Tres Leches Cake

Name: Tres Leches Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Sponge cake, baked and cooled; 397 g Condensed milk; 354 ml Evaporated milk; 480 ml Cream, divided; 2 tsp Vanilla extract

Tres Leches Cake · ready in 2 h 25 min · 8 servings · 661 kcal per serving · easy · 5 ingredients

A beloved Mexican celebration cake where airy sponge drinks in 3 milks until tender, creamy, and beautifully chilled.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 h 5 min
Total: 2 h 25 min
Serves: 8
kcal: 661
Difficulty: easy

Mexican Desserts Vegetarian

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 8 servings

1Sponge cake, baked and cooled
397 gCondensed milk
354 mlEvaporated milk
480 mlCream, divided
2 tspVanilla extract

Equipment

refrigerator, measuring jug, mixing bowl, whisk, fork, spatula, deep cake dish, serving knife, lid, dessert plate

Instructions

Gather ingredients
Gather the sponge cake, milks, cream, vanilla extract, measuring jug, bowl, whisk, fork, spatula, cake dish, and serving knife. · 5 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and all tools are within reach.
Mix milk soak
Whisk condensed milk, evaporated milk, 240 g cream, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth, pale, and glossy. · 3 min
What to look for: The mixture looks uniform and slightly thick.
Pierce sponge cake
Place the cooled sponge cake in a deep dish and pierce it all over with a fork, reaching close to the bottom without tearing it. · 4 min
What to look for: The top is evenly dotted with small holes.
Soak cake slowly
Pour the milk mixture over the sponge in several passes, pausing between pours so the cake absorbs the liquid evenly. · 5 min
What to look for: The cake looks saturated and the liquid settles into the holes.
Chill until set
Cover the dish and chill the cake at 4°C / 39°F until the surface looks moist but no large puddles remain. · 2 h
What to look for: The cake is cold, plump, and evenly soaked.
Whip cream topping
Whisk the remaining 240 g cream until it holds soft peaks, then spread it gently over the chilled cake with a spatula. · 5 min
What to look for: The cream forms soft peaks and covers the cake in an even layer.
Serve chilled slices
Cut the cake into 8 chilled slices and serve each piece moist, creamy, and fully soaked through the center. · 3 min
What to look for: Each slice is tender and releases a little creamy milk onto the plate.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	661
Protein	14 g
Carbohydrates	78 g
of which sugars	58 g
Fat	33 g
of which saturated	20 g
Fibre	1 g
Sodium	370 mg

Nutri-ScoreD

Allergens

Contains: gluten, milk, eggs

Storage and reheating

Fridge: up to 4 days
Freezer: yes, up to 1 months
Serve chilled without reheating. Thaw frozen slices overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredient substitutions

Sponge cake

Homemade sponge cake: Use the same weight and a plain, airy texture so it can absorb the milk soak.

Condensed milk

Milk with sugar: Simmer milk and sugar until thick if condensed milk is unavailable, though the classic flavor is less pronounced.

Evaporated milk

Milk: Use whole milk for a lighter soak, accepting a less rich result.

Cream

Milk: Use only in the soak for a lighter cake, but it will not whip for the topping.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla: Use an equivalent amount of plain vanilla flavoring if extract is not available.