Easy Tres Leches Cake is a delicious doctored cake mix recipe with a creamy whipped topping. This ultra moist cake is just the thing to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
What Is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres Leches is a popular Mexican and Latin American dessert. Tres Leches means “3 milk”. This easy dessert consists of a cake cooked in a 9×13-inch pan which is then soaked with 3 milks: sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and heavy cream.
Only a handful of simple ingredients are needed.
Ingredients
- Yellow Cake Mix– I use Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker.
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Large Egg
- Sweetened Condensed Milk– comes in a can. Be sure not to use evaporated milk. They look the same at first glance.
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Cool Whip– If you prefer, you can use 3 cups of fresh whipped cream.
How To Serve
Tres Leches Cake is typically served cold. The addition of the millk mixture gives the cake a custard-like texture and it tastes really good chilled. I like to serve it with any kind of seasonal fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or peaches are delicious with it. You could even do fresh pineapple or mango for more of a tropical flavor. It makes a great Cinco de Mayo dessert and is also good for a potluck or summer cookout.
Make Ahead
This cake is even better if it is made a day in advance to really give the cake time to soak up all the milk. You can make it 2 days in advance if necessary.
Recipe Tips
Be sure to let the cake cool a little before poking holes in it.
Cake should be made at least 2 hours in advance.
For a little extra flavor, sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top.
You can add half a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter for extra flavor.
How To Store Easy Tres Leches Cake
Cover well with plastic wrap and it will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
More Tres Leches Cake Recipes
- Coffee Tres Leches
- Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries
- Crock Pot Tres Leches Bread Pudding
- Peach Bourbon Tres Leches
Easy Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (regular-size) box Yellow Cake Mix
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces Cool Whip
- fresh fruit for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer to beat cake mix, water, oil, and eggs on LOW speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.Pour batter into pan. Bake for 28 to 34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool 5 minutes and then use a fork to poke holes all over the top.
- In a large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and heavy cream Slowly pour over cake.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Spread whipped cream on top and serve with fresh fruit.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adpated from Betty Crocker.
