Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake is a beloved Mexican dessert of light sponge cake soaked in a blend of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream, then crowned with whipped cream. Popular across Latin America, it's moist, milky, and never overly sweet.

By YumYum Editorial · Mexican

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 50 min · Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, for the soaking mixture
• 1.5 cups heavy cream, chilled, for the whipped topping
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• to taste Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar until pale and thick, then mix in the whole milk and vanilla.
4. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff and glossy.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites in two additions until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then pierce all over with a fork. Whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and 1/4 cup heavy cream, and slowly pour it over the warm cake, letting it soak in.
8. Refrigerate the soaked cake for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the milk mixture is fully absorbed.
9. Whip the chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks and spread over the top of the cake. Dust with cinnamon before slicing and serving.