A cloud of soft butter cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture topped with whipped cream. You can serve these on special occasions like Thanksgiving, Cinco de Mayo, or a dinner party. So, are you ready to learn how to make tres leches cake? Let’s get started!
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A Delicious Dessert Recipe
In case you never heard of or had this cake before what is tres leches cake? This recipe is a dessert that is made with butter cake or with vanilla muffins.
It is topped with a milk mixture that consists of:
- Condensed sweet milk
- Evaporated milk
- Heavy milk or cream that has about 10-12% fat
That is why it is called tres leches because it is made with three types of different milk.
Where Can You Find Tres Leches?
There is a debate whether this dessert originates from Mexico or Nicaragua as Nestle started to advertise their condensed milk in Latin America and used this recipe on the back of a can of milk.
That is probably the reason why this recipe is so popular in Latin America and there are lot more countries where you can find this sweet dessert.
You can find this milk cake in the following countries:
- Mexico
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Panama
- Guatemala
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Colombia
- Nicaragua
- Venezuela
Tres Leches Cake Ingredients
To make this milk cake recipe you need an extensive number of ingredients. So put the following items on your grocery shopping list:
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Egg
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Vanilla
Milk mixture:
- Condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Heavy cream
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
This tres leches dessert is made muffin style but you can also make it in a sheet pan. Start with the cake mix.
Put all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl so the flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and salt and whisk to combine.
Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Use a whisk to beat in the butter until the flour mixture resembles sand.
You can make this recipe by hand which I did or use a mixer on medium to low speed.
Now add the egg and continue to whisk it through the flour mixture. Then add the yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract to the mixture as well.
Continue to whisk the cake batter for about a minute until you have a light fluffy batter. Preheat the oven to 325 ℉ and spray your muffin shapes with cooking spray.
Pour the cake mix into the muffin shapes or jars and bake the cake for 25 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean.
Take the skewer and punch holes in the cakes. These holes are needed to soak the milk.
Let the cakes cool completely.
Make Tres Leches Milk Mixture
Whisk the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half & half together in a large measuring container. Then in a separate bowl put in the cream.
Add sugar and whisk it until you have solid creamy whipped cream. Then pour the tres leches milk mixture over the cakes.
It may seem that this is too much milk but let the cake absorb the milk and add more milk. Let them chill for 2 hours.
Top the dessert with the whipped cream and sprinkle some cacao powder.
Your dessert is ready to serve.
How Long Does Tres Leches Cake Last?
When you have made this cake and you drenched the cake with milk you can top it with whipped cream. Put it in the fridge to let it set.
Now you can easily keep it in the fridge for 4 or even 5 days.
It tastes the best when you serve this dessert within two days but it still tastes amazing after four days.
Can You Freeze Tres Leches Cake?
Yes, you can freeze your tres leches cake. Do not yet pour the milk mix on the cake but freeze the cake separately.
When you want to use it let the cake get to room temperature before you let the cake soak with the milk mixture.
You can also store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Put the cake in an airtight food container.
As mentioned above you can pour the milk mixture into the cake and then store it in the fridge until you you are ready to serve.
I hope you love this tres leches dessert as much as I do!
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How to make tres leches cake
Looking for the best Mexican dessert? Try this tres leches cake that is made with a cloud of soft butter cake topped with 3 types of milk and whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoon yogurt or quark
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 small egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Tres leches milk mixture
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/5 cup half & half
- FOR THE GARNISHES
- 20ml whipped cream with 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Put all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl whisk to combine
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Use a whisk to beat in the butter until the flour mixture resembles sand
- Add the egg and continue to whisk it through the flour mixture. Then add the yogurt, the milk, and vanilla extract to the mixture as well
- Continue to whisk the cake batter for about a minute until you have a light fluffy batter. Preheat the oven to 325 F and spray your muffin shaps with cooking spray
- Pour the cake mix into the muffin tin or jars and bake the cake for 25 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean
- Take the skewer and punch holes (about 10 holes per muffin) in the cakes. These holes are needed to soak the milk
- Let the cakes cool completely. Whisk the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half & half together in a large measuring cup. Then pour the tres leches milk mixture over the cakes
- It may seem that this is too much milk but let the cake absorb the milk and add more milk. Then let the cakes chill for 2 hours.
- Then put the cream in a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk it until you have solid creamy whipped cream, Top the cakes with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cacao powder
- Serve the cakes
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Notes
You can make this recipe by hand which I did or use a mixer on medium to low speed
Nutrition facts
Calories: 300; Fat: 15g; Carbs: 35g; Protein: 6g;
