Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
A stunning tres leches cake with a rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze.
Popular in Latin America, tres leches cake or pastel de tres leches is a light and fluffy cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream (leche means milk in Spanish). It’s a homey cake served right from the baking pan and it has a consistency similar to bread pudding or custard.
In this version, rum is added to the soaking liquid and, instead of the traditional whipped cream topping, a simple rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze covers the cake (which, I guess, technically makes it a quatro leches cake). My husband calls it “heaven on earth.”
What You’ll Need to Make Tres Leches Cake
Before we get to the recipe, can I just tell you how many tres leches cakes I baked before arriving at this version? Eight! Finally, I found a recipe by pastry chef Nick Malgieri that was a spot-on. The key to his recipe? Using a chiffon batter for the base and cooling the cake upside-down. I jazzed up the recipe by adding rum and dulce de leche.
How To Make Tres Leches Cake
Begin by combining the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, part of the sugar, and the baking powder.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture.
Using an electric mixer, beat for one minute to aerate. Set aside.
Next, combine the egg whites and salt in a clean, dry bowl and beat until foamy and soft peaks form (when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the bowl, the peaks will hold for a second and then melt back into themselves).
Add the remaining sugar in a steady stream and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. As you can see below, the mixture will be glossy, and when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the bowl, the peaks will point straight up with just a tiny droop at the top.
Add the a quarter of the egg whites to the batter and stir to combine — this lightens the mixture making it easier to fold in the remaining egg whites.
Fold in the remaining egg whites — this is just a gentle mixing method that helps the batter retain the volume of the beaten egg whites. It’s easy: use a large rubber spatula to cut down vertically through the two mixtures, then gently turn half the mixture over onto the other half. Continue cutting down the middle and turning a portion over. Don’t stir. The egg whites should be fully incorporated but only just so — try not to over mix.
Transfer the batter to an ungreased 9 x 13 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal). It’s very important not to grease the pan; a chiffon cake needs to grip the sides of the pan to rise. And the cake needs to stick to the pan since it cools upside-down.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is set and golden.
Let the cake settle for 1 to 2 minutes (you want it to deflate just a bit, so that the top of the cake is level with the rim of the baking dish). Invert 4 glasses onto the countertop and invert the cake pan onto them, positioning one in each corner of the pan. A chiffon cake needs to hang upside down to cool or it will collapse and fall.
Let the cake cool for about an hour, then flip it over and run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan. Poke it all over with a toothpick or skewer.
Make the tres leches soaking liquid by combining the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and rum.
Pour it slowly over the cake, allowing the cake to absorb the moisture as you go. Don’t rush this process or the liquid won’t be absorbed evenly.
It’s helpful to tilt the pan slightly back and forth to help it absorb.
Refrigerate the cake for at least eight hours or overnight to allow it to fully absorb the tres leches mixture. Then, prepare the topping by combining the dulce de leche, rum, and water in a bowl. Microwave it for about one minute so it’s easier to blend.
Spread the glaze over the chilled cake.
Make a pretty design by swirling the glaze with an offset spatula or butter knife.
Chill the cake until ready to serve.
More Cool, Creamy Dessert Recipes
Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze
A stunning tres leches cake with a rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 5 large egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Soaking Mixture
- 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
For the Glaze
- 1 (13-oz) can dulce de leche, preferably Nestle
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the middle position.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, ¾ cup of the sugar, and the baking powder; mix on low speed for 20 seconds to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat (start slow to combine then increase to medium for stand mixer/medium-high for hand mixer) for one minute to aerate it slightly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for just a few seconds more. Set aside.
- In a clean, dry mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Using the whisk attachment or beaters, whip the egg whites (on medium speed for a stand mixer/medium-high speed for a hand mixer) until they are white, foamy, and beginning to hold a very soft peak, 40 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed (medium-high for stand mixer/high for hand mixer) and gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a slow stream. Continue whipping the mixture until it is shiny and holds stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using a large rubber spatula, add ¼ of the egg white mixture into the batter and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining egg whites to the lightened batter and gently fold until the batter is uniform. Do not over-mix. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 9x13-in glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal) and smooth the top (note that it's very important NOT to grease the pan). Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is set and golden.
- Let the cake sit on the stovetop for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cake settles (you want it to deflate just slightly, so that the top of the cake is level with rim of the pan), then invert four glasses onto the countertop and invert the cake pan onto them, positioning one in each corner of the pan. (A chiffon cake needs to hang upside down to cool or it will collapse and fall.) Let cool for 1 hour.
- Once the cake has cooled, flip it over and run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or point of a small, sharp knife at ½-in intervals.
