided — 100 g for yolks, 100 g for whites
• •120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
• •5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• •2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine salt
• •397 g (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 1 standard can
• •354 g (12 oz) evaporated milk, 1 standard can
• •240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream, for the soaking mixture
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) rum or brandy, optional — traditional Mexican versions often include a splash; omit for alcohol-free
• •500 ml (2 cups) heavy cream, cold, for the topping
• •30 g (3 tbsp) powdered sugar, for whipping
• •5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract, for the topping
• •2 g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon, to finish

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oven to 175 °C / 350 °F. Grease a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish and line the bottom with parchment.
2. 2 Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.
3. 3 In a large bowl, beat the 5 egg yolks with 100 g (½ cup) of the sugar on high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 5 ml vanilla.
4. 4 Slowly stream in the 120 ml whole milk while mixing on low until just combined.
5. 5 Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture in three additions until smooth.
6. 6 In a separate clean, dry bowl, beat the 5 egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 100 g (½ cup) sugar and continue beating to stiff, glossy peaks.
7. 7 Fold the whites into the yolk batter in three additions, gently, to keep the batter airy. Do not stir — fold from the bottom up.
8. 8 Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. 9 Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then pierce it all over with a fork or skewer (poke right down to the base of the cake — the holes are what pull the milk in). Leave the cake in the pan.
10. 10 In a large measuring jug, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, 240 ml heavy cream, and the rum or brandy, if using.
11. 11 Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake, a little at a time, pausing between pours so it can absorb. Use all of it — the cake will look very wet. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the liquid is fully absorbed and the surface is set.
12. 12 Just before serving, whip the 500 ml cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks; do not over-whip.
13. 13 Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake and dust generously with ground cinnamon.
14. 14 Serve cold, straight from the pan. Keep refrigerated; consume within 3 days.