# Tres Leches Cake

A light sponge soaked in three milks until impossibly moist, topped with billowy whipped cream. Rich without being heavy — the kind of dessert that disappears fast.

_Dessert · Latin American_

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 55 min · Yields: 12 servings

## Ingredients

- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 5 large eggs (separated)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (divided)
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 1 cup heavy cream (divided — ¼ cup for soak, ¾ cup for topping)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (for dusting)

## Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Whisk together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp fine salt in a bowl; set aside.
3. Beat the 5 egg yolks with ¾ cup of the granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until pale and ribbon-like. Mix in the 0.33 cup whole milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the yolk mixture in two additions until just combined — a few streaks are fine at this stage.
5. In a clean bowl, beat the 5 egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
6. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions, keeping as much air as possible.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the surface — go deep and go dense, about 40–50 holes.
9. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ¼ cup of the heavy cream in a pitcher to make the three-milk soak.
10. Slowly pour the three-milk mixture evenly over the warm cake, pausing to let each addition absorb before adding more. Use all of it.
11. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the soak is fully absorbed and the cake is cold throughout.
12. Just before serving, beat the remaining ¾ cup heavy cream with the 2 tbsp powdered sugar to medium-stiff peaks.
13. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake in an even layer, then dust lightly with the 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon. Slice and serve cold.

## Tip

> Pour the three-milk soak while the cake is still warm — the open crumb absorbs the liquid far more readily than a cold, set sponge. If the soak pools at the edges, tilt the pan gently to redistribute before refrigerating.

Tags: comfort-food, make-ahead, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, no-fuss

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/tres-leches-cake