Pastel de Tres Leches 🍰 is a classic Mexican dessert and one of the most beloved cakes throughout Mexico and Latin America.
My tia had a habit of cutting recipes from newspapers and magazines and pasting them into a notebook. Many of them date back to the 1970s and were published in Durango, Mexico. Before she passed away, she gave me her treasured recipe notebook, and this Pastel de Tres Leches is one of the recipes tucked inside.
This light and airy sponge cake is soaked in a sweet mixture of three kinds of milk, then topped with fluffy whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s the kind of cake that belongs at birthdays, holidays, and family celebrations.
🥣 Instructions
Making the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Butter and flour the bottom of a pan.
- Beat the egg yolks with ¾ cup of the sugar for about 1 minute.
- Stir in the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, flour, and baking powder until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. This is what will make the cake light and delicate.
- Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Fold one-third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten the batter.
- Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to deflate the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. I recommend using a deep, circular 9-inch cake pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges before removing the cake from the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
🥛 Adding the Milk Mixture
- Place the cooled cake on a deep serving platter.
- Use a fork or toothpick to poke holes all over the cake.
- In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ¼ cup of the heavy whipping cream.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake, allowing it to soak in before adding more.
- For the best texture, refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours before serving. Overnight is even better.
Toppings
- Beat the remaining heavy whipping cream with the remaining teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake.
- Decorate with maraschino cherries, fresh strawberries, raspberries, or a dusting of cocoa powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
🌟 Tips from My Tia
My aunt specifically underlined the step about folding in the egg whites in the original recipe. After making this cake many times, I understand why she emphasized it. The egg whites are what give this sponge cake its light, airy texture.
- Use a deep 9-inch cake pan. The milk mixture needs room to soak into the cake without overflowing.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Gently fold in the egg whites to keep the sponge light and airy.
- Pour the milk mixture slowly. Give the cake time to absorb the liquid as you pour.
- Chill before serving. This gives the cake time to absorb the milk mixture and develop its signature texture.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
“Tres Leches” means “three milks” in Spanish. The cake is soaked in a mixture of three milks. My recipe uses sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, which gives the cake its signature moist texture.
Yes! In fact, it’s even better after chilling for several hours or overnight because the cake has more time to absorb the milk mixture.
Yes, although it’s best frozen before adding the whipped cream topping. Wrap the soaked cake tightly and freeze for up to 2 months.
A properly made Tres Leches Cake should be very moist but not falling apart. Pour the milk mixture over the cake slowly so it has time to absorb evenly.
🫙 Storage
Store Pastel de Tres Leches covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because of the milk mixture and whipped cream topping, it should always be kept chilled. Serve cold straight from the refrigerator for the best flavor and texture.
🍰 More Mexican Desserts
- Pan de Elote
- Carlota de Fresa
- Orejas Pan
- Jericalla
- Cortadillos
- Pumpkin Tres Leches
- Mexican Flan
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Mexican Conchas
- Pineapple Empanadas
Pastel de Tres Leches is a timeless Mexican dessert. This light and airy sponge cake soaks up the sweet milk mixture, then gets finished with fluffy whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s the kind of cake that has earned a permanent place at our family celebrations—and once you try this recipe, you’ll understand why.
Pastel de Tres Leches
Ingredients
- Butter and flour to butter the pan
- 1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons
- 5 egg yolks
- 5 egg whites
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 14-ounce sweetened condensed milk can
- 1 12-ounce evaporated milk can
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- maraschino cherries, strawberries, raspberries, or cocoa powder (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).
- Butter and flour bottom of a deep 9-inch circular pan.
- Beat the egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar for 1 minute.
- Stir in milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, flour and baking powder.
- In a small bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks.
- Slowly add ¼ cup sugar.
- Beat until firm.
- Gently fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it.
- Fold in remaining egg whites.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Check after 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
- Run a knife along the edge of cake before removing from pan.
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Place cooled cake on a deep serving plate.
- Use a fork or toothpicks to pierce the cake in several places.
- Mix together condensed milk, evaporated milk and ¼ cup of the whipping cream.
- Pour remaining milk mixture over cake slowly until absorbed.
- Whip the remaining whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons sugar until it thickens.
- Frost cake with whipped cream and garnish.
- Store cake in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Hi Maggie! I’ve been following you for years and LOVE your recipes. I have one question though, since you mention there will be one cup of the milk mixture left. And this recipe only calls for a one layer cake. Would you be able to make 2 identical sizes of the cake to make it a 2 layer cake, and simply use that one cup only? Or would you need more of the milk mixture?
Hi. I’ve never made it with 2 layers. Let me know if you tried and what you adjusted. I’m curious to know. This recipe makes the best pastel de tres leches! … if I say so myself.
Excellent recipe! This is the most authentic tres leches cake I’ve ever made! Worth the time it takes to make. Everyone I have served this to loves it!
Thank you for sharing it!
That makes me really happy to hear. My aunt passed away a few years ago, but she left me with several recipes. This is her tres leches recipe. Glad your family enjoys it!
Last year I was in Houston, Tx, fancy restaurant,, ordered Tres Leches dessert. The first bite was delicious. It had a liqueur flavor. I asked the waitress if she could share recipe……no it’s a secret. I am going to make your recipe but will experiment another day adding a little Kahlua coffee liqueur. Thanks for recipes shared.
I have tried it with liqueur. So good! That’s a recipe I still have to publish.
I made this dessert for a large family dinner and it was an absolute hit. People who have never had tres leches before loved and others said it was their favorite tres leches cake they’ve ever had. I made the sponge cake batter as directed but baked it in two 9 in round pans for 30 minutes. I doubled the whip cream recipe, mixing half of the whip cream with diced strawberries and used it as a filling in between the two layers of soaked sponge. I then frosted the whole cake with the remaining whip cream. I sifted cocoa powder on top. I also added several whip cream swirls and diced strawberries around the top border to give more strawberries and dress it up a bit.
You just made my day. So glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Made the cake for my son’s birthday. The whole family enjoyed the cake. I will make again. It had just enough sweetnes.
That’s great to hear. I made it for my birthday too. 🙂
I’m making this for a friend who recently received her doctorate and loves Tres Leches. When you say to set aside 1 cup of the milk mixture for another use, what does that mean? To make another cake?
No, but you can. 🙂 You’re going to have A LOT of the milk mixture. Set 1 cup aside for coffee, another cake, or just as is, it’s delicious.
Question for you, what do we do with the cup of milk mixture we set aside? A different delicious dessert?
Yes, just set it aside. You can drizzle it on fruit or put it into coffee. Unfortunately, because cans of the sweetened condensed milk come in only certain sizes, you either have too much or too little of the milk mixture. I would rather have too much than too little. Hope that makes sense.
Fabulous I have made it 3 times this month for different group meeting and everyone loves it. I have shared the receipt with friends. thank you it is a new favorite.
Glad you enjoyed this Barbara!