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Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

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Tres Leches Cake

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A stunning tres leches cake with a rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze.

Tres Leches Cake

Popular in Latin America, tres leches cake or pastel de tres leches is a light and fluffy cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream (leche means milk in Spanish). It’s a homey cake served right from the baking pan and it has a consistency similar to bread pudding or custard.

In this version, rum is added to the soaking liquid and, instead of the traditional whipped cream topping, a simple rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze covers the cake (which, I guess, technically makes it a quatro leches cake). My husband calls it “heaven on earth.”

What You’ll Need to Make Tres Leches Cake

ingredients for tres leches cake

Before we get to the recipe, can I just tell you how many tres leches cakes I baked before arriving at this version? Eight! Finally, I found a recipe by pastry chef Nick Malgieri that was a spot-on. The key to his recipe? Using a chiffon batter for the base and cooling the cake upside-down. I jazzed up the recipe by adding rum and dulce de leche.

How To Make Tres Leches Cake

egg yolks, water, and oil in mixing bowl

Begin by combining the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.

whisked egg yolk mixture

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, part of the sugar, and the baking powder.

whisked dry ingredients

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture.

egg and flour mixtures in bowl

Using an electric mixer, beat for one minute to aerate. Set aside.

beating egg and flour mixture

Next, combine the egg whites and salt in a clean, dry bowl and beat until foamy and soft peaks form (when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the bowl, the peaks will hold for a second and then melt back into themselves).

foamy egg whitesAdd the remaining sugar in a steady stream and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. As you can see below, the mixture will be glossy, and when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the bowl, the peaks will point straight up with just a tiny droop at the top.

egg whites whipped to stiff peaks

Add the a quarter of the egg whites to the batter and stir to combine — this lightens the mixture making it easier to fold in the  remaining egg whites.

adding egg whites to batterFold in the remaining egg whites — this is just a gentle mixing method that helps the batter retain the volume of the beaten egg whites. It’s easy: use a large rubber spatula to cut down vertically through the two mixtures, then gently turn half the mixture over onto the other half. Continue cutting down the middle and turning a portion over. Don’t stir. The egg whites should be fully incorporated but only just so — try not to over mix.

tres leches batter in bowl

Transfer the batter to an ungreased 9 x 13 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal). It’s very important not to grease the pan; a chiffon cake needs to grip the sides of the pan to rise. And the cake needs to stick to the pan since it cools upside-down.

tres leches batter in pan ready to bake

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is set and golden.

baked tres leches cake

Let the cake settle for 1 to 2 minutes (you want it to deflate just a bit, so that the top of the cake is level with the rim of the baking dish). Invert 4 glasses onto the countertop and invert the cake pan onto them, positioning one in each corner of the pan. A chiffon cake needs to hang upside down to cool or it will collapse and fall.

tres leches cake cooling upside-down

Let the cake cool for about an hour, then flip it over and run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan. Poke it all over with a toothpick or skewer.

poking tres leches cake

Make the tres leches soaking liquid by combining the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and rum.

tres leches soaking liquid

Pour it slowly over the cake, allowing the cake to absorb the moisture as you go. Don’t rush this process or the liquid won’t be absorbed evenly.

pouring soaking liquid on cake

It’s helpful to tilt the pan slightly back and forth to help it absorb.

tilting baking dish to help liquid absorbRefrigerate the cake for at least eight hours or overnight to allow it to fully absorb the tres leches mixture. Then, prepare the topping by combining the dulce de leche, rum, and water in a bowl. Microwave it for about one minute so it’s easier to blend.

whisked dulce de leche glaze in mixing bowl

Spread the glaze over the chilled cake.

spreading dulce de leche glaze on cake

Make a pretty design by swirling the glaze with an offset spatula or butter knife.

finished tres leches cakeChill the cake until ready to serve.

Tres Leches Cake

More Cool, Creamy Dessert Recipes

Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

A stunning tres leches cake with a rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze.

