THE EASIEST TRES LECHES CAKE

WHAT IS TRES LECHES CAKE?

Tres leches means “three milks” in Spanish, and it is a popular dessert in Mexico and Latin America. Traditional tres leches cakes consist of a light sponge that has been soaked in three different types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.

HOW TO MAKE AN EASIER VERSION OF TRES LECHES CAKE

While traditional tres leches is made from scratch, I rarely have time to make a cake entirely from scratch. This is a cheater version of tres leches that uses a boxed cake mix from the store.  You can make boxed cake taste more like a bakery cake by adding an extra egg and replacing the amount of oil required with melted butter.  This is a great tip for any time you are making a boxed cake, not just for this recipe.

The fun part comes after the cake is baked.  Let the cake cool for a few minutes, and then poke holes in the cake with a handle of a wooden spoon.  Whisk together the 3 kinds of milk, and pour the mixture over the cake.  Your kids will love helping with these steps.  Then comes the hard part: place the cake in the fridge and let it sit for at least 6 hours.  I know. 

After the cake has been refrigerated and has soaked up all that delicious milk, you can make the vanilla whipped cream.  Top the cake with the whipped cream, serve and enjoy!

WHAT DOES TRES LECHE CAKE TASTE LIKE?

As you might suspect, tres leches cake has a very sweet, creamy flavor. It has a light vanilla and butter flavor as well. If you would like to add a little spice to the flavor of the cake, you can give each slice a sprinkle of cinnamon when you serve it. Alternatively, you can serve the cake with fresh berries to add some tartness to the dessert.

The real star of the show is the texture of the cake. Since the sponge cake is covered with a sweet milk mixture which is then allowed to soak into the cake, it is moist, soft, and silky. I am sure your family will love it!

EASY TRES LECHE CAKE RECIPE

THE EASIEST TRES LECHES CAKE

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Ingredients

• 1 boxed butter cake mix prepared with 1 extra egg and melted butter in place of the oil
• One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• One12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan.
• Make cake batter according to the boxed mix package directions, with 2 exceptions: use 1 extra egg and replace the oil with melted butter.
• Bake the cake according for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
• Whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Pour the milk mixture over the cake.
• Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 more minutes so the cake reaches room temperature.
• Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
• Whip together remaining heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Frost the cake with this whipped cream.
• Serve and enjoy!

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