Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Classic cake recipes often have confounding origin stories, probably because everyone is eager to take responsibility for such a delicious treat. Tres leches — Spanish for "three milks" cake — certainly has its fair share of provenance stories. Most people agree that it comes from Latin America (via Matador Network). Since then, however, the cake has spread worldwide, with fans all over.

If you haven't had the chance to savor this sweet treat yet, Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking has created a recipe you can whip up at home. "This recipe is easy because it uses simple ingredients that can usually be found in your pantry and only takes about 15 minutes of prep time," she notes. If you're tired of serving up the usual chocolate cake when guests come over, try switching things up with this. "I love how the cake is light and airy, and with the three milk syrup [...] it is just incredibly moist," Morone says. 

You'll need some staple baking ingredients for this recipe, as well as, as the name suggests, several different kinds of milk.

For the batter, you will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, eggs (heads up, we're going to separate the yolks from the whites), granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and whole milk. Next, for the milk soak, you will need cans of both evaporated and sweetened condensed milk, plus heavy cream. Finally, the whipped topping that finishes off the cake calls for heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

For a smooth process, measure all of your ingredients ahead of time and have three large mixing bowls and an electric mixer ready to go. Then get started by preheating the oven to 350 F and greasing a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to one of the mixing bowls. Whisk the contents to distribute evenly, then set it aside. In another bowl, add the egg yolks and some of the granulated sugar. Using the electric mixer, beat the two together for around 2 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow. Pour in the vanilla extract and whole milk, then beat the contents to combine. Now, carefully pour the egg yolk mixture into the bowl with the flour. Mix the contents together to combine, then set the bowl aside. 

Grab your third bowl and add the egg whites. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed for around 1 minute, until soft peaks form. At this point, dump in some more sugar and beat the mixture on high speed for another minute or so to form stiff peaks. 

While Morone assures home bakers that this cake is easy to make, she does give a heads up that "the only potentially tricky thing is making sure the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks." As the description implies, the whites should be firm and stay up when you pull the beaters out. Once you've reached that stage, combine the egg whites into the cake batter, carefully folding them in. Here too, Morone warns readers that it's important to "[add] them into the batter very gently so that they don't deflate too much."

Pour the cake batter into the pan you initially greased, making sure that the surface is nice and even. At this point the oven should be hot enough, so go ahead and toss in the pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. You'll know the cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and batter-free. The golden color is also a great indication. Remove the pan from the oven and set the cake aside to cool completely.

In the meantime, grab a medium bowl and empty out the can of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour in your heavy cream, then mix the ingredients together. When the cake has fully cooled, poke holes across the entire surface using a fork. 

Now, carefully pour the milky mixture on top of the cake, making sure to cover the entire surface. Those holes you just made in the cake will help absorb more of the creamy liquid. Cover the cake pan and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 4 hours. This will give the cake time to soak up the sweet milk and ensure a deliciously moist texture.

When at least 4 hours have passed (we know, you've been patient), it's time for the final step. In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 cups of heavy cream on medium speed until the consistency begins to thicken. Then, pour in the powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla extract. Keep beating the mixture on medium to form soft peaks.

Once the whipped cream reaches the desired texture, use a spatula to spread it smoothly over the surface of the cake. If you want to add some color to the creamy white surface, Morone suggests garnishing the cake with a sprinkle of cinnamon or some chopped berries. You should be able to slice the cake into 15 squares, but if you make them slightly more generous, we won't tell! 

"You can also very easily make this cake a day in advance of when you need it and store it in the fridge before serving it," according to Morone. She adds that the whole cake (or leftovers) can be stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.