The Best Tres Leches Cake
Tres Leches Cake is a perfectly moist and soft sponge cake. The overall flavor of this cake instantly becomes a crowd favorite anywhere we bring it. Topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries, it by far is the best summertime dessert.
Equipment
- 9x13" Casserole Dish
- Stand Mixer (Or hand mixer)
- 3 Mixing Bowls
- Sifter
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- 5 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar - divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ Cup Whole Milk
Syrup Ingredients
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 9 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Fresh Berries (For garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F and butter a 9x13 casserole pan. Get out three mixing bowls.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.1 Cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder, ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- With the other two bowls, separate egg whites and egg yolks.5 Large Eggs
- Beat egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar with a stand mixer on high speed. Beat the egg yolks are a pale yellow (about 2 minutes).1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Stir in milk and vanilla to your beaten egg yolks.⅓ Cup Whole Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Pour the egg yolk mixture over the sifted dry ingredients and fold in the egg yolks gently. Do not overmix.
- Clean your stand mixer bowl and prepare to whip your egg whites.
- Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute).
- Pour the remaining ¼ sugar into the softly beaten egg whites. Beat on high speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry (1 minute).
- Gently fold in the egg white mixture with a spatula into the cake batter. Fold egg whites until just combined.
- Pour batter into your prepared casserole dish and spread to even out the surface of the cake. Bake at 350 °F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For Tres Leche Syrup
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine evaporated milk, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk.12 oz Evaporated Milk, 9 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk, ⅓ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- Once the cake is cooled from the oven, gently pierce the cake with a fork. Slowly drizzle the tres leches over the cake. Allow the cake to sit for 30 minutes to soak up the tres leches (this can be done in the fridge).
For Whipped Topping
- Pour heavy cream, 100% maple syrup, and vanilla into your stand mixer. Beat on high for 2 minutes or until thick and giving you that whipped cream consistency.2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream, ¼ Cup Maple Syrup, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Spread whipped cream over the cake with a spatula. Decorate with fresh berries & enjoy!1 Cup Fresh Berries
- **If you are making this the night before an event. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge. On the day of your gathering, finish decorating your cake. I would not recommend decorating the night before. Sometimes berries will bleed into the whipped cream after a while.
Notes
- Measure dry and wet ingredients carefully. For the flour, spoon it into a measuring cup and level off the top.
- Fold the batter with a spatula just until the egg whites are incorporated. You will not want to overmix the batter. The cake relies on the volume of the egg whites to rise.
- Let the cake rest for 30 minutes after pouring on the syrup so it can absorb every drop into the cake.
- Bake in a ceramic or glass casserole dish for the best bake! If you’ve been here long enough you know my personal preference on glass baking dishes! (Avoid dark-colored baking dishes and cookie sheets due to the high risk of overcooking)