Servings: Twenty-four 2-inch squares
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Total Time: 9 Hours, plus 8 hours to chill in the fridge

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 5 large egg whites
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the Soaking Mixture

  • 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
  • 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons dark rum

For the Glaze

  • 1 (13-oz) can dulce de leche, preferably Nestle
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the middle position.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, ¾ cup of the sugar, and the baking powder; mix on low speed for 20 seconds to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat (start slow to combine then increase to medium for stand mixer/medium-high for hand mixer) for one minute to aerate it slightly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for just a few seconds more. Set aside.
  4. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Using the whisk attachment or beaters, whip the egg whites (on medium speed for a stand mixer/medium-high speed for a hand mixer) until they are white, foamy, and beginning to hold a very soft peak, 40 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed (medium-high for stand mixer/high for hand mixer) and gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a slow stream. Continue whipping the mixture until it is shiny and holds stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Using a large rubber spatula, add ¼ of the egg white mixture into the batter and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining egg whites to the lightened batter and gently fold until the batter is uniform. Do not over-mix. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 9x13-in glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal) and smooth the top (note that it's very important NOT to grease the pan). Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is set and golden.
  6. Let the cake sit on the stovetop for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cake settles (you want it to deflate just slightly, so that the top of the cake is level with rim of the pan), then invert four glasses onto the countertop and invert the cake pan onto them, positioning one in each corner of the pan. (A chiffon cake needs to hang upside down to cool or it will collapse and fall.) Let cool for 1 hour.
  7. Once the cake has cooled, flip it over and run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or point of a small, sharp knife at ½-in intervals.
  8. Prepare the soaking liquid: in a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and rum. Slowly pour or spoon the soaking liquid over the cake, tilting the pan every so often to help it absorb evenly. Be patient: this process takes about 10 minutes. If the cake is slow to absorb, run a knife around the edges of the cake again and poke a few more holes. Don't worry if it looks like a mess; it all gets covered with the glaze anyway. Place the cake in the refrigerator, uncovered, to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  9. Once the cake has chilled, make the glaze: in a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the dulce de leche, rum and water. (Note: If you want a really boozy cake, change the proportions in the glaze to 3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons rum). Heat for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave to soften the dulce de leche, then whisk until completely smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then spread over the cake, swirling artistically with an offset spatula or butter knife. Place the cake back in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with fresh fruit, if desired.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 234
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34 g
  • Sugar: 27 g
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Sodium: 112 mg
  • Cholesterol: 41 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • A great recipe. My cake still turned out a little domed on the top, though, so some of the soaking liquid went to the sides and the cake ended up not soaking very evenly, with a dry cake middle. Any suggestions for next time?

    • Hi Melinda, often times doming on a cake is due to uneven heat distribution in the baking pan. You could try damp cake strips like these – I’ve used them with success for more professional looking cakes. Also, if you spoon the soaking liquid gradually over the cake, you can make sure it distributes more evenly.

  • I got rave reviews when I first baked this cake! Thanks!

  • Did you sift the flour before or after you measured?

    • Hi Jojo, the flour doesn’t need to be sifted here. (Most flours are now pre-sifted.)

  • Hi, I love the idea of this cake, but unfortunately I am gluten intolerant. If I was to make this with gluten free plain flour, is there any alterations I should do? Add xanthan gum gum? if so any recommendations on how much to add in or any other tips etc? I look forward to trying this recipe as I have made your coconut macaroons recipe many times and love them.

    • Hi Mia, Im glad you like the meringues! Although I haven’t tried the tres leches this way, I suspect you could use an all purpose gluten-free baking mix instead of the flour. I like this one. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you prepare it!

      • I also made this with a mix of Bob’s red mill and cup 4 cup flour gf and it was perfect👍🏻

        • — Sophie Zajdela
        • Reply
  • hi. is the oven temperature 325 fan or conventional. trying to convert to UK temperatures.

    thanks

    • Hi Francis, I’m assuming when you say “fan,” that you’re referring to a convection oven. All of my recipes are tested and based on using a conventional oven, not one with a fan. Hope that helps!

      • thanks for the quick and great reply to my question.

  • The cake tested good but the milk was only absorbed by the bottom of cake and the upper part was dry although I left it for a night .

    • That’s strange as this should be so most all the way though. Did you use a 9″ x 13″ pan?

