Pastel De Tres Leches

Name: Pastel De Tres Leches (Cake)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups (156g) all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; 6 large eggs (room temperature); ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 Tbsp vegetable oil; 1 14 oz can, condensed milk; 1 12 oz can, evaporated milk; 1 7.6 oz can, media crema or 1 1/4 cups heavy milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 4 Tbsp confectioners' sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 to 2 cups berries to garnish, (optional)

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Make this authentic Mexican recipe for Pastel De 3 Leches (Tres Leches Cake). A delicious spongy yellow cake saturated with a mix of 3 milks. It’s so good it walks the line between pudding and cake! Yum!

If you like creamy recipes like Arroz Con Leche, Ensalada De Frutas and Horchata, then you’ve got to get in on this goodness!

3 small plates with pieces of cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries

The perfect Tres Leche Cake recipe! The cake is soaked with three milks and it holds up beautifully. It's perfectly moist without being overly saturated. If you've been searching for the right Tres Leches cake for years, then this is it!

In this post you’ll find:

Ingredients
How To Make Pastel De Tres Leches
Make the 3 Leches
Make the Whipped Cream
FAQ
Looking for more postres (desserts)?
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💬 Reviews & Comments

I posted this recipe back on 2015 and it was time to get a facelift with new pretty photos (lots of them!) and step by step instructions. The recipe remains the same so I hope you get to make it again!

Pastel De 3 Leches on a small plate being scooped with a fork — Delicious Mexican Tres Leches Cake!

Ingredients

For the Cake you'll need:

all-purpose flour
baking powder
kosher salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
granulated sugar
vanilla extract
vegetable oil

To make the 3 leches:

1 14 oz can, condensed milk
1 12 oz can, evaporated milk
1 7.6 oz can, media crema or 1 ¼ cups heavy milk - Note: the traditional way in Mexico is to use the media crema but if you can't find it then heavy milk will do.
1 tsp vanilla extract

The toppings:

highly recommend homemade whipped cream as the commercial version does not compare! To make it you'll need:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Then top with any kind of berries or canned fruit like peaches (very common in Mexico), nuts and even sprinkle with some cinnamon. It's all about what you like!

Ingredients: A bowl with flour, eggs on the side, sugar & oil

How To Make Pastel De Tres Leches

BAKE THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy. About 5 to 8 minutes.
When the eggs are fluffy, add the vanilla. Keep mixing for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the batter has multiplied and it's not liquidy.
Add one third of the flour mixture and using a spatula, fold the flour into the egg/sugar mixture. mix well. Repeat this process until all of the flour has been incorporated.

A large mixing bowl with beaten eggs. A bowl with flour next to it. — Eggs & sugar mixed until fluffy

Mixing the flour to the egg mixture with a spatula — Eggs & sugar mixed until fluffy

Add the oil and fold gently into the batter. The consistency will be very light and creamy.

Adding oil in the cake batter in the mixing bowl

Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until cake is golden brown and middle springs back when pressed.
Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Poke holes all over top of cake with a fork or a large thick wood skewer.

Make the 3 Leches

In a large bowl, whisk together the media crema (or heavy cream), evaporated milk, condensed milk and vanilla.
Slowly drizzle half of milks mixture all over cake, letting liquid soak in before adding more.
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.

Making tres leches mixture in a white bowl

Make the Whipped Cream

Pour the cream into the mixing bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric hand mixer or balloon whisk, beat the cream to the desired consistency. It took about 5 minutes for me.

Cake in a baking pan being frosted with whipped cream — perfectly moist without being overly saturated! This is how Tres Leches Cake should be.

Cake in a rectangular baking pan with slices cut out. — perfectly moist without being overly saturated! This is how Tres Leches Cake should be.

Now it's time to decorate your Paste De 3 Leches with your favorite toppings. Everyone's favorite is strawberries and can sliced peaches. What's yours? ?

A rectangular baking dish with cake topped with whipped cream and two small plates on the side.

This cake is so delicious and it's perfectly moist without being overly saturated. Just splendid!

FAQ

What does tres leches cake taste like?

Pastel De Tres Leches is a dense, pudding like cake milk flavored dessert. Between bread pudding and arroz con leche. Sweet but not overly sweet. Just perfect!

Does tres leches cake need to be refrigerated?

Tres Leches Cake needs to be refrigerated covered with a lid or plastic wrap. Since it has dairy in it, it can spoil very quickly if left on the counter for too long.

How long will a tres leches cake last?

Tres Leches Cake can last up to 4 days refrigerated but it taste better when consumed within two days. This recipe is so good it won't last that long!

Cake squares on small little plates next to a bowl with strawberries

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