Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries
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This tres leches cake with strawberries brings a fresh twist to the classic Latin American dessert. Each bite combines fluffy vanilla cake soaked in a blend of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk, topped with fresh whipped cream and garnished with ripe strawberries.
The result is a refreshing and moist cake that’s perfect for any occasion, whether it’s Cinco de Mayo, a summer gathering, or just a special treat for your family.
Tres leches cake is versatile because you can top it with fresh strawberries for a beautiful cake. I used strawberries and a few blueberries, but you could also use other fresh fruits like mango and kiwi.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unique Flavor: This cake combines a traditional tres leches recipe with fresh strawberry flavor, making it an ideal choice for those who love fruity desserts.
- Moist and Delicious: Thanks to the milk syrup, this cake is incredibly moist with a light sponge texture that practically melts in your mouth.
- Easy to Make: No need for complicated steps; this recipe is straightforward, from preparing the batter to pouring the milk mixture and frosting the top of the cake.
- Perfect for Celebrations: This dessert shines at gatherings, whether it’s a Cinco de Mayo celebration or a casual dinner with friends.
- Versatile Topping Options: The fresh whipped cream pairs beautifully with ripe strawberries, but you can switch it up with other fresh berries or even a strawberry puree for an added burst of flavor.
Like my Neapolitan Cake and my Oreo Drip Cake, these look stunning on a dessert table.
Ingredients for strawberry tres leches cake
Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Large eggs at room temperature
- Granulated sugar divided
- Vanilla extract
Milk Syrup
- Milk whole or 2%
- Evaporated milk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Heavy cream
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
Frosting
- Chilled heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Clear vanilla extract
How to make tres leches cake with strawberries
You will need several ingredients for this cake, but many you likely have in your pantry. There are three steps to making this cake.
- Baking the cake.
- Preparing the milk syrup.
- Frosting the cake.
Equipment and Kitchen Tools
- large mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- cake pans
How to Make Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cake
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Coat a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt
- In 2 small bowl, separate egg whites and yolks
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with ¾ cup granulated sugar until pale yellow
- Stir in ⅓ cup milk and vanilla extract
- Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and stir gently to combine
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form
- Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form
- Fold egg white mixture into batter gently, just until combined
- Pour batter in prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack
- Place large mixing bowl and beater in freezer to chill for frosting
Milk Syrup
- In a medium bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract until well combined
- When cake is cool, poke small holes in cake using a fork or skewer
- Slowly drizzle milk syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in
- You will now need to use all of the milk mixture
- Set aside
Frosting
- Remove bowl and beaters from freezer
- Add whipping cream to bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form
- Frost cake after cake cools.
- Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve
- Store leftovers in refrigerator
It is such a delicious cake!
Tips for the Best Results
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature before you start, as this helps the cake bake evenly and achieve the best texture.
- Soft Peaks vs. Stiff Peaks: When beating egg whites, first go for soft peaks and then gradually add sugar to reach stiff peaks. This step adds volume and lightness to the cake.
- Let the Cake Cool Completely: Before drizzling the tres leches mixture over the cake, ensure the cake has fully cooled so the mixture can soak in evenly without creating soggy spots.
- Chill the Bowl and Whisk: Before making the whipped cream, place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. This helps the cream whip up quickly and hold its shape better.
- Serve with Fresh Strawberries: Slice fresh strawberries and place them on top of the cake for a beautiful presentation and burst of flavor. You can also add a dollop of strawberry puree if you want an extra touch of strawberry sweetness.
- Refrigerate the Milk: Be sure to refrigerate the milk cake for about 1 hour after pouring the milk before frosting so that the cake can absorb the milks.
- Prevent Sticking: When poking the cake, wipe the fork often to reduce sticking.
- Frosting Shortcut: You can use a store-bought whipped topping in place of the frosting to save some time.
- Make a Layer Cake: You can make this into a layer cake by using two 9″ cake pans.
Substitutions and Variations
- Boxed Cake Mix Option: If you’re in a hurry, you can use a box of strawberry cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch for a strawberry-flavored base.
- Strawberry Puree: For a stronger strawberry flavor, drizzle homemade strawberry puree over the whipped cream layer, or mix it into the milk syrup for a delicious strawberry milk cake variation.
- Add Fresh Berries: If you love mixed berries, go beyond strawberries and add raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries on top for extra flavor and color.
Recipe FAQs
Tres leches, meaning “three milks,” is a classic Latin American dessert made with a light sponge cake soaked in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk or cream.
Yes, you can prepare the cake up to a day in advance. Store it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap to keep it moist. Wait to add the whipped cream and strawberries until just before serving for the freshest presentation.
Let the cake cool completely on wire racks after baking, then poke holes all over with a fork or skewer to help the milk syrup soak in thoroughly.
If your whipped cream is not forming stiff peaks, it could be because the cream or bowl isn’t cold enough. Use chilled heavy cream and freeze your bowl and whisk attachment for a few minutes before starting.
While freezing can affect the texture, you can freeze the unfrosted cake layer by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw completely before adding the milk mixture and whipped cream.
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- Lemon Bundt Cake – A tasty lemon poppyseed cake topped with a light lemon glaze.
- Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – A delicious banana cake that will go fast so be sure to grab a piece first!
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk Syrup
- ⅓ cup milk whole or 2%
- 1 can 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Coat a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt
- In 2 small bowl, separate egg whites and yolks
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with ¾ cup granulated sugar until pale yellow
- Stir in ⅓ cup milk and vanilla extract
- Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and stir gently to combine
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form
- Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form
- Fold egg white mixture into batter gently just until combined
- Pour batter in prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack
- Place large mixing bowl and beater in freezer to chill for frosting
Milk Syrup
- In a medium bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract until well combined
- When cake is cool, poke small holes in cake using a fork or skewer
- Slowly drizzle milk syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in
- You will now need to use all of the milk mixture
- Set aside
Frosting
- Remove bowl and beaters from freezer
- Add whipping cream to bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form
- Frost cake after cake cools.
- Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve
- Store leftovers in refrigerator
Nutrition
I hope you enjoyed this strawberry cake. It is likley my favorite cake to make. f you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share a few things that I don’t share here and I email you only once a week. I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!
I can’t get over how vibrant it looks. That’s pretty much all of Scarlet’s favorite things in a cake. IN.
Yum! Pinned this to try out later. Visiting form Homemade Happiness Link party.
Thanks Marie!
This cake looks delicious. I cannot wait to make it for my family.
I found this post a the Inspire Me Monday party.
Have a great week,
Kippi
Thanks so much Kippi!