This Tres Leches Cake is a classic dessert made easier with a cake mix shortcut! This cake is rich and creamy, yet incredibly light, and topped with the fluffiest whipped topping.
What is tres leches?
Tres leches is a vanilla cake that’s been soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. It’s then topped with a whipped topping, dusted with cinnamon, and served with optional strawberries.
Why you’ll love this
- Easy. Thanks to a base of my How to Make Box Cake Better, this cake comes together in a flash.
- Delicious. A rich, yet light and fluffy cake is soaked in a creamy, sweet milk mixture, and topped with a fluffy vanilla whipped topping… it’s like the cake of my dreams.
- Impressive and Festive. Nobody is ever going to know that this is made with a box of cake mix and it’s absolutely perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo!
Ingredients
- Cake – you’ll need to whip up one batch of my How to Make Box Cake Better using 1 (15.25 oz) package vanilla cake mix and 1 (3.4 oz) box vanilla pudding mix.
- Milk Mixture: Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, and Whole Milk – this classic trio is what gives this cake the name “Tres Leches” which literally means “Three Milks”. Evaporated milk could be replaced with another milk such as coconut milk or almond milk, the sweetened condensed milk could be replaced with sweetened condensed coconut milk, and the whole milk could be replace with half-and-half or heavy cream, although, I recommend making the recipe as is for the best results, if possible.
- Whipped Topping: Pudding Mix, Powdered Sugar, Salt, Whole Milk, and Cool Whip – this is basically an amped up cool whip frosting and it’s absolutely perfect as a topping for this cake; even if you don’t like cool whip, it’s SO good. If you really don’t want to use cool whip, you could try a homemade cool whip, a store-bought cool whip sub such as truwhip or coconut cool whip, or completely ditch this whole topping recipe and make a simple, homemade whipped cream with cream, sugar, and vanilla instead.
- Garnishes: Cinnamon and Strawberries – I personally only use the strawberries for looks, but absolutely don’t skip the cinnamon, it adds such a beautiful warm, subtly spicy flavor to balance out the the rich, creaminess of the cake.
How to make
- Bake 1 batch How to Make Box Cake Better according to recipe directions in a 9×13 inch baking dish, cool completely, then poke all over with a fork.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the three milks, pour over the cooled cake, then place in the fridge to chill.
- Place vanilla pudding mix, powdered sugar, salt, and milk into a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat for 2 minutes, then gently fold in the cool whip.
- Spread over chilled cake then chill again in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
- Dust with cinnamon, serve with optional strawberries, and enjoy!
How to store
Covered leftovers will last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
If you want to freeze the cake, do so before poking, soaking, and frosting. If covered well, it will last in the freezer for 3-4 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight, then proceed with the recipe as written.
– Jennifer
Tres Leches Cake
This Tres Leches Cake is a classic dessert made easier with a cake mix shortcut! This cake is rich and creamy, yet incredibly light, and topped with the fluffiest whipped topping.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 pieces
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 recipe How to Make Box Cake Better using vanilla cake mix and vanilla pudding mix
Milk Mixture
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- ¼ cup whole milk
Whipped Topping
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (8 oz) tub cool whip thawed in the fridge according to package directions
Garnishes
- Ground cinnamon
- Sliced strawberries optional
Instructions
Cake
- Make and bake 1 recipe for How to Make Box Cake Better using vanilla cake mix and vanilla pudding mix.
- Cool completely, then use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Milk Mixture
- Place sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup whole milk into a bowl, whisk until smooth, then pour evenly over the cooled cake.
- Place in the fridge to soak for 1 hour.
Whipped Topping
- Place pudding mix, powdered sugar, salt, and 1 cup whole milk into a large bowl, then use a hand mixer to beat together for 2 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the thawed cool whip.
- Spread evenly over the chilled cake, then place back in the fridge for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
- Dust with cinnamon, slice, serve with optional strawberries, and enjoy!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:4 Days
Freezer:Not soaked/frosted 3-4 Months
Reheat:N/A
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Tres Leches Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 255 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 60mg20%
Sodium 323mg14%
Potassium 179mg5%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 0.02g0%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 106IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: box cake, box cake mix, cool whip frosting, milk cake, three milk cake, three milks, tres leches, vanilla cake
May
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy