While the name sounds fancy, it’s a simple poke cake, like our favorite Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch!
I am a big fan of desserts, especially desserts like these three ingredient peanut butter cookies, or peanut butter frosting. I am typically a cookie lover, but sometimes I want cake, and this easy tres leches cake is a total favorite. It is so delicious. And I have a secret that makes this tres leches cake recipe easy too!
Does Tres Leches Cake Have Alcohol?
Typically, no, but you could easily add some rum to the milk syrup if you want some alcohol in it. The rum goes well with the cinnamon and the milks really well. Just remember, you do not bake the milk syrup. So the alcohol will not be baked off. Honestly, you can add all kinds of variations to this tres leches cake. I add a little cinnamon to the batter because I love the richness and depth it gives the cake. And I top with fresh strawberries (but this is not necessary).
How to Make Tres Leches Cake
This cake is made with three layers: Cake, filling and topping. I like keeping things eazy peazy (hahaha) and so to make this cake I start this tres leches cake with cake mix. I used a butter yellow cake mix. However, the awesome thing about this recipe is you can use any light-colored cake mix you have. White cake mix, yellow cake mix, and butter cake mix all work well. Of course, you can make the cake from scratch as well. And if you happen to be missing something, check out these baking substitutes. The filling is made with 3 kinds of milk:
Evaporated milk Sweetened condensed milk Heavy cream
If you do not want your cake too sweet, then cut down on the sweetened condensed milk and replace it with equal parts of heavy cream. The topping is a whipped cream topping. It is a homemade whipped cream that uses heavy whipping cream, a little powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Strawberry tres leches cake is amazing. The strawberries are a really fun addition. This is a very sweet cake, so adding the berries adds just a little tartness that can cut through the sweet.
More Delicious Poke Cakes You’ll Love:
Divorce Cake, also known as Caramel Chocolate Poke Cake – hubby’s fave! Chocolate Caramel Cake – perfect combo of chocolate and caramel Red White and Blue Poke Cake – festive! Creamsicle Orange Poke Cake – be reminded of your favorite summer treat! Coconut Caramel Poke Cake
While the actual person who first created the tres leches is unknown, it does have Latin American roots. It was created many years ago and has evolved through the years into a standard celebration cake in certain regions of Mexico and even Nicaragua. Whoever created it, let’s all take a moment to thank them for this sweet, delicious cake!
If you do not want to add fresh berries to the top of your tres leches cake, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon to add some color and make it look great.
How Long is Tres Leches Cake Good For in the fridge?
Once a tres leches cake is covered with the sweet milk syrup, and topped with the whipped cream topping, it will last 4-5 days with refrigeration but is best consumed within the first 48 hours. The cake soaks up the liquid you dump over it, but it can get “soggy” if it sits too long. It is a nice moist, delicious cake, much like this banana pudding cake. But it can’t sit as long as other cakes without going bad. © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
