Tres Leches Cake
A light almond sponge soaked overnight in a sweet, creamy three-milk bath until it turns custardy, then topped with clouds of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. The Latin American party cake, without the condensed milk.
Nutrition per serving
1 square (about 2½ inches)- Net carbs
- 3.8g
- Calories
- 356kcal
- Protein
- 8.3g
- Fat
- 34g
- Total carbs
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 1.8 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Strawberry: Fresh strawberries blended into the milk soak and sliced over the cream make a pink, fruity tres leches for spring and summer.
- Blend half the strawberries with the soak ingredients until smooth (strain out the seeds if you like) and pour it over the cake as written.
- Arrange the sliced strawberries over the whipped cream just before serving.
Chocolate: Cocoa in both the sponge and the milk soak for a chocolate tres leches that tastes like a giant, creamy chocolate pudding cake.
- Whisk the ¼ cup cocoa and extra sweetener into the dry ingredients. Bake 20–26 minutes; check that the top springs back, as you cannot judge it by color.
- Warm the soak ingredients with the 2 tablespoons of cocoa, whisking until smooth, then cool to lukewarm before pouring it over the cake.
Dairy-free: All coconut: coconut oil in the sponge, coconut milk in the soak and whipped coconut cream on top — a tropical "tres cocos" take.
- Use melted coconut oil in the sponge and make the soak with all coconut milk and almond milk.
- For the topping, whip the cold, thick coconut cream with the powdered erythritol for 1–2 minutes until fluffy; add it shortly before serving, as it is softer than dairy cream.
- Sponge
- Three-milk soak
- Whipped cream topping
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sponge
- Three-milk soak
- Whipped cream topping
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sponge
- Three-milk soak
- Whipped cream topping
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sponge
- Three-milk soak
- Whipped cream topping
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $13.16 for 9 servings ($1.46 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish and line the bottom with parchment.
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Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
-
In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites on medium until foamy, then gradually add half the erythritol and beat on high to stiff, glossy peaks, 3–4 minutes.
-
In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining erythritol for about 2 minutes, until pale and thick. Beat in the melted butter and vanilla.
-
Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture (it will be thick), then fold in the whites in three additions, cutting down through the middle and sweeping up the sides, until no white streaks remain.
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Spread the batter in the dish and bake 22–28 minutes, until golden, springy to the touch and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the dish for 15 minutes.
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Whisk the cream for the soak with the coconut milk, almond milk and allulose until the allulose dissolves (warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave if needed).
-
Poke the warm cake all over with a fork or skewer, right to the bottom. Pour the milk mixture over it slowly, a little at a time, letting each addition soak in. Cool, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight; the sponge absorbs nearly all the liquid.
-
Whip the cold topping cream with the powdered erythritol to soft, billowy peaks and spread it over the cake. Dust with cinnamon, cut into 9 squares and serve cold, spooning any pooled milk over each piece.
Tips for success
-
Classic tres leches is soaked in evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream — around 20 g of sugar per slice from the soak alone. Cream, coconut milk and almond milk sweetened with allulose give the same rich, milky soak at a fraction of the carbs. - The whipped egg whites give the sponge the open, absorbent crumb it needs. Fold gently to keep the air in; a dense cake leaves the milk pooling on top.
- Be patient with the soak: after a night in the fridge, the sponge drinks up the milk and turns soft and custardy all the way through.
Nice to have, not needed
- A glass or ceramic baking dish lets you serve straight from the pan and shows off the soaked layers — a parchment-lined metal pan works too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve cold, straight from the fridge.
Prep tip: Make it a day ahead — the soak needs at least 4 hours and the cake is even better the next day. If you are keeping it longer than a day, whip and add the topping just before serving.
Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezing makes the soaked sponge watery, so keep it chilled.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosStrawberry
FlavorFresh strawberries blended into the milk soak and sliced over the cream make a pink, fruity tres leches for spring and summer.
- + 1⅓ cups strawberries
5.1 g net · 363 kcal · 8.4 g protein · 34 g fat · ≈$1.63 per serving (+1.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Chocolate
FlavorCocoa in both the sponge and the milk soak for a chocolate tres leches that tastes like a giant, creamy chocolate pudding cake.
- + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- + 2 tbsp extra granulated erythritol
4.6 g net · 365 kcal · 9 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$1.57 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free
DietAll coconut: coconut oil in the sponge, coconut milk in the soak and whipped coconut cream on top — a tropical "tres cocos" take.
- butter → coconut oil
- heavy cream → extra full-fat canned coconut milk
- heavy cream → coconut cream
4.3 g net · 321 kcal · 8.3 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$1.35 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
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