Caramel Tres Leches Cake
What exactly is Tres Leches Cake? Well, Tres Leches Cake literally means 3 Milks Cake. Just knowing that, you can imagine how creamy, and moist this cake is.
The 3 milks in this cake are whole, condensed and butter milk. I wanted to take this authentic homemade Mexican dessert and kick it up a notch by adding caramel to the equation. You’ll find hints of caramel inside AND topping this moist and delicious cake.
Recipe Tips:
How do I store the left over cake?
- Store in your refrigerator, covered for up to 3-4 days.
Can I make this milk cake ahead of time?
- Yes, you can make my Caramel Tres Leches cake a day in advance. In fact, it’s best to let the cake soak up the milk mixture overnight in the fridge for the ultimate moist, creamy cake.
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Tools used for the Caramel Tres Leches Cake Recipe
- Baking Dish: These dishes are oven, microwave, fridge, freezer and dishwasher safe.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have passed clearly engraved marking, and you can quickly identify the cup scale according to the color of the handle.
- Stand Mixer: Mix ingredients for a variety of recipes from slowly stirring in chunky ingredients, like nuts or chocolate chips, at speed one to whipping egg whites or heavy cream.
How to make Caramel Tres Leches Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter, at room temperature
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- For the Three-Milk Mixture
- whole milk
- condensed milk
- buttermilk
- dulce de leche
- vanilla extract
- For the Topping
- heavy cream
- dulce de leche
- Star by Preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric or hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until very pale and creamy. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Scrap the bowl again and stir the batter to ensure all of the ingredients are well mixed.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
- In a large mixing cup or medium bowl, whisk together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, dulce de leche, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Using a a knife or the back side of a mixing spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Very slowly, pour the milk mixture all over the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours, or overnight, ensuring that all of the milk mixture is absorbed.
- Place the cream in a large bowl along with 1 Tablespoon of dulce de leche and whip with hand or stand mixture until peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake, then drizzle lines of dulce de leche over the cake. Drag a butter knife or toothpick over likes to create decorative swirl topping.
Caramel Tres Leches Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 TSP baking powder
- 3/4 TSP salt
- 12 TBSP unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- 5 eggs
- For the Three-Milk Mixture
- 2 C whole milk
- 1 C sweetened condensed milk
- 1 C buttermilk
- 1/3 C dulce de leche
- 1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- For the Topping
- 2 C heavy cream
- 1/3 C dulce de leche Plus 1 TB divided
Instructions
- Star by Preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric or hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until very pale and creamy. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Scrap the bowl again and stir the batter to ensure all of the ingredients are well mixed.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
- In a large mixing cup or medium bowl, whisk together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, dulce de leche, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Using a a knife or the back side of a mixing spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Very slowly, pour the milk mixture all over the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours, or overnight, ensuring that all of the milk mixture is absorbed.
- Place the cream in a large bowl along with 1 Tablespoon of dulce de leche and whip with hand or stand mixture until peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake, then drizzle lines of dulce de leche over the cake. Drag a butter knife or toothpick over likes to create decorative swirl topping.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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