Tres Leches | There is no doubt that I have more of a salt tooth then I do a sweet tooth but, there is a dessert that I am a sucker for and that is tres leches. I am going to confidently declare that tres leches is the best dessert. It’s impossible to have just one slice.
What is Tres Leches?
Tres leches translate as three milks. It is a dessert that is enjoyed throughout Latin America. The dessert is made with a sponge cake, sometimes a butter cake, that is soaked in three kinds of milk. Traditionally the kinds of milk used is evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. Different recipes may use other kinds of milk such as whole milk, half and half, or even plant milk.
For my recipe, I have opted to give the traditional tres leches cake a twist. In place of sweetened condensed milk I have opted to use cream of coconut milk. It provides the same amount of sweetness with a coconut kick. And as if that wasn’t enough I figured I include a layer of pureed guava.
What kind of cake is Tres Leches?
Most tres leche I grew up eating was made with a simple sponge cake. But, if you like your desserts really rich you can also use a butter cake. When in a pinch I have been known to purchase a pound cake or an angel cake at the supermarket and soak it in a milk mixture.
How long is Tres Leches good for?
Because tres leches cake is a cake that is soaked in milk it is best that it is kept refrigerated and enjoyed cold. The cake holds well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, I have rarely seen a cake last that long.
Tres Leches recipe ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups white sugar
10 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can of guava shells drained
1 tsp of lime juice
This recipe is a layered cake recipe, which is not typical of tres leches. But, I really wanted to push a decadent dessert over the top and fill it with guava puree. It does take a little finesse to layer this cake because of the weight of a milk-soaked cake. If you don’t feel you can layer the cake you can prepare it as two separate cakes and serve it with the guava puree.
This is definitely a cake that doesn’t require a glass of milk. One bite and you will never want another dessert again.
It’s a great cake for holidays, birthdays, and to take to a party because people love to say tres leches and eat tres leches. If you are looking for more desserts try tembleque (coconut pudding), barriguitas de vieja (pumpkin fritters), or flan de queso (cheese flan). But you have been warned all of these are incredibly addictive. Are you in search of even more desserts? Visit my entire desserts collection.
more dessert love
- Triple Coconut Pound Cake
- Coconut-Vanilla Bean Cake with Coconut Meringue Butter Cream
- Slow-Cooker Raspberry Coconut Cake
- Raspberry Coconut Cake with Coconut Streusel
Tres Leches de Coco
Who needs a glass of milk with their cake when you have tres leche cake? This cake is soaked in three different milks. Hence the name tres leches which translates to three milks. This version is a twist on the traditional using cream of coconut as one of the milks.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups white sugar (divided)
- 10 eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can of guava shells drained
- 1 tsp of lime juice
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 9×13-inch baking pans. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until blended. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Test with inserting toothpick or knife until it comes out clean.
Leave the cakes to cool on the counter top for 30 minutes. In a large bowl combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, and cream of coconut, whisk until well combined. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the top of the cooled cakes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Puree guava shells with lemon juice in a food processor. Invert one cake onto a serving plate. Spread guava mixture on top of the cake. Invert the second cake on to a flat cookie sheet. Slide the second cake on top of the other. Combine whipping cream and the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 cups of sugar, whipping with electric hand mixer until thick. Spread over top of cake.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 927Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 278mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 110gFiber: 4gSugar: 76gProtein: 16g
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I also love to make tres leche cakes but I add just a tad bit of rum to the milk mixture. I use heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and about a tbs. of rum (I prefer dark but whatever is in the cabinet is fine!. After my cake cools I use a turkey baster to squeeze the milk mixture into the cake and continue until all the milk mixture is filled (i like a really moist tres leche). For topping I soften a bar of cream cheese and then mix in a tub of cool-whip for a nice creamy frosting and top with fruit. Make sure to keep this refrigerated until serving, it tastes much better cold!
Beautiful cake! I want a piece, please!
I`ve never heard of this cake recipe before, but I must try this after looking at your picture! This look so good!
This is so cool, I said, “That’s Meseidy’s plate” and all the photos, you get around girl. You will be famous someday with all this creativity, you’ll be better than Rachel Ray 🙂