  • Hi, Jenn

    It looks so yummy — I can’t wait to try the recipe. I am going to a party this Fri and I don’t have time to bake the cake on Thurs. is it ok it I bake the cake on Wed and let it soak for 2 night? Thanks!

    Helen

    • Hi Helen, Sure- the cake will keep nicely for up to 3 – 4 days in the fridge. Enjoy!

  • Dare I ask the calorie count and nutritional info for this lovely recipe?

    • — Susan Cicchetti
    • Reply
    • It’s actually not as bad as you might think :). I just added all the nutritional for it to the recipe.

  • Calorie count?

    Thanks!

    • Hi Christy, I just added all the nutritional information to the recipe. (Each 2 inch square is 234 calories.) Enjoy!

  • Hands down the BEST Tres Leches cake ever! Have made it many times and it is always perfect. I follow the recipe exactly and have received more compliments than I can count. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  • Let me start by saying I am born and raised Mexican from Mexico City where we eat Tres Leches cake and it is found pretty much every where you go. . . I have made this recipe twice and it is amazingly delicious! It was my dad’s favorite cake and I wanted to try to make it to remember him as he passed away two years ago. I will be making this cake every year and my family and friends are thankful for it.

    For those like me who might be having a hard time finding Dulce de Leche already canned, here is what I had to do since I live in Japan and cannot find it.

    I put a can of condense milk in a pressure cooker, once it has started to release steam, continue to cook for 45 minutes, let cool down on its own and take out the can carefully to continue to cool down, and that is all it is to it, there is your homemade dulce de leche.

    Do not let anything get on the way to make this fabulous recipe.

    Thank you Jenn

    • — Sara MacMillan
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn – greetings from Sydney !
    I made this once and it turned out fab ! Just wondering if you have tried making 2 of these cakes and layering them? Am wondering if the top layer might be too heavy and squish the bottom layer? Thanks so much
    P

    • Hi Paul, Glad you enjoyed it. I like that idea but not sure how you would remove the cakes from the pan to stack them. I think they would fall apart. Sorry!

  • Made this for a friend who loves Tres Leches and it was a huge hit!!

  • Ack, I’m about to make the tres leches part, but there’s no rum in the house. I know you’ve said we can leave out the rum, but I do have tequila, triple sec, kahlua, grenadine – would any of those work as substitutes or am I better off leaving out the alcohol?

    • Hi Jenny, I think Kahlua would be wonderful 🙂

  • I made the tres Leches Cake for the first time last week. Couldn’t find the Nestles brand ( I am in Canada) but used Eagle Brand. Everything was fine until I put the caramel glaze on top. refrigerated for 5 hours, and when I removed from fridge, much of the glaze had seeped into the cake, with little left on top!

    • Hi Cathy, That is very odd. I wish I could offer an explanation but I’m not sure why that happened. I’ve never used the Eagle brand — perhaps it isn’t as thick?

      • I had the same problem, The cake turned out perfect but then the dulce leeched straight through the whole cake. I used homemade dulce, which may be thinner than store-bought. I’m going to try again without adding water to the dulce and letting it chill cooler than room temp before topping it on. At least it tasted great!

  • Does the rum dissipate? My partner is a recovering alcoholic so I must be careful. Thanks!

    • Hi Dawn, It doesn’t since it’s not cooked — it is perfectly fine to just leave it out. The cake will still be wonderful 🙂

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really enjoyed the way you made these recepies so easy to follow. Great taste of finished product.

  • Good easy simple to learn thank you

  • I have never left a comment for any recipe ever, but I had to thank you for this one. I made this for my daughter’s birthday. She wanted a dulce de leche cake and I didn’t have the first clue how to go about it. I made it exactly as per your instructions. No changes. The result was exactly what you said it would be. Really light but moist, flavorful and rum tinged. Just perfect. My daughter, the foodie, said it was absolutely the best cake ever!

    Thank you Jenn for testing and re-testing so that we don’t have to do the work. You now have my trust, I will be trying more of your recipes.

    One question though, there is a lot of cake, can it be frozen? If so what do you recommend? Should I slice it first and freeze individually?

