• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Yummy Tummy
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Masterchef Journey
  • Media
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Masterchef Journey
  • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Masterchef Journey
    • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    Tres Leches Cake Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

    46
    Shares

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Tres Leches Cake Recipe with step by step pictures. Popular mexican dessert cake recipe made with a sponge cake which is soaked in a three milk concotion.

    Tres Leches Cake

    I have seen this cake all over the internet and i wanted to make them so badly. Finally few days back i made and loved it to the core. This cake turned out so melt in mouth delicious.

    Table of Contents

    • About this Recipe
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Tres Leches Cake Recipe | Three Milk Cake Recipe
    • Tres Leches Cake Recipe Step by Step

    About this Recipe

    A tres leches cake, also known as a pan tres leches cake, is a type of sponge cake. A butter cake is soaked in three types of milk in some recipes: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. This Tres leches is a very light cake with lots of air bubbles when no butter is used.

    Tres leches cake is a uniquely Latin American dessert. Recipes for soaked-cake desserts were found in Mexico as early as the nineteenth century, most likely as a result of the extensive cross- cultural exchange that occurred between Europe and the Americas. This Tres leches cake has become popular in Nicaragua, among other
    places.

    Where was tres leches invented?

    The most likely explanation is that tres leches, or its inspiration, originated in England during the Middle Ages. Tres leches can be classified as a trifle cake, which originated in England during the Middle Ages. Soaking a cake was and still is a simple way to reuse old or stale cake.

    Similar Recipes

    Pineapple Fresh Cream Cake

    Swedish Summer Cake

    Whipped Cream Topping

    Black Forest Cake

    Strawberry Shortcake

    Jello Cake

    Eggless Black Forest Cake

    Microwave Black Forest Cake

     

    This recipe is not at all hard. It is so easy to make. First you have to make a simple sponge cake, then soak the cake in a delicious three milk. Normally they use evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream for this. But i used normal thick full fat milk for this which gave that same texture and taste.

    Ingredients for Tres Leches Cake Recipe

    All Purpose Flour:
    All-purpose flour can be used for a variety of tasks, including baking, cooking, coating meats and vegetables, and thickening sauces and gravies. To manufacture all-purpose flour, a blend of hard wheat (which has more gluten) and soft wheat is crushed together.

    Full Cream Milk :

    Full Cream Milk is defined as milk or a combination of buffalo or cow milk, or a product prepared by combining both, that has been standardised to the fat and solids-not-fat percentages given in the table below in 1.0, by adjustment/addition of milk solids. Cream Milk must be pasteurised.

    Sweet Condensed Milk :
    In this recipe, it serves as an egg. And no additional sugar is used because the condensed milk is sweet enough to cover the entire cake. Furthermore, because cocoa powder is a drying ingredient, the richness/fat of it aids in the creation of a moist cake.

     
     
    This cake is best served cold with a dollop of fresh cream on top. And it is so rich a small slice satisfy your cravings. 
     

    How to Make Tres Leches Cake

    1. Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Grease a 20 cm square cake pan with oil and set aside.
    2. Take flour, baking powder, salt in a sifter and sieve well.
    3. Take cold water, vanilla in a jug and mix well. Set aside.
    4. Add eggs in a bowl and use a hand blender to whip it up. Once it is well whipped. add in sugar slowly and keep whipping.
    5. Once the eggs turn fluffy. add in half of the flour mix and whip. Pour in the cold water mix and the remaining flour and mix well.
    6. Pour this into the cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 mins. Insert a toothpick to check whether the cake is done. If it comes out clean then the cake is baked.

    How to Assemble Three Milk Cake

    1. While the cake is cooling, take the three milk in a jug and mix well.
    2. Take the warm cake and poke holes all over it using a fork. Now pour the milk mix over it and keep pouring and pouring. Leave it for few minutes so the cake absorbs the liquid. Now pour again, i poured ¾ of the milk mix in. Covered it with plastic wrap and popped it in fridge for couple of hours.
    3. Now i took out and poured some more milk mix in.
    4. Cut the cake into pieces and garnish with whipped cream and cherries.
    5. Serve cold.
     

    Hope you will give this a try and let me know how it turns out for you.

    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

    Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.

    IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

     
     

    📖 Recipe Card

    Tres Leches Cake Recipe | Three Milk Cake Recipe

    Tres Leches Cake Recipe with step by step pictures. Popular mexican dessert cake recipe made with a sponge cake which is soaked in a three milk concotion.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • For Cake:
    • All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 cup+ 2 tblsp / 120 grams + 2 tblspn
    • Baking Powder - ¾ tsp
    • Salt a pinch
    • Eggs - 2
    • Sugar - ¾ cup / 150 grams
    • Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
    • Cold Water - ⅓ cup
    • For the Milk:
    • Full Cream Milk - 1 cup boiled and cooled
    • Fresh Cream / Whipping Cream - 1 cup
    • Sweet Condensed Milk - 1 cup
    • For Serving:
    • Whipped Cream - as needed
    • Cherries as needed

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Grease a 20 cm square cake pan with oil and set aside.
    • Take flour, baking powder, salt in a sifter and sieve well.
    • Take cold water, vanilla in a jug and mix well. Set aside.
    • Take eggs in a bowl and use a hand blender to whip it up. Once it is well whipped. add in sugar slowly and keep whipping.
    • Once the eggs turn fluffy, add in half of the flour mix and whip, add in the cold water mix and the remaining flour and mix well.
    • Pour this into the cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 mins. Insert a toothpick to check whether the cake is done. If it comes out clean then the cake is baked.
    • While the cake is cooling, take the three milk in a jug and mix well.
    • Take the warm cake and poke holes all over it using a fork. Now pour the milk mix over it and keep pouring and pouring. Leave it for few minutes so the cake absorbs the liquid. Now pour again, i poured ¾ of the milk mix in. Covered it with plastic wrap and popped it in fridge for couple of hours.
    • Now i took out and poured some more milk mix in.
    • Cut the cake into pieces and garnish with whipped cream and cherries.
    • Serve cold.

    Video

    YouTube video
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
    Join us on FacebookFollow us on Facebook
    Share by Email Share on Facebook
     

    Tres Leches Cake Recipe Step by Step

     
    Take all your ingredients

     

    First step..Grease a 20 cm square pan with oil

     

    brush it evenly and set aside

     

    now lets make the dried ingredients..Take flour in a sifter

     

    add in little baking powder

     

    and some salt

     

    sieve it well and set aside

     

    Take cold water in a bowl

     

    add in vanilla and mix well..

     

    You have to make sure the mix is cold..So popped this in fridge till i get ready with the other stuffs

     

    crack open 2 eggs in a bowl

     

    use a electric hand blender to whip it

     

    beat till it is creamy

     

    now it has started doubling in size

     

    now the eggs are light and airy

     

    add in sugar slowly and keep whipping

     

    keep whipping and keep adding sugar

     

    add sugar and keep whisking

     

    don't over whip the eggs..it should be fluffy

     

    just like this

     

    add in half of the flour mix in

     

    pour in the vanilla water

     

    whip it up

     

    add in remaining flour mix in

     

    whip again

     

    now it is mixed well

     

    use a spatula to give one good mix

     

    pour it in the prepared pan

     

    tap the pan few times to remove any air bubbles

     

    and bake them..when the cake is cooling..lets make the milk mix

     

    take your three milk

     

    crack open a can of condensed milk

     

    pour a cup of it in

     

    now add in a cup of milk

     

    add in a cup of cream

     

    now time to mix it up

     

    yum yum

     

    now take your cake and poke holes through out the cake

     

    poke completely

     

    now pour the milk mix over it..don't over do it..

     

    once you see the milk is floating on top, let give few mins

     

    now the cake has sucked up the milk mix

     

    now i poured it again

     

     

     

    cover the cake with plastic and chill it 

     

    after couple of hours, this is how it looks

     

    now pour some more in

     

    cut into slices

     

    i whipped some cream

     

    place a slice on a serving plate

     

    fill a piping bag with cream

     

    pipe it over

     

     

     

    pour some more sauce for serving

     

    place a cherry

     

    and serve

     

    Enjoy

     

    So moist and so delicious
     
    • Pear Cake Recipe
    • Battenberg Cake Recipe (Checkerboard Cake)
    • Eggless Mango Cake Recipe
    • Mango Cake Recipe
    • Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
    • Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

    46
    Shares
    « Honey Walnut Bundt Cake Recipe
    Eggless Orange Cupcakes Recipe »
    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deepti P

      at

      Hi. I want to try this out. Looks yummy. But I did mot understand the flour measurements.(Maida - 1 cup+ 2 tblsp / 120 grams + 2 tblspn). in total how much flour should be taken ? 240 gms + 120 gms or only 120 gms ? You have said that your 1 cup is 240 ml ?

