Quick & Dreamy Ina Garten Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Ina Garten’s tres leches cake unleashes a symphony of creamy decadence that dances across your taste buds.

This Latin American marvel transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dessert experience.

Silky milk-drenched layers create a cloud-like texture that dissolves effortlessly on the tongue.

Soft sponge cake eagerly absorbs multiple milk varieties, crafting a spectacularly moist crumb that whispers pure indulgence.

Delicate sweetness intertwines with rich dairy notes, creating a harmonious blend that celebrates culinary tradition.

Pillowy whipped cream crowns this sensational treat, adding a luxurious finishing touch that elevates every single bite.

Check out this luscious confection and let your senses embark on a delectable journey of pure bliss.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Calories: 540 kcal

Servings: 11

Ingredients for Ina’s Tres Leches Cake Recipe

• All-Purpose Flour: Choose unbleached flour for a richer, more natural flavor and better texture.
• Baking Powder: Look for fresh, unexpired powder to ensure proper rising and lightness.
• Kosher Salt: Select coarse salt for better flavor distribution and controlled seasoning.

• Extra-Large Eggs: Pick farm-fresh eggs at room temperature for smoother mixing and fuller volume.
• Whole Milk: Select full-fat milk for a creamier, more luxurious cake consistency.
• Heavy Cream, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk: Choose high-quality, full-fat brands for maximum richness.
• Almond Extract: Opt for pure extract to enhance depth of flavor.
• Vanilla Bean: Select plump, moist beans with visible seeds for intense aromatic notes.

• Granulated Sugar, Confectioners' Sugar: Pick fine-grain sugars for smoother incorporation.
• Creme Fraiche: Choose organic, locally produced for superior tangy flavor.
• Mixed Raspberries, Strawberries: Select ripe, vibrant fruits at peak seasonal freshness.

Tools You’ll Need for Ina Garten’s Milk Cake

• 9×13-inch baking dish: Perfect for creating a delicious sheet cake base.
• Electric mixer: Helps whip eggs and cream to light, fluffy perfection.
• Mixing bowls: Essential for combining dry and wet ingredients seamlessly.
• Large measuring cup: Great for mixing milk soak ingredients precisely.
• Skewer or toothpick: Helps create holes for milk absorption.
• Whisk: Blends dry ingredients smoothly and evenly.
• Refrigerator: Chills cake and keeps whipped cream cold and fresh.
• Sharp knife: Cuts cake into neat, even squares.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Ensures accurate ingredient quantities.
• Sifter or fine strainer: Dusts cake with confectioners' sugar elegantly.

Instructions to Prepare Tres Leches Cake

Transform Your Kitchen into a Dreamy Dessert Haven

Create a mouthwatering tres leches cake that’ll make everyone’s taste buds dance with joy!

• Craft the Cake Base

Whip up a fluffy cake foundation by beating eggs until they’re light and airy. Gently fold in flour and create a silky smooth batter that promises pure deliciousness. Pour into a prepared baking dish and bake until golden and springy.

• Soak with Liquid Magic

After the cake cools slightly, transform it into a creamy masterpiece. Puncture the surface with a skewer, creating pathways for a luxurious milk mixture. Slowly drench the cake with a dreamy blend of cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Let the cake absorb all those incredible flavors by chilling in the refrigerator for several hours.

• Crown with Heavenly Topping

Whip up a cloud-like cream topping that’s light as air. Beat cold heavy cream with a touch of sugar until soft peaks form. Just before serving, generously spread this fluffy goodness across the cake. Sprinkle with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar and scatter fresh, vibrant berries for a stunning finish.

• Serve and Celebrate

Slice into this decadent treat and watch as your guests swoon. Each bite promises a perfect balance of moist cake, creamy milk-soaked layers, and billowy whipped cream. This isn’t just a dessert – it’s a celebration of pure culinary magic!

Tips for Soaking and Flavor in Ina’s Tres Leches

Explore flavor twists and baking secrets for a showstopping dessert.

