This dreamy peanut butter tres leches cake melts in your mouth and is all the more delicious thanks to the creamy Skippy
peanut butter in the cake and frosting. The tres leches soaking mixture adds so much silky richness to the cake it will disappear in a flash!
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Sweetened Condensed Milk: This thick caramel-like milk adds lots of body and sweetness to the cake’s soaking mixture.
Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter: This peanut butter has the perfect consistency and flavor for this cake. You’ll be adding it to the cake batter and then thinning it our with cream to swirl into the frosting.
Powdered Sugar: This is used to sweeten the frosting, you can add more to taste if desired.
How to Make Peanut Butter Tres Leches Cake
1. Set oven to 350F, butter a 9×13 baking dish and whisk the dry ingredients together.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar together until thick and fluffy then add the oil and peanut butter mixing until smooth and combined.
3. Add the flour in three batches alternating with the evaporated milk while mixing on low.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until the center is springy to the touch. Set aside to cool on the counter.
5. Poke the cooled cake all over with a skewer or straw then pour 2.5 cups of the tres leches mixture over the top.
6. Cover with whipped cream then dollop the peanut butter mixture over the top and swirl in using a spatula. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Some people love to have a tres leches drenched in milk. You can definitely mix up a larger batch and soak the cake as desired.
- Don’t over-mix your batter, that can lead to a dense cake with a tougher crumb.
- This is a great make ahead cake it actually gets better the second day as the soaking mixture penetrates the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can you store this cake?
You can make the cake a few days in advance and store in the refrigerator. You could also make the cake and freeze it then thaw and drench with the milk mixture and top with frosting.
Can I make this without evaporated milk?
You can substitute the evaporated milk for whole milk and the recipe will work just fine.
What’s the best way to whip cream for a frosting?
Use cold cream, a cold bowl and whisk and whip until the cream is almost done (at very soft peaks). Finish off by hand whisking until the desired consistency is reached. This way you have more control and will not over-whip the cream.
If you’ve tried this Peanut Butter Tres Leches Cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Peanut Butter Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300g
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300g
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter 85g
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil 80ml
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup evaporated milk ½ of a 14-ounce can/180ml
Syrup:
- 1½ cups evaporated milk 1½ 12-ounce cans/360ml
- 1 14-ounce/397g can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup heavy cream 120ml
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided (480ml)
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter 85g
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking pan or spray with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed very pale, thick, and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter, oil, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until well combined.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture alternating with the evaporated milk. Stop and scrape down the bowl and mix again to ensure the batter is evenly combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool until slightly warm, about 30 minutes. (The cake may shrink a touch as it cools.)
For the Syrup:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream until well combined. Poke the cake all over with a fork or skewer. Slowly pour 2½ cups of the syrup over the cake, reserving the rest of the syrup for serving. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
For the Frosting:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine ½ cup cream and the peanut butter. Microwave for 15 seconds, or just long enough to warm the mixture. Stir together until fluffy combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1½ cups of cream and the powdered sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread over the cake. Dollop the peanut butter over the whipped cream and swirl together with an offset spatula or a spoon. The cake can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day before serving. Serve with a generous pour of the remaining syrup on a dessert plate before placing the slice of cake.
Leave a Reply