Tres Leches

Last updated Sep 3, 2024

• Recipes cake

Meaning “three milks”, this cake uses whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk, soaked into a Genoise sponge.

This recipe is suitable for two 6 inch cake tins.

1. 2 6-inch cake tins
2. 1 large mixing bowl (bowl A)
3. 1 medium mixing bowl (bowl B)
4. Rubber spatula
5. 50cm of baking paper
6. Oven

1. Unsalted Butter
2. 140g of all purpose flour
3. 5g of Baking powder
4. 2g of salt
5. 3 large eggs
6. 100g granulated sugar
7. 175ml of whole milk
8. 1 small can sweetened condensed milk
9. 1 small can evaporated milk
10. 3ml of vanilla extract
11. 175ml of whipping cream
12. 10g of confectioners sugar
13. Nutmeg and cinnamon
14. (optional) 1 small can of caramel

1. Cut the baking paper to fit the cake tins
2. Heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
3. Grease the paper on the bottom of the pan with butter (not the sides)
4. Separate the granulated sugar (1x 40g and 1x 60g)

1. In bowl A Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt
2. In bowl B Beat the egg yolks and 40grams of sugar until pale and thick (about 3 minutes with an electric mixer), then beat in 50ml of milk
3. Mix the flour from bowl A into bowl B until only just combined, clean bowl A
4. In bowl A, whip the egg whites until foam (about one minute). Start adding the rest (60g) of the sugar while beating. Continue to beat the mixture until a meringue like consistency forms (about two minutes).
5. Stir in one spoonful of bowl A into bowl B to loosen the mixture, then gently fold the remaining mixture from bowl A into bowl B. When doing this do not over-mix, only fold until vaguely consistent. The air from the egg whites will cause the mixture to rise, so do not deflate the mixture.
6. Pour the mixture from bowl B into the paper lined cake tins.
7. Place both tins in the oven until done (a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out without any batter) this will usually take 25 minutes and the top of the cake should be golden brown in colour.
8. Clean up your bowls and utensils.
9. In bowl A pour in the remaining whole milk, the condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla. Pour half of the mixture into bowl B, this will help you soak each cake equally in the mixture.
10. Once the cake is cooked, allow to cool for about an hour in the cake tin.
11. Using a long thin skewer, make holes a maximum of 2cm apart in the top of the cake.
12. Pour the milk over each cake a small cup at a time, allowing 5 to 10 minutes between each pour for the mixture to soak in.
13. Allow the cake to soak over night if possible, but a minimum of 3 hours.

1. Remove the cake from the tins, being sure to not get unabsorbed milk everywhere.
2. Spread the caramel on the top of both cakes, and place one on top of the other.
3. Whip the cream and confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form and spread the mixture on all sides of the cake.
4. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg over the cake.