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    Posted In: Cakes & Brownies, Cuban Recipes, Holiday Recipes
    December 1, 2015 — Updated January 14, 2020 — by Julie — Leave a Comment

    Home » Cakes & Brownies » Pastel de Tres Leches

    Pastel de Tres Leches

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    Sponge cake drenched in a three milk mixture then topped off with homemade whipped cream. This easy pastel de tres leches is super decadent and will be a hit at your next party!

    a slice of tres leches cake on a white plate with berries

     

    Pastel de tres leches is the cake my mother made for every birthday and holiday. Therefore it only made sense for it to be one of my first Youtube videos. I grew up eating this cake and it’s still one of my favorite cakes.

    Tres leches should be super moist and soft even after hours of refrigerating. This is a very rich cake so a small serving will leave you very satisfied.

    This cake will melt in your mouth and become your new favorite cake! Since this cake is so rich, I love serving it with tons of fresh fruit. Like strawberries and blueberries.

    This tres leches cake recipe is fail-proof, extremely easy to make. I made a 1 layer style cake but feel free to make a 2 layer cake. You can bake the cake and pour the milk mixture over it the night before serving it. All you’ll have to do is prepare the whipped cream and decorate the cake the day of.

     

     

    What is pastel de tres leches?

    Pastel de tres leches is known as a milk cake. It’s a light and airy sponge cake drenched with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and then topped off with whipped cream. Extremely popular in Latin America. Pastel just means “cake” in Spanish.

     

    What you need to make pastel de tres leches

    • All-purpose Flour
    • Baking Powder
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Whole Milk
    • Eggs
    • Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • Evaporated Milk
    • Heavy Cream
    • Powdered Sugar

    How to make pastel de tres leches – step by step 

     

    First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

    Sift the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder (photo 1).

    In a separate bowl, beat 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale yellow color (photos 2 and 3).

    Add the sifted flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture (photo 4).

     

    tres leches cake step by step recipe collage

     

    Place the remaining granulated sugar in a large bowl along with 5 egg whites and mix until firm peaks form (photos 5 and 6).

    Add the egg white and sugar mixture to the flour mixture and fold in well (photos 7 and 8).

     

    four photo collage on how to whip egg whites

     

    Place the batter into a buttered 9×13 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes (photos 9 and 10).

    Let the cake cool completely and then invert onto a large platter. In a large bowl combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/3 cup whole milk (photo 11).

    Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the cake (photo 12).

     

    cake batter in a baking pan and a baked cake in a collage of 4 photos

     

    Pour the milk mixture all over the cake and refrigerate for 1 hour (photo 13).

    Place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer. Mix for 3-4 minutes (picture 14).

    Frost the entire cake with the whipped cream (photo 15).

    Decorate with strawberries and blueberries, if desired (photo 16).

     

    collage with 4 photos of whipped cream ingredients and step by step process

    Top tips for making pastel de tres leches:

    • Use room temperature eggs and fresh ingredients.
    • Do not overmix the cake batter.
    • If you don’t want to make homemade whipped cream, use store-bought whipped cream.

     

    a slice of tres leches on a plate with berries and a fork

     

    Recipe tips and variations:

    • Variations include adding sweetened canned fruit like pineapples or peaches.
    • Want some crunch? Add some roughly chopped walnuts or pecans.
    • You may serve a warm slice of tres leches cake by heating a slice in the microwave before adding the whipped cream.

     

    How long is tres leches cake good for in the fridge?

    This cake will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Although, I highly recommend eating on the first or second day.

     

    a small serving of cake on a fork

     

    More dessert recipes you’ll enjoy:

    • French Toast
    • Coconut Tres Leches
    • Tres Leches French Toast
    • Carrot Cake

     

    a slice of tres leches cake on a white plate with berries

    Pastel de Tres Leches Cake

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Refrigerate: 1 hour
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 309kcal
    Author: Julie Maestre
    A decadent and rich tres leches cake topped with a light whipped cream and fresh berries. This cake is the perfect easy and delicious dessert recipe!

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • pinch of salt
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/3 cup whole milk
    • 5 large eggs separated

    Milk Mixture

    • 1 can condensed milk
    • 1 can evaporated milk
    • 1/3 cup whole milk

    Whipped Cream

    • 1 pint heavy cream
    • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt set aside.
    • Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until the egg yolks turn a pale yellow color.
    • Add the vanilla extract and milk, set aside.
    • In a separate bowl using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until firm peaks form. 5-6 minutes.
    • Mix the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well combined, then fold in the egg whites.
    • Place the batter in a buttered 9x13 baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.
    • Let the cake cool completely and then invert onto a large platter.
    • Whisk the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
    • Poke holes all over the cake and drizzle the milk mixture all over and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    • To make the frosting, whip the heavy cream for 3-4 minutes or until it starts resembling whipped cream
    • Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix for an additional 20 seconds.
    • Frost the entire cake with the whipped cream, serve with fresh berries, and enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 146mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

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    Filed Under: Cakes & Brownies, Cuban Recipes, Holiday Recipes

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    Hi, I'm Julie! I’m extremely fortunate to make a living doing what I truly love – creating and sharing my favorite “can’t live without” recipes with readers from all over the world.

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