Alright guys, today we’re making that pretty Tres Leches Cake that we all need this summer. It’s such an easy process and you end up with something really beautiful and unique!
Tres Leches has never been a favorite of mine, but the beauty of making it from scratch is that you make it tastes the way you want it to! I’ve made what is my favorite version of this cake, if not completely traditional. Let’s get to it!
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
We’re starting with a sponge cake here, and this recipe makes a 9×13 inch cake. Making a sponge cake is a multi-step process, but its usually pretty simple still. We’re starting by separating the eggs, and then the batter starts with our egg yolks and sugar.
We’re adding in some milk and a ton of vanilla extract here, and then stirring in the dry ingredients. Once that’s done, we’re whipping up the egg whites until they are super fluffy, and folding them into the cake batter until everything is combined and silky smooth. Then it’s off to the oven to bake!
Once it comes out, we need to let the cake completely cool in the pan. You should notice the cake pulling away from the sides of the pan slightly as it cools.
For the filling, I decided to go with sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and heavy cream. A lot of recipes use evaporated milk instead of the cream, but I wanted a cake that wasn’t too liquid-logged in the end, and heavy cream is a lovely choice for this! I also adding some vanilla extract here to boost that flavor throughout the cake!
Once the cake is cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the cake, reaching all the way to the bottom of the pan. Then, pour your filling mixture all over the top of the cake. It’s going to seem like way too much liquid, but I promise it will get soaked up perfectly in the cake. Cover it and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Then, we’re just topping it with some simple whipped cream and sliced strawberries. It’s such a yummy cake, hope you guys enjoy this one!
Tips & Tricks For Tres Leches Cake
This cake comes together easily, but I’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you along the way!
- Do most of the mixing by hand to avoid over mixing the cake. The main exception is that it’s a bit easier to use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites!
- Use the flavors you love! I went heavy on the vanilla extract to really bring a pronounced flavor to the whole cake. You can use any extracts you prefer, or you can even replace some of the flour in the cake with cocoa powder to go for a chocolate version!
- Top the cake with any berries you love or skip the berries all together!
- You can use different milk options. It’s definitely important to use sweetened condensed milk, but you can swap out the heavy cream or whole milk for the milk of your choice. However, if you’re not using something thick like heavy cream, you may want to reduce the milk amount by about 1/4-1/3 cup!
- I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes!
Hope you guys enjoy this one!
High-Altitude Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 6 eggs separated
- 1 1/4 cup sugar, separated
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For filling and topping:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, separated
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
Instructions
For the cake:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and generously grease a 9×13 inch cake pan. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. The mixture will be fairly thick at this point, but that's okay!
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In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are foamy, and then with the mixer on, slowly add in the sugar until completely combined and fluffy. Gently fold in the egg whites to the rest of the batter, starting with just a small amount. Then fold in the rest of the whites gently until well combined and no streaks remain. Pour into your prepared cake pan, and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before continuing!
For the filling and topping:
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When the cake is completely cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the cake, and be sure to go all the way to the bottom of the pan.
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In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the mixture all over the cake, using the entire mixture. It will seem like too much liquid, but it's going to all get soaked up by the cake! Cover the cake and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the mixture to soak into the cake before topping and serving.
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When ready to serve, in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream until fluffy and thick. Add in the powdered sugar, and mix to combine. Top the cake with the whipped cream and sliced strawberries, and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
Your Tres Leches Cake is so delicious! We really love it. We're at 7500 feet and it's difficult to make things work. Thank you so much!!!
So glad you're enjoying it!!
Hi – we live at 8700’ – what adjustments do we need to make to your Tres Leches Cake? Thanks!!
This tres leches cake recipe is so good! I have made it several times and every time I made it, I've got nothing but rave reviews about it! Thank you for sharing it with the world.
Soooo AMAZING! Made in Albuquerque, NM without alterations and it came out perfectly! (I let the milks soak for about a day and a half)