Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Made with simple ingredients, this Tres Leches Cake will melt in your mouth. Perfectly sweet and moist, this cake is so easy to make!
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Cake pan
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar (250g)
- ½ cup whole milk (120ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Syrup:
- 1 (14-ounce/397g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce/354ml) can evaporated milk
- ⅔ cup whole milk (160ml)
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (480ml)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- fresh berries for garnish
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish or spray with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Separate the eggs into two separate bowls, a medium one for the yolks and a large one for the white. Beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy and doubled in size, about 1 minute. While beating, slowly pour in ¼ cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 cup sugar to the egg yolks and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
- Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in two batches, until no white streaks remain. 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. (The cake will fall and shrink as it cools. This is normal!)
For the Syrup:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk until well combined. Poke the cake all over with a fork. Slowly pour the syrup over the cake. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the cream and sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread over the cake. The cake can be covered and refrigerated for 3 days before serving. Garnish with strawberries, if desired.
Notes
- Use a scale to measure the flour. However, if you don't have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a dense cake.
- Separate the eggs while they are cold. Eggs are much easier to separate when cold, but egg whites whip up easier when closer to room temperature. I recommend separating the eggs in advance if you have the time so that the egg whites can come to room temperature.
- When whipping the egg whites, make sure there's no water or oil in the bowl, as it will prevent the egg whites from forming peaks.
- Don't deflate the whipped egg whites. When folding the egg whites into the flour mixture, turn the mixture in on itself with a cutting motion, not stirring. This way, you gently incorporate the egg whites and do not deflate them.
- Don't overmix the batter. Otherwise, you'll overdevelop the gluten and will end up with a tough cake.
- To pop air bubbles in the cake batter: Gently tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any large air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
- Topping ideas: Keep it simple. The sweet whipped cream frosting is enough, but if you like, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or sliced fresh strawberries on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 491kcal Carbohydrates: 62g Protein: 11g Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 13g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 154mg Sodium: 252mg Potassium: 325mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 44g Vitamin A: 893IU Vitamin C: 2mg Calcium: 253mg Iron: 2mg