    • So glad you enjoyed the cake! To be honest, I probably wouldn’t freeze the cake after it has been soaked. (Next time, you could freeze some of the cake before soaking it though.) That said, it will keep well in the fridge for several days.

  • My cake turned out awesome! I made it yesterday and topped it this morning. I had a piece for breakfast – I mean, I HAD to test it before the cookout later – and it was just fantastic. I did the entire cake using my electric hand mixer. I used unbleached all-purpose flour, my eggs were room temperature, and I timed the mixing of the dry and wet ingredients on my phone to exactly 1 minute on medium speed. I carefully folded the egg whites into the batter and was so cautious I probably under combined the two. The cake rose beautifully and after letting it rest for 2 minutes, I carefully turned it over. It did not fall out of the pan. I’m wondering if the people who had trouble may have accidentally greased the pan?

  • This was absolutely delicious!

  • Hi! Is it possible to whisk the eggs with a paddle/spatula by hand as I don’t have this attachment (I only have an electric hand whisk)? And also I live in the UK – do you know whether I should use plain flour or self raising flour? Thank you!

    • — Emily Browning
    • Reply
    • Hi Emily, I would go ahead and use your electric hand whisk, and definitely use plain flour. Hope you enjoy!

    • Self rising flour already had baking powder in it. So if you use self rising flour omit the baking powder.

  • Do you have a version of this for cupcakes? Would it be crazy to try this recipe in a cupcake pan? Thanks!

    • Hi Tammy, Unfortunately, I don’t have a cupcake version — and this recipe won’t work for cupcakes. Sorry!!

  • I love how clear your instructions are! Makes it so easy to get it right the first time… Loved this cake!

  • THIS CAKE IS JUST SO TASTY AND A DREAM COME TRUE FOR THE PALATE!!! I made it for the first time at a dinner I was organizing for some friends and they just ADORED it! So thank you Jenn for your incomparable talent and thanks to Argentina for this wonderful idea of “dulce de leche”! FELICIDADES! 6 stars!

  • Thank you!!! Tres leches is my favorite cake, but all of the recipes I had found seemed so complicated. Yours seemed simple enough, so I did it and wow!!! Amazing!!! I will no longer be paying $7 for a small square of tres leches as I will be making my own! Thank you very much!

  • I don’t have a paddle attachment for my mixer. Is it OK to mix using another attachment or manually with a spatula?

    • Hi Christina, Unfortunately, you need the paddle or beaters. This is a finicky recipe; for what it’s worth, you can order replacement attachments easily online.

  • Heyy!i really want to try this recipe but i cant use rum.please please is there a non-alcoholic substitute.would appreciate it a lot!:D

    • Hi Sam, It’s no problem at all to just omit the rum — it will still be delicious.

  • This recipe was amazing! I followed the directions exactly and I love how clear instructions are. I was looking for a dulce de leche cake but when I found one with 3 milks, I was impressed. Thank you for such a wonderful dessert my family loves

  • This is the best Tres Leches cake I’ve ever tasted. I made it for a dinner party and got rave reviews. The next day my husband and I finished it off…The dulce de leche is such a perfect addition (especially with the rum!)

  • And another question: I have a fan-assisted oven, so is the heating time temperature going to be the same? If not, what formula should I apply?

    • Hi Koko, It should be about the same.

  • Love the recipe! Since dulce de leche is not available in my country.. And I don’t like the sound of cream frosting, so.. Would chocolate frosting go with this recipe?

    • Koko, Chocolate frosting will be fine, as long as it’s light – you don’t want anything too heavy for this cake.

  • You can make your own dulce de leche very easily. Fully submerge one can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (label revmoved) in a pot of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at low boil for about 90 minutes. Make sure you have enough water in the pot so it will not boil down to nothing and milk will remain underwater the whole time. Carefully remove the can from the water and let cool for about 5 minutes. Open and enjoy! This works, I’ve tried it!! Much easier than standing over a hot stove and making sure the milks don’t scorch. This should be refrigerated and will last 7-10 days in the fridge. YUM!

