Three Milk Cake: A classic step-by-step recipe with photos.

Three Milk Cake (Tres leches) Three Milks is one of the most famous Latin American desserts, a delicate sponge cake generously soaked in three types of milk: regular (whole), sweet condensed milk, and rich concentrated milk. Today, we'll tell you how to make a delicious Three Milks cake at home, and offer a classic Latin American recipe with photos and a step-by-step breakdown of each preparation step.

Nutritional value per serving

259.7 kcal

Proteins: 6.7 g
Fats: 8.6 g
Carbohydrates: 39.0 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 3 hours
Time in the kitchen: 1 hour
Complexity:

It's easy and straightforward to prepare, but it does require some experience. Not everyone can do it right the first time.
Number of servings: 10

Unfortunately, the story of how this dessert was created has not been preserved, but it is known that this cake was made in Mexico and Nicaragua as early as the 19th century. The recipe's incredible popularity among Latin American cooks in the second half of the 20th century can be attributed to the fact that it was featured on the label of cans of condensed milk produced by Nestlé.

The "Three Milk" cake is also popular in Turkey under the name "Trileçe." You can find this dessert in Moscow restaurants, but not often.

Interesting fact! There are also cakes that are soaked using four types of milk (the standard three plus baked milk) or even five (plus coconut). These are called Quattro leches and Cinko leches, respectively.

If you enjoy moist, sponge-like baked goods with a rich, milky flavor, we definitely recommend learning how to make this cake.

We'll be baking a version called "Tres leches," but you can easily modernize the classic recipe by adding a little melted butter and coconut milk to the soak. The cake is very easy and simple to make (we don't even need a professional stand mixer; a classic household one will do). If you've ever baked before, classic sponge cake, then you can easily prepare “3 milks” at home.

Our cake will be rectangular, so we'll use a 25x35 cm pan. You can bake it in a different pan if you prefer. It's okay if the sponge cake turns out a little thinner than in the photo.

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake

"3 Milks" Cake – A Simple Step-by-Step Recipe to Make at Home

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients for the cake layers:

Flour

150 G
Egg C1

5 pcs
Sugar

200 G
Milk

80 G
Baking powder

1.5 tsp
Vanilla extract

1 tsp
Salt

1 pinch

Ingredients for impregnation:

Condensed milk

300 G
Milk

60 ml
Concentrated milk 7.1%

247 G

Ingredients for the cream:

Cream 33%

400 G
Sugar (or powdered sugar)

2 tbsp

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1 – prepare a classic sponge cake.

Separate the whites and yolks of 5 eggs into different containers.

It is important that not a drop of yolk gets into the bowl with the whites, otherwise you will not be able to achieve a thick and fluffy foam when whipping.

Step 2

Add 3/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt to the yolks.

Step 3

Beat the yolks with a mixer at medium speed until they increase in volume and become lighter in color.

Step 4

Add 80 ml of room temperature milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the beaten yolks and mix until smooth.

Vanilla extract can be replaced with a packet of vanilla sugar (8-10 grams).

Step 5

Mix 150 grams of flour + 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

It is better to add flour in 2 stages, thoroughly mixing the dough with a spatula until smooth after adding each portion of flour.

Step 6

At this stage, you should have a soft, glossy dough, as shown in the photo.

Step 7

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 6

Beat the egg whites without sugar with a mixer until a white foam forms.

Start whisking at the slowest speed, gradually increasing the speed.

Step 8

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 7

Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Step 9

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 8

Add the whipped egg whites to the yolk-based dough in 3 stages, thoroughly mixing the mixture with a spatula each time until smooth.

Step 10

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 9

Grease the bottom of the pan with butter and place the dough in it, carefully smoothing it into the corners with a silicone spatula.

It is advisable to use a pan with a bottom, since later we will pour the liquid impregnation directly into it for the baked goods.

Step 11

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 10

Cooking time for a biscuit in a classic oven using the "top + bottom" mode (without convection) 30-35 minutes at temperature 170℃.

Remove the finished biscuit from the oven and let it stand in the pan for about 30 minutes.

Step 12

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 11

Stage 2 – soaking the biscuit.

The impregnation process is as simple as possible: mix 250 grams of concentrated milk with 7.1% fat content with 60 ml of regular milk and a can of condensed milk (300 grams).

If desired, you can add a little coconut milk and/or ghee to the mixture at this stage. Keep in mind that these dairy ingredients have their own distinct flavor, and the cake will have a different note.

Step 13

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 12

Prick the pie well with a fork so that the impregnation is absorbed evenly.

Step 14

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 13

Pour the milk mixture over the sponge cake. Cover the pan with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight, if possible).

Step 15

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 14

Step 3 – prepare the cream.

We'll decorate our dessert with a delicate buttercream. To make it, combine 400 grams of heavy cream (33-35% fat) in a mixing bowl (it's best to refrigerate the cream for 8-12 hours before whipping) and 2 tablespoons of sugar (or powdered sugar).

Step 16

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 15

Beat with a mixer until the cream reaches a thick but soft consistency.

Step 17

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 16

Step 4 – finishing the cake preparation.

Place a layer of butter cream on the biscuit soaked in the milk mixture.

Step 18

Step-by-step recipe for the "Three Milks" cake - step 17

Fresh or frozen berries and mint leaves make ideal garnishes for this dessert. The tartness of strawberry or raspberry will beautifully complement the rich, sweet flavor of the moist sponge cake.

If you don't like fruity notes in your cakes, simply sprinkle the cream with cocoa, grated chocolate, or flaked almonds.

Many people decorate this cake. cream based on condensed milk, white chocolate and butter, which, unlike soft whipped cream, can be beautifully piped onto a sponge cake, creating a festive design like the one in the photo.