Tres Leches Pastel

By
Chelsie Kenyon
Chelsie Kenyon
Chelsie Kenyon, author of "Knack Mexican Cooking," is a former writer and recipe developer with more than 10 years of experience in Mexican cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/13/24
Tres Leches Pastel

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 cake

A common treat throughout Latin America, pastel de Tres Leches (three milks cake) takes its name from the three types of milk used in the recipe. Sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream combine in a soaking sauce that gives this classic style of tres leches cake a dense, extremely moist texture, more akin to custard than traditional light and fluffy cake.

The recipe likely evolved from soaked cakes developed in medieval Europe, but it spread in popularity in the 1940s when Nestlé printed a recipe for it on the label of its canned condensed milk. At some point, tres leches cake crossed the border into the United States, where it gained near-celebrity status among restaurant chefs in the early 2000s and even became a Häagen-Dazs flavor in 2015.

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Ingredients

For Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 5 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

For Cream Syrup:

  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon rum, or brandy, optional

For Whipped Topping:

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • Ground cinnamon, or fresh berries, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the cake ingredients.

    cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

    Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a separate bowl, beat the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until combined.

    In a separate bowl, beat the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until combined

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.

    Add the eggs to the sugar mixture

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk, then gently fold in the flour mixture a little at a time.

    add milk and flour to the sugar mixture

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Pour the batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking dish, and bake the cake at 325 F for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in several locations comes out clean.

    Pour the batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking dish, and bake the cake

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Let the cake cool in the pan to room temperature. Turn it out onto a platter with raised edges. Pierce the cake with a fork 20 to 30 times. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.

    Let the cake cool in the pan to room temperature

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Make Cream Syrup

  1. Gather the syrup ingredients.

    syrup ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Make the cream syrup while the cake chills. Whisk together the 3 milks and the rum or brandy if desired.

    Whisk together the three milks and the rum

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate it for 1 hour, periodically spooning the milk runoff back onto the cake.

    Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Assemble

  1. Gather whipped topping ingredients.

    whipped topping ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Make the whipped topping just before you serve the cake. Combine heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl. Beat it on high speed until peaks form.

    Combine heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl and beat it on high speed until peaks form

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Spread a thin layer of the whipped topping over the cake. Top it with a sprinkle of cinnamon or garnish it with fresh berries.

    Tres Leches Pastel

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
592 Calories
29g Fat
72g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 592
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 157mg 52%
Sodium 219mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 56g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 331mg 25%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 416mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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