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Costa Rican · Nicaraguan · Central American

Tres leches cake

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Tres leches

A light sponge soaked in a sweet mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream, chilled until meltingly moist and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Tres leches cake is a Costa Rican cake, ready in about 4 hours 55 minutes and made with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. It serves 12 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A vibrant slice of Tres Leches cake topped with cherries, captured in Quito, Ecuador.
Photo: Cristian Arteaga / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
4 h
Total
4 h 55 min
Serves
12
Level
Intermediate
Calories
452

Chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Ingredients

12 squares

Sponge

Soak

Topping

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 175 °C and butter a 23 × 33 cm baking dish (opens in a new tab). Beat the egg (opens in a new tab) whites to soft peaks, then gradually beat in the sugar (opens in a new tab) to stiff, glossy peaks.

    Cream being whipped to soft peaks
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Beat in the yolks one at a time, then the milk (opens in a new tab) and vanilla (opens in a new tab). Sift over the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt and fold in gently.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Spread in the dish and bake until golden and springy, 25–30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then prick all over with a fork.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the evaporated milk (opens in a new tab), condensed milk (opens in a new tab) and cream and pour slowly over the cake, letting it soak in. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Whip the topping cream with the sugar (opens in a new tab) to soft peaks, spread over the cake and dust with cinnamon (opens in a new tab). Serve cold.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedNicaragua, Mexico and other Latin American countries all claim it; it is a beloved celebration cake throughout Central America, including Costa Rica.Also popular in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama
Dish
Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Whipped
Taste
sweet, creamy, rich
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Evaporated milk · Sweetened condensed milk · Heavy cream · Egg · Sugar · Milk
Techniques
Baking · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

452 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 169 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 44%
  • Fat 47%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy452 kcal268 kcal
Protein10.1 g6 g
Carbohydrate50.9 g30.1 g
Net carbohydrate50.5 g29.9 g
Sugars41.2 g24.4 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.3 g0.2 g
Fat23.8 g14.1 g
Saturated fat14.4 g8.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol149 mg88 mg
Sodium192 mg113 mg
Salt equivalent0.5 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
311 mg
Calcium
258 mg
Iron
1.2 mg
Magnesium
25 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
266 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
1.9 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
54 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cinnamon.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

  • Pouring the milks too fast, so they pool instead of soaking in.

Food safety

  • Keep refrigerated — milk-soaked cakes spoil quickly at room temperature.

Storage

  • Keep covered in the fridge up to 3 days.

Variations

  • Cuatro leches: Topped or drizzled with dulce de leche as a fourth 'milk'.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Added at the end for aroma, freshness and richness

Topping

Used in steps 1, 4, 5

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 25 min

    Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.

  2. Rest · about 4 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 28 min at 175 °C

    Springs back when lightly pressed and is just shrinking from the tin sides.

  4. Start to finish: about 4 h 53 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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