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Delicious Tres Leches Cake (Three Milks Cake) cover image

Delicious Tres Leches Cake Recipe – Three Milks Cake

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An absolutely delicious tres leches cake recipe is a fluffy sponge cake soaked in sweetened condensed, heavy cream, and regular milk, then topped with whipped cream. Get the recipe here.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Traditional
Keyword cake recipe, three milk cake, three Milk cake recipe, tres leches, tres leches cake
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 9
Author Camila Rojas

Equipment

  • Electric mixer
  • Blender

Ingredients

For Cake

  • 5 eggs {separate egg whites and yolks}
  • 1 ½ cup of sugar
  • 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour.
  • 2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 or 2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 can of sweetened condenced milk
  • 1 ½ cup of heavy cream {crema de leche}
  • 2 cups of Whole Milk {when preparing from milk powder make it stronger than instructions It make the cake so good}
  • 2-3 tbsp of rum. {optional}

For Meringue

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 tbsp of Icing sugar {optional}

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF 180ºC/Gas 4/fan 160ºC. and grease a 9-inch pan. I love pyrex glass because you can actually see the cake.
  • Clean out your mixing bowl and wash the whisk attachment. You don’t want any bit of grease otherwise the eggs won’t form peaks.

THE CAKE

  • First, start beating the egg whites in a large bowl with a stand mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
  • In a small bowl, I mixed yolks with sugar and vanilla. And in another mixing bowl mix flour and baking powder.
  • Once the egg whites form stiff peaks, add in slowly the egg yolk mixture. Scrap a little the sides. Mix for a couple of minutes.
  • Start adding the flour mixture little by little and mix for 1 more minute and turn off the mixer.
  • Now pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes. It will grow and be golden. Always check with a toothpick to confirm that is ready. Each oven is different.
  • While it is in the oven, let’s prepare the milk mixture and the meringue.

THE FILLING

  • For the Milk mixture, in a blender mix condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, and whole milk for a couple of minutes, and then add in the rum. You have no idea the delicious scent will come from it! Since it’s alcohol it will evaporate as soon as it has contact with the hot cake. So will only remain the amazing scent.
  • Set it in the fridge while the cake is ready.

THE MERINGUE

  • For the meringue, follow the instructions in my post: How to make an Awesome Italian Meringue. Probably the cake will be ready before your meringue but that’s ok because you should top the tres leches cake when it’s completely cool.
  • Once the cake is ready, take it off the oven and immediately poke holes with a fork all over the cake.
  • Start pouring the milk mixture all over the cake (sides and holes) If it fills up, wait for it to soak up the mixture and pour some more until you see it doesn’t absorb anymore.
  • Leave it to completely cool off before frosting it with the meringue.
  • When cool, pour your meringue on top of the cake and spread it all over, and with a spoon, pull it up slightly in sections to form peaks.
  • Let it rest overnight in the fridge so the flavors will intensify.
  • Serve and enjoy!