Replace almond extract with orange or coconut extract for a unique tropical or citrusy profile that transforms the traditional recipe’s taste.

Fold fresh blueberries or chopped strawberries into cake batter before baking to create unexpected bursts of fruity freshness throughout each slice.

Prepare cake and milk soak up to 2 days in advance, storing covered in refrigerator to intensify flavors and simplify party preparation.

For extra moisture, poke more holes in cake surface before pouring milk mixture, ensuring deeper penetration and richer, more decadent texture.

Presentation and Serving Tips from Ina’s Kitchen

• Chill and Savor: Refrigerate the cake for 6-8 hours to let the milk mixture deeply penetrate, creating a lusciously moist texture that melts in your mouth.
• Elegant Fruit Accent: Sprinkle lightly sugared mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries on top for a burst of fresh, vibrant color and tangy sweetness.
• Dust with Delicacy: Softly sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the cake squares, creating a delicate, snow-like finish that adds a touch of elegant simplicity.
• Creamy Cloud Topping: Crown each slice with a generous dollop of homemade whipped cream, providing a light, airy contrast to the rich, milk-soaked cake base.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips for Milk Cake

• Meal Planning & Storage Advice
• Advance Prep Power: Whip up this tres leches cake 1-2 days before your event for deeper flavor infusion and stress-free hosting.
• Refrigeration Strategy: Store cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, keeping the whipped cream topping separate until serving to maintain optimal texture.
• Smart Portioning: Cut cake into individual squares and store in airtight containers with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
• Freezing Finesse: Freeze the cake base without milk soak or topping for up to 3 weeks, wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to preserve moisture and quality.

Dreamy Ina Garten Tres Leches Cake Recipe

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4.8 from 37 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 11 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s tres leches cake delivers an indulgent Mexican dessert with creamy layers of sponge soaked in three milks. Delicate cake combines sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream for a rich, luxurious experience you’ll savor to the last bite.

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Ingredients

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• 3 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) plus 5 tbsps granulated sugar
• 2 tbsps granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
• 1 (12 oz/340 g) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 oz/397 g) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp pure almond extract
• ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsps creme fraiche
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 8 cups mixed fresh raspberries and sliced strawberries
• Sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting

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Instructions

1. Cake Preparation: Heat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Dry Ingredients Blend: Sift flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into a uniform mixture, ensuring no lumps remain.
3. Egg Mixture Development: Whip eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract at high speed until the blend transforms into a pale, voluminous mixture with ribbon-like consistency, approximately 10 minutes.
4. Batter Composition: Carefully fold flour mixture into egg blend, alternating with whole milk to maintain a light, aerated texture. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish.
5. Baking Process: Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick emerges clean from the center, indicating perfect doneness.
6. Milk Infusion Preparation: Whisk heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, almond extract, and vanilla bean seeds into a silky, homogeneous liquid.
7. Cake Saturation: After cooling for 10-15 minutes, perforate cake surface with skewer. Gradually pour milk mixture, allowing complete absorption into every crevice.
8. Chilling and Absorption: Refrigerate cake for minimum 6 hours, covered with plastic wrap, enabling thorough milk integration.
9. Whipped Cream Finale: Whip chilled heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, creme fraiche, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
10. Serving Presentation: Slice chilled cake, dust with confectioners’ sugar, crown with whipped cream, and garnish with macerated fresh raspberries and strawberries.

Notes

• Precision Timing: Whip eggs and sugar for exactly 10 minutes to achieve the perfect light, airy texture that’s crucial for a delicate sponge cake.
• Milk Absorption Technique: Puncture numerous holes in the warm cake to ensure maximum milk mixture penetration, creating the signature ultra-moist tres leches texture.
• Chilling is Critical: Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, allowing the milk mixture to fully soak and develop deep, rich flavors.
• Whipping Cream Pro Tip: Chill your mixing bowl and whisk before whipping cream to achieve maximum volume and stable, billowy peaks for the perfect topping.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 11
• Calories: 540
• Sugar: 45 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 21 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 49 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 140 mg