Sarah's Kitchen / Pan-Latin / Desserts

Tres Leches

The Three Milks Cake

"A cake that drinks itself into perfection."

1 Hour Active
12-16 Servings
Easy Difficulty
Begin the Journey

The Origin

Where did tres leches come from? Ask ten Latin Americans and get ten different answers. Every country claims it.

Latin America
Mexico
Nicaragua

Central America & Mexico

Nicaragua claims invention. Mexico popularized it. But tres leches belongs to all of Latin America now — it's on every bakery shelf from Tijuana to Buenos Aires.

Origin Claim Nicaragua/Mexico
Spread 1940s-1960s
Type Sponge Cake, Soaked
Latin dessert table

The Milk Revolution

Some say tres leches was born when canned milk companies — Nestlé in particular — printed recipes on their cans to sell more condensed and evaporated milk in Latin America. Whether this is corporate origin myth or historical fact, the recipe spread like wildfire in the mid-20th century.

The genius is in the physics: a light sponge cake, intentionally under-sweetened, that absorbs a full can each of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream without becoming soggy or falling apart.

The result is a cake unlike any other — impossibly moist, sweet but not cloying, light yet rich. Topped with whipped cream and sometimes fruit, it's the birthday cake, the celebration cake, the "just because" cake of Latin America.

Every family has their version. Some add rum. Some use coconut milk. Some add a fourth milk (cuatro leches). All versions are correct.

"In Mexico, we call it 'pastel borracho' — the drunk cake. It drinks and drinks and only gets better."

Abuela Says

"Don't be afraid that the cake will be too wet. That's the point. The cake that looks like too much milk is the cake that's just right. And always, always — make it the night before. The tres leches needs time to fall in love with itself."

The Craft

Three milks. One sponge. Perfect absorption.

🥚

The Sponge

The cake must be light, airy, and porous — a true sponge (bizcocho). Beaten eggs provide the lift, not baking powder. The structure needs to hold liquid without collapsing.

🥛

The Three Milks

Evaporated milk for depth, condensed milk for sweetness, heavy cream for richness. Each milk serves a purpose. Together, they create something greater than any alone.

⏰

The Wait

Tres leches must rest overnight. The cake absorbs the milk mixture slowly, reaching equilibrium. Fresh-made tres leches is good. Day-old tres leches is transcendent.

The Ingredients

Simple ingredients. Perfect technique. Patient waiting.

The Sponge Cake (Bizcocho)

  • 1 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 5 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup Whole milk
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

The Three Milks (Tres Leches)

The Soul
  • 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk Leche condensada
  • 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated milk Leche evaporada
  • 1 cup Heavy cream Crema de leche
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp Rum or brandy Optional but traditional

The Whipped Cream Topping

  • 2 cups Heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 3 tbsp Powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

For Garnish

  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • As desired Fresh strawberries or cherries

The Method

Make it today. Eat it tomorrow. This is not negotiable.

01

Make the Sponge

Light, airy, porous.

1

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2

In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating on high for 3-4 minutes until mixture is very thick, pale yellow, and tripled in volume.

The Key

This step creates the structure. When you lift the beaters, the mixture should fall in thick ribbons that hold their shape for a few seconds. This is called "ribbon stage."

3

Add the milk and vanilla to the egg mixture. Mix briefly on low speed.

4

Sift the flour mixture over the batter in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each. Be gentle — you want to keep the air.

Folding Technique

Cut through the center with your spatula, sweep along the bottom, and fold up the side. Rotate bowl. Repeat until just combined. Lumps are okay. Over-mixing is not.

5

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. The cake should spring back when touched.

6

Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then cool completely — at least 30 minutes. The cake must be completely cool before soaking.

02

Make the Three Milks

Where magic happens.

7

In a large bowl or pitcher, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and rum (if using) until completely combined.

8

Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cooled cake. Be thorough — the more holes, the more milk absorption. Poke all the way through to the bottom.

Don't Be Shy

Poke aggressively. The cake can take it. Think of it as creating channels for the milk to travel. More holes = more even saturation.

9

Slowly pour the milk mixture over the entire cake, a little at a time, letting it absorb between pours. Use all of it — even if it looks like too much. Focus on the edges and corners.

Trust the Process

The cake will look flooded. This is correct. It will absorb most of the liquid as it rests. The small pool at the bottom is normal — spoon it back over the top occasionally.

03

The Wait

Patience is an ingredient.

10

Cover the cake with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours — overnight is best. The longer it soaks, the better it gets.

Non-Negotiable

Do not skip this step. The cake needs time to absorb the milk and reach its final texture. Freshly soaked tres leches is amateur hour. Overnight tres leches is the real thing.

04

Top and Serve

The crown on the queen.

11

Just before serving, make the whipped cream. Beat the cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat — stop when it holds its shape.

12

Spread whipped cream over the entire surface of the cake. You can make it smooth or create decorative swirls.

13

Dust with ground cinnamon. Garnish with fresh strawberries, cherries, or other fruit if desired.

Serving Tip

Cut squares and serve on plates that can catch the extra milk that pools at the bottom. Spoon that extra milk over each slice — it's not waste, it's bonus.

Troubleshooting

When things don't go as planned.

Cake Is Too Dense

Eggs weren't beaten enough, or batter was over-mixed. Next time, beat eggs to ribbon stage and fold flour gently.

Cake Fell Apart When Soaking

Cake was under-baked or still warm when soaked. Ensure cake is fully baked and completely cool before adding milk.

Too Dry

Didn't use all the milk mixture, or didn't poke enough holes. Use all the liquid. Poke more holes. Let it soak longer.

Too Soggy/Wet

Rare, but possible if you didn't let excess drain. Some pooling is normal — just don't submerge the cake. Let it soak gradually.

Variations

Every country has its twist.

Cuatro Leches

Add a fourth milk — dulce de leche drizzled on top or mixed into the milk mixture. Even more decadent.

Tres Leches de Coco

Replace heavy cream with coconut cream. Top with toasted coconut. Tropical and delicious.

Chocolate Tres Leches

Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder to the cake batter. Top with chocolate whipped cream.

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Bake in cupcake tins. Poke holes in tops. Spoon milk mixture over each. Easier to serve at parties.

Terminology

The language of tres leches.

Tres Leches

"Three milks" — the soaking liquid

Bizcocho

Sponge cake — the base

Leche Condensada

Sweetened condensed milk

Leche Evaporada

Evaporated milk

Crema de Leche

Heavy cream

Pastel Borracho

"Drunk cake" — Mexican nickname