Vanilla Tres Leches Cake
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This Vanilla Tres Leches Cake is light, airy, and soaked in sweet, creamy milk. It’s simple to make, but feels totally celebratory. The fluffy sponge soaks up the tres leches mixture perfectly, while the vanilla whipped topping keeps it fresh and balanced.
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What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres leches is a classic Hispanic dessert with a delicious rich, sweet taste. The Tres leches meaning refers to “three milk” cake and is rather simple to prepare.
Even though there are plenty of variations of tres leches cake, the basic recipe features a light sponge layer soaked into three different kinds of milk; namely, evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream/whole milk. This combination creates a tasty, moist cake that tastes so heavenly, light and balanced.
Ingredients You Need
vanilla Tres Leches Cake recipe
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- whole milk/cream or combination of both
- sweetened condensed milk
- evaporated milk
Whipped Cream
- heavy whipping cream
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
Instructions How to Make This Vanilla Tres Leches Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Whisk flour and baking powder together; set aside.
- Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until well blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature, then pierce cake all over with a fork.
- Whisk together the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together in a bowl; pour over the top of the cooled cake and allow to soak in while you make the whipped cream frosting.
- Make the whipped cream topping. Whip together the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract until whipped cream is thick. Spread over the top of the filling. Keep cake refrigerated until serving then add whatever other toppings before you serve it.
Optional Toppings: Switch up the toppings on this cake to include fresh fruit or sprinkles, shaved chocolate, flakey coconut, some ground cinnamon on top to make it perfect for whatever your flavor you’re craving with the different seasons and holidays!
How To Store Vanilla Tres Leches Cake
Keep this cake covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. It tastes even better after a day of soaking in the fridge. Avoid freezing as the texture can become watery.
More Variations
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Chocolate Tres Leches Cake: Add cocoa powder to the batter and top with chocolate whipped cream.
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Coconut Tres Leches: Swap the regular milk with coconut milk and top with toasted coconut.
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Strawberry Tres Leches Cake: Layer sliced fresh strawberries between the soaked cake and whipped cream.
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Dulce de Leche Drizzle: Add a drizzle of dulce de leche on top for extra sweetness.
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Spiced Tres Leches: Add cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the cake batter for a warm twist.
FAQs
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes, and you should. This cake with vanilla soaks best overnight, so it’s perfect to prep the day before serving.
What kind of milk works best?
A mix of whole milk and cream gives the richest flavor, but any combo of dairy or dairy-alternatives will work.
Can I use boxed cake mix?
You can, but the texture won’t be as absorbent. Homemade sponge cake holds the milk mixture much better.
Why poke holes in the cake?
This helps the milk soak evenly into the sponge for that classic moist texture.
If you’ve never made a tres leches cake before, this Vanilla Tres Leches Cake is a great place to start. It’s classic, simple, and completely satisfying. Dress it up with toppings or keep it traditional. This tres leches vanilla dessert always hits the mark and is perfect for holidays, parties, or just a sweet weekend treat.
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- Pumpkin Magic Custard Cake
- Super Moist Vanilla Cake & Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Fluffy Angel Food Cake Delight with Fresh Berries
Vanilla Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk Soak:
- 1 cup whole milk or cream
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature. Poke holes all over the top with a fork.
- In a bowl, whisk together whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the cooled cake. Let it soak in completely.
- In another bowl, whip heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Spread whipped cream over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