      Reply
    2. Saucy Siciliana

      at

      Oh, that looks so tempting, I could eat it right now!

      Reply
    3. Puja

      at

      Amazing recipe I follow all ur recipes they are just simple affordable nd delicious I m gonna try it but one question can we make it without eggs too ???

      Reply
    4. Anonymous

      at

      Amazing recipe I follow ur blog nd all ur recipes are simple nd tempting one question can we make it without eggs what's the substitute?

      Reply
    5. Anonymous

      at

      Ultimate

      Reply
    6. Anonymous

      at

      Cake looks yummy aarthi...I tried tuttifrutti yogurt cake its nice but I feel the egg flavour is dominating any suggestion instead of egg

      Reply
    7. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousno sub for eggs.

      Reply
    8. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousnot sure about the egg sub..u need that

      Reply
    9. Aarthi

      at

      @Deepti Pit is 1 cup + 2 tblspn

      Reply
    10. Breeze P

      at

      Wow, this is my favourite cake, we used to buy it for all my family occassions like b'day and anniversary... surely will try... thanks for posting...

      Reply
    11. Anonymous

      at

      Hi
      Thanks for sharing your recipe... I was just wondering that does this recipe not require any oil/ butter?

      Reply
    12. Anonymous

      at

      Can this be made in pressure cooker?

      Also wont the break when we unmould it from the pan as its all soft and spongy with the milk ? Or we shld slice it directly from cake pan and not invert.

      Reply
    13. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousthis recipe dont need that, since it is going to be soaked in milk, it will stay moist

      Reply
    14. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousYou can make it in pressure cooker. this cake cannot be unmoulded, you can unmould it and place it in serving place before pouring the milk mix over it. Use a high sided plate for that. But i sliced it directly in the cake pan and served

      Reply
    15. Anonymous

      at

      Thanks for your response Aarthi...I am surely going to try it 🙂

      Reply
    16. Anonymous

      at

      Hi Aarthi....usually all the ingredients for baking should be at room temperature.......then why have u used cold water in it..... normally cold will deactivate baking powder & cake will not rise.....can u plz tell the secret behind this....

      Reply
    17. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousI am not sure what it does, it gives a more strudier cake which absorbs the milks better

      Reply
    18. Anonymous

      at

      Any substitute for cream?

      Reply
    19. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousu can use milk instead, but cream gives that richness

      Reply
    20. Anonymous

      at

      can we use icing sugar instead of normal ones ????!!!
      If yes then the required quantity plzz...

      Reply
    21. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousyes u can use

      Reply
    22. preethi

      at

      Hi Aarthi, Can we bake this in microwave?

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        if u have a convection oven, you can bake

        Reply
    23. Fermie Praisid

      at

      Hi Aarthi,
      I tried this cake and it tasted soooooo yummy.. Just fell in love with the cake and everyone at home liked it. Thanks for the recipe. ☺

      Reply
    24. Pavithra

      at

      Hi Arthi, am a big fan of your recipes.. Especially the pictorial representation is the best that makes my hob fast.. Keep going.
      One suggestion as a critic .. Every person needs a critic to grow and improve. Hope u take it in the right way.

      Please start using stainless steel kitchen gadgets .. The plastic mugs and containers are a black mark to ur pictures.. I always used to think u t doing it onpurpose to reach the common people u can relate u to themselves but even otherwise i feel it can be basic stainless steels cups or bowls always .

      All the best...

      Reply
    25. Bharathi

      at

      Aarthi I want to try this cake NW ,I dnt hav baking powder NW shall I use baking soda 1/2 TSP.

      Reply
    26. Rameeza

      at

      Looks yummy 😋. I have seen this cake being steamed in many videos, but you are baking it. Is it ok to do in both the ways?😊

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        yes

        Reply
    4 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Hi, I'm Aarthi!

    WELCOME. Over the past few years, I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    More about me →

    STAY CONNECTED

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Useful Links

    • Dosa
    • Idli
    • Rice Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

    Recent Posts

    • Garlic Tomato Chicken Roast Recipe
    • Capsicum Kurma (Korma)Recipe
    • Thai Curry Udon Recipe
    • Gooseberry Rice Recipe

    As seen in

    BUY MY COOKBOOK

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy

    • Privacy Policy
    • Advertisers
    • Contact
    • Recipe Index

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Stay Connected

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2021 Yummy Tummy | Technical Partner </> Host My Blog

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.