Tres Leches is an authentic Spanish dessert. Tres Leches means “Three Milks Cake“. It is a vanilla sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. My version of this milk dessert is served with whipped cream, fresh berries along with strawberry compote. This classic Tres Leches dessert is super soft, sweet, and melts in the mouth.
It is a long recipe but it makes a big batch to serve when entertaining. All you have to do is bake a vanilla sponge cake or use leftover or store-bought cake, then holes poke the cake all over, and pour a three-milk mixture over top of baked cake. Simply refrigerate it and let the sweet milk soak in, then top it with whipped and ready to serve with some fresh berries.
I love the sweet and tangy combination of cake and strawberry compote. But, you can easily customize the recipe by replacing strawberries with your choice of berries, mix fruits, roasted shredded coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder etc.
You can also make Vegan Coconut Tres Leches – Click here for the recipe
Ingredients for Vanilla Cake:
Ingredients for Three-Milk Glaze:
- ½ cup – Whole Milk or Half-and-Half
- 1 can (12 oz) – Evaporated Milk
- 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
Ingredients for Topping:
Method
Step 1
Preparing 3-Milk Glaze: In a large measuring cup, mix together whole milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk and set aside
Step 2
Once the vanilla cake is baked and cooled completely, use toothpick or fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. (Poking helps in making dessert soft as the holes will soak and absorb the milk whiling making cake moist)
Step 3
Slowly pour the above 3-milk mixture all over the top of the cake, making sure to pour near the edges too. (Note: Initially it might look too much milk but it will be absorbed)
Step 4
Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow the cake to soak up the milk and make it spongy
Step 5
Plating: When ready to serve, spread the whipped cream all over the top of the soaked cake. Cut a big piece of cake, garnish with some berries and fresh strawberry compote
Step 6
Enjoy this delicious milk dessert with berries! Refrigerator the leftover Tres Leches which will stays fresh up to 3 days.
Notes
- Vegan: Replace the dairy with vegan milk, cream and condensed milk (Avoid using watery or low-fat plant-based milk, dessert will taste better with the thick creamy milk). Vegan Tres Leaches tastes equally good.
- Coconut Tres Leches: Recipe procedure will remain same only replace it with vegan ingredients –
- Three-Milk Glaze: Mix Thick Coconut Milk, Sweetened Coconut Condense Milk, Coconut Evaporated Milk
- Whipped Cream: Whip full-fat coconut cream and coconut sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Garnish: Top with toasted shredded coconut instead of berries.