  • Looks delish! But shouldn’t the 8 hours of overnight chilling be added to the total time? Otherwise misleading at first look.

  • I must say, this is an amazing cake. I have celiac disease and cannot eat wheat, so the only changes I made were using my go-to brown rice flour mix instead of the cake flour (cup for cup) and adding a third of a teaspoon of xanthan gum. The entire cake had a delightful texture and the rum gave a nice touch to the finished product. Like some of your other readers noted, I was also unable to find dulce de leche at the store due to living in the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming. I used my favorite and easy recipe by David Lebovitz. After making this for the first time last week I am already craving this cake again so another one it’s currently in the oven. Keep up the great work!

  • This recipe is a bit different than the one I’ve used previously but I followed it to the letter and it was a big hit!

  • hi! I was wondering if I could make this without the rum? thank you!

    • Hi Hannah, Yes it’s fine to leave it out.

  • I have been searching for the perfect tres leches recipe and now I’ve found it. The cake was like pudding and the glaze was over the top. Definitely a “keeper.” 🙂

  • This cake was easy to make and a huge hit at our Mexican-themed summer BBQ. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

  • I am not a usually baker, but was inspired to make the cake because it was an interesting alternative for a birthday. The cake was relatively easy to prepare and it exceeded my expectations! IMHO the rum added depth of flavor that was missing in the many other versions I have tried. I would not change a thing. I really appreciate your clear instructions and thoughful photos. Keep up the great work! Any chance you have a flan recipe up your sleeve for Cinco De Mayo?

  • You had me at the glaze. What a wonderful version of tres leches!

  • We live in Austin and everyone loves Tres Leches. I gave this recipe a try, and the cake was spot-on, however the soaking liquid was very sweet compared to those authentic versions I have sampled around Texas. I did omit the rum glaze because I knew my kids would not like the taste and just made a “frosting” from a pint of heavy cream (whipped) and a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. So that could have changed the taste of all of the components. Overall this is a recipe worth sharing.

    • Hi Amy, This is definitely a sweet cake, but you could cut back on the sweetness a bit by adding more heavy cream to the soaking liquid (use a cup total). If you try that, you won’t use all the soaking liquid, but it won’t be quite as sweet. You could also use less powdered sugar in the topping.

  • Can you substitute something else for the rum

    • Hi JoAnn, You can leave it out of the soaking liquid, and just substitute water in the glaze.

  • I tried this cake this week and it was very delicious. I decided to make this for my grandchildren because it will make you just keep eating it and eating it which they would love.

  • Oh wow this looks good! Any idea how long it’ll keep & should I keep it in the fridge or air-tight container?

    • Hi Gill, It lasts for three or four days in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!

  • You can find it on the international section and sometimes it is named as “cajeta”

    • — Lilia Andersen
    • Reply
  • Oh my! Can’t wait for the weekend to try this recipe. I grew up in South America and even though didn’t grow up with tres leches cake, it totally reminds me of home because cakes there are often served right out of the pan like this. Plus the dulce de leche touch looks delicious!

  • I can’t find a can of dulce de leche as shown in the picture. What should I use as a substitute?

    Thanks for your wonderful recipes.

    Dorothy Kramer

    • — Dorothy Kramer
    • Reply
    • Hi Dorothy, You can top the cake with sweetened whipped cream instead — it’s the traditional topping.

  • You did it again, found a great recipe, that Im anxious to try. Usually when I make Dulce de Leche I put an unopened can of Sweetened Condensed Milk in a pot of boiling water (make sure the can is covered in water) and boil the can for 45minutes to one hour.
    Remove the can, but do not open it until cool, or the content being under pressure could shoot up into your face and cause a nasty burn. Just make sure it is cool before opening, and you have perfect dulce de leche.
    As a tres Leches fan, I look forward to trying your recipe.

  • I have a go to tres leches recipe too which is less involved in that you don’t separate the eggs, however, I may try adding the rum to the milk mixture next time and try this frosting instead of the whipped cream I usually make. Thank you for this new twist. My recipe is actually a Martha Stewart one. I have even frozen it for about a month , with whipped topping on it and it is just as good after defrosting.

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