Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)

Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)

Tres Leches Cake, also known as Pastel Tres Leches or Pan Tres Leches is a sponge cake or butter cake, which is baked in the same pan or casserole dish in which it is later served. The baked and cooled cake is soaked with three kinds of milk (Traditionally canned milk is used – Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, and Heavy Cream). Nestle brand made this cake extremely popular in the 1940s and to this day Nestle Brand Canned Milks are most commonly used in the making of the Tres Leches Cake.

When the cake is made with butter, it is much denser and more drenched and weighted with milk. When the cake is made without butter, it is a much lighter cake, and since it is more aerated, it absorbs the milk more readily and it is not as soggy as the butter version.

The cake is known as a Traditional Mexican cake although it is equally popular in Nicaragua and all across Latin America in general.

For decoration, you can use any fresh or seasonal fruit to taste. Strawberries, Mango, Kiwi, and Blueberries are all great. You may even sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon instead.

Scroll down for the Complete Recipe and VIDEO.

Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)

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Watch the Video or click to read Complete Recipe – Below. 

How to make Tres Leches Cake – Recipe at a glance:

1. Prepare cake batter in 4 steps. (sift flour – whip egg yolks – whip egg whites – combine)
2. Bake the cake and allow it to cool.
3. Soak the cake with a prepared milk mixture.
4. Prepare whipped cream topping.
5. Top the soaked cake with whipped cream and fruit or cinnamon powder.

WHICH ARE THE THREE KINDS OF MILK USED IN TRES LECHES?

Traditional recipes call for canned Evaporated milk, Sweetened Condensed milk, and Heavy Cream. And Nestel Carnation, evaporated milk, Nestle la Lechera  Condensed Milk and Nestle Crema – heavy cream are the most popular choices.

Variations of Tres Leches, such as the Trileçe cake, popular in Albania use literally 3 types of milk – cows, goats and buffalos milk. Then there are many who use Coconut Milk in their Tres Leches for the added flavor of coconut! In my video, I have replaced evaporated milk with canned coconut milk, thus making Coconut Tres Leches. You can even use Pistachio Milk and flavor the cake with pistachio extract and some green food coloring, for Pistachio Tres Leches. Other variations include Rose Tres Leches and Chocolate Tres Leches.

CAN I FREEZE TRES LECHES CAKE?

You can freeze the cake itself and do the soaking and topping later for best results, although made fresh and chilled till soaked is best. The soaked cake does not freeze well, it will be mushy. And the whipped topping doesn’t freeze well either.

CAN I MAKE TRES LECHES CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can cover and chill in the fridge, as long as your whipped cream is stiff enough. store up to 2 days before serving.

HOW LONG CAN I KEEP THE TRES LECHES CAKE IN THE FRIDGE?

You can keep the cake in the fridge up to 3 days.

HOW LONG DO YOU SOAK TRES LECHES CAKE?

6-8 hours, is good, but overnight soaking is best. The longer the cake is soaked, the more milk mixture it can absorb, resulting in a richer and more flavorful cake.

WHAT IS SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK? 

Sweetened condensed milk is the same as condensed milk. It is cow’s milk from which water has been removed. It is usually sweetened with sugar. It is available in canned form and if unopened can be stored for a few years! The texture is thick like creamy honey!

WHAT IS EVAPORATED MILK? 

Evaporated milk is also similarly produced as condensed milk, without the added sugar.

Evaporated milk is fresh cow’s milk that has been heated till bout 60% of the water content has evaporated. After which, it’s homogenized, canned,  and goes through a heat sterilization treatment during the canning process. A standard can of evaporated milk is 12 fluid ounces, and most recipes are developed to use an entire can.

DO I NEED TO ADD ANY BUTTER OR OIL FOR TRES LECHES? 

Although some recipes for tres leches, start with a butter cake, this recipe uses a fatless sponge as the base. The milk syrup is easily absorbed into the light, airy cake.  The absence of any oil or butter also creates the perfect sponge cake that doesn’t fall apart when soaked.  And we don’t miss those extra calories one bit!

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Ingredients:

Cake:

• 5 large Eggs
• 3/4 cup plus 1/8 cup fine grain Sugar (divided)
• 1 1/2 cups Cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract

For the Tres Leches Milk Syrup:

• 1 can ‘Evaporated Milk’ or Coconut Milk (14 oz)
• 1 can ‘Sweetened Condensed Milk’  (12oz)
• 1/2 cup ‘Heavy Cream’
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract – optional

For topping:

• 2 cups/480 ml Chilled Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar( powdered sugar) – or to taste
• Fresh fruit of your liking, as needed – to decorate

Same Recipe Video is available on the Recipe page⇑.

On Laptop, is recommended that you open the recipe page and keep this page going if you like to WATCH / LISTEN to the video alongside the written instructions.

Key Ingredients: Eggs, Flour, Sugar, Milk mixture, Cream, Vanilla, Baking powder, Salt.

EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried – Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)