Tres Leches Cake Recipe

This Tres Leches Cake Recipe is a creamy and sweet recipe, which uses sweetened condensed milk and store-bought pound cake. It’s an easy shortcut dessert, ready in about 45 minutes (including chilling).

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Tres Leches Cake Recipe Ingredients

For the Cake and Soak:

• 1 pound cake, loaf-style (store-bought or homemade)
• 6 ounces evaporated milk
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

For the Topping and Decoration:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Chocolate covered candies, all in 1 color (recommended: M&M’s)
• 1/2 cup crushed skittles

How To Make Tres Leches Cake Recipe

1. Prepare the Cake: While the pound cake is still in its loaf pan (or placed in a similarly sized dish), use a fork or a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the top surface. Press the skewer down about halfway through the cake to ensure the liquid soaks in deep without breaking the bottom.
2. Heat the Three Milks: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the evaporated milk, 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream, and the sweetened condensed milk. Heat the mixture over low heat until it is hot but not boiling. Heating the milk helps the dense pound cake absorb the liquid better.
3. Soak the Cake: Slowly and evenly pour the hot milk mixture over the cake in the pan. Pour a little at a time, waiting for it to soak in before adding more.
4. Chill the Cake: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This allows the cake to absorb all the liquid and chill completely, creating a custard-like texture inside.
5. Make the Whipped Topping: In a cold bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream on medium speed. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form.
6. Decorate and Serve: Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the chilled cake. Decorate with the chocolate-covered candies and the crushed Skittles to create a fun, colorful design on top. Serve chilled.

Recipe Tips

• Why use pound cake? Traditional Tres Leches uses a sponge cake. This “shortcut” version uses pound cake, which is denser. Heating the milk mixture (Step 2) is the secret trick that relaxes the dense crumb of the pound cake so it can drink up the sauce like a sponge.
• How to crush Skittles? Place the Skittles in a heavy-duty zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or a meat mallet. The fruity crunch adds a unique texture contrast to the creamy cake.
• Can I soak it longer? Yes! While 30 minutes is the minimum, letting it soak for 2 hours or even overnight will result in an even moister, more pudding-like texture.
• Don’t overfill: If your loaf pan is small, pour the milk slowly. If it starts to pool on top and won’t drain, stop pouring. You can save the extra milk to serve in a jug on the side.

What To Serve With Tres Leches Cake

This is a rich, sweet dessert that pairs well with simple beverages.

• A hot cup of black coffee
• A glass of cold milk
• Fresh strawberries (to balance the candy topping)

How To Store Tres Leches Cake

• Refrigerate: This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep it covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. It will last for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Freezing is not recommended for this specific recipe, as the soaked pound cake can become mushy when thawed.

Tres Leches Cake Recipe Nutrition Facts

(Per slice, assuming 10 slices)

• Calories: ~480 kcal
• Total Fat: 28g
• Saturated Fat: 18g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 150mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 52g
• Dietary Fiber: 0g
• Sugars: 45g
• Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

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