Tres Leches Cake with Fruit
The ultimate Mexican dessert! An ultra-light cake soaked in a sweet creamy mixture, and decorated with powdered sugar, sugar-coated fruit, whipped cream, and a pop of lemon zest.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 eggs, extra-large, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- sifted powdered sugar, for dusting
For the Toppings:
- 5 cups sliced strawberries
- 3 cups same size pieces of fresh mango
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Lime zest
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt, then set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, until the mixture turns light yellow and fluffy.
- Lower the mixer speed to slow and gradually add half of the dry ingredients, followed by the whole milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Finish mixing by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan, smooth the top, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cake is done when the center springs back lightly to the touch and a tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, almond extract, and vanilla bean seeds.
- Use a bamboo or grilling skewer to poke holes all over the cooled cake.
- Slowly pour the cream mixture over the cake, waiting for each addition to be fully absorbed before adding more.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Toss the sliced strawberries and mango pieces with 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- In a chilled bowl, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.
- Dust the chilled cake with confectioners’ sugar, then cut it into 12 squares and transfer each square to a dessert plate.
- Arrange the sugared strawberries and mango around each serving, top with a dollop of the sweetened whipped cream, and finish with a tiny sprinkle of fresh lime zest.
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Store leftover tres leches cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days due to the creamy tres leches filling.
- Freeze and make-ahead: Wrap the tres leches cake, or individual slices, tightly in plastic wrap or foil without the toppings and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving again with fresh toppings.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving: If you dust too far in advance, the sugar will absorb moisture and dissolve into the surface of the cake. A last-minute dusting maintains a bakery-style appearance.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 303mg, Potassium: 272mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 1474IU, Vitamin C: 51mg, Calcium: 118mg, Iron: 1mg