- Prepare the soaking liquid: in a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and rum. Slowly pour or spoon the soaking liquid over the cake, tilting the pan every so often to help it absorb evenly. Be patient: this process takes about 10 minutes. If the cake is slow to absorb, run a knife around the edges of the cake again and poke a few more holes. Don't worry if it looks like a mess; it all gets covered with the glaze anyway. Place the cake in the refrigerator, uncovered, to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Once the cake has chilled, make the glaze: in a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the dulce de leche, rum and water. (Note: If you want a really boozy cake, change the proportions in the glaze to 3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons rum). Heat for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave to soften the dulce de leche, then whisk until completely smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then spread over the cake, swirling artistically with an offset spatula or butter knife. Place the cake back in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with fresh fruit, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Calories: 234
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Sugar: 27 g
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 112 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Made this for a Cinco de Mayo dinner and it was amazing. I will have to say that when I got ready to put the topping on this morning I added the rum and was adding the water but thought it looked like too much. I only added about two tablespoons and still couldn’t swirl it after chilling it. I would only add maybe one tablespoon rum and one tablespoon water and microwave at most for fifteen seconds. It tasted wonderful so thanks for the recipe!
HI Jen,
I baked my cake for the amount of time, it looked beautiful. I let it cool for the 1-2 minutes, turned it over to cool, and the whole middle of the cake fell out. What did I do wrong?
Oh no, Denise! I’m so sorry you had trouble. What type of pan did you use? Was it greased?
I used a glass pan, not greased. I did test the cake with toothpick which came out clean. I read that sponge cakes can be a bit fussy.
As a side note, I love your recipes! The berry trifle is a big hit whenever I take it to a gathering.
Yes, they can be a bit fussy. Typically issues with cooling/falling are the result of making substitutions, the cake being underbaked (the wet batter makes the cake heavier and prone to falling), or the pan being greased. Hopefully you were able to salvage it; luckily, this cake gets soaked and covered with frosting, so no one will know!
This literally just happened to me, too! I think I’ll have to cover the entire thing with whipped cream to hide the mess.
Hi Jenn, Can you substitute butter for the oil?
I don’t recommend it, Jeana – sorry!
Hi! I would love to make this for an upcoming Cinco de Mayo Party. Are there any changes I need to make since I live at 7300 feet above sea level? Thanks!
Hi Karen, Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience baking at high altitudes so I don’t have any wisdom to share but you might find these tips from King Arthur helpful.
I made this cake using a hand blender, followed all the directions, except substituted dark rum with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons rum extract for the cake and 1/2 tablespoon for the topping. I inverted the cake with no problem … It came out perfect n delicious. One question, how long do I cool the cake before the soaking?
Hi MaryEllen, It should take about 1 hour; have updated the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Hi jenn, Why doesn’t the soaking mixture soak very well even if I added 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream?
Hi Fanny, Did you let it sit for a few minutes so it could absorb? If it’s slow to absorb into the cake, you can run a knife around the cakes’ edges again and poke a few more holes on top.
Hi Jenn,
I 1st made this without the rum & it was deeelish! The next time I included the rum although it was light rum & I do believe you have a WINNER here. The rum was exactly what it needed for that extra little kick of flavor!! I have some bourbon i thought about trying but not sure how the flavor may be. Will let you know if i do try it that way.
Thanks for all the recipes you share & willingness to share your knowledge when someone has a question.
Hi Jenn!
I have made Tres Leches multiple times but with boxed cake mix. This time, I wanted to try it from scratch. I have a Classic Mixer 4.5q. When I added the eggs, vanilla, water, and oil to the dry mixture, it did not liquify! It was more doughy than a typical mix. Can you please tell me where I went wrong? All my measurements were correct. I finished baking the cake but it was just a mess and it was very thin and spongy and I doubt that’s how its supposed to be!
Will try again this morning. Thank you!
Hi Nels, I’m sorry to hear you had such a problem with this! Although you said you measured carefully, I’m wondering if you inadvertently made a measuring mistake somewhere along the way. (Some people have had a challenge with cooling the cake as it needs to be inverted, but I haven’t heard any complaints about the batter not liquifying.) You said you were going to try it again — How did it turn out?
Hi Jenn!
The second time around the cake was great! I had measured everything out, but you’re right – I might’ve made a small mistake somewhere. Either way, it came out great and tasted a lot like the Dominican version of tres leches (my favorite!). Will definitely make a chiffon cake in the future 🙂
Hi, Jenn,
I haven’t tasted the cake yet, but it looked and smelled perfect–until I added my glaze! I wanted to share my experience in case anyone else out there was thinking of subbing out the rum.
I made my own dulce de leche with the stovetop method and a can of sweetened condensed milk, and used water as was recommended as a substitute for the rum (since the birthday girl doesn’t like rum), but didn’t realize how thinned out the dulce de leche would end up. I used the same amount of water as was called for rum (1/4 c. + 1 T.), but definitely should have used less. I idiotically poured on the dulce de leche “glaze” anyway, thinking it would magically thicken…somehow…but, uh, no. Now my mom’s birthday cake is sitting in a pool of beige-y sauce. I’m betting this will be too sweet (and mushy). It might have been that my dulce de leche was already too thin? Now trying to figure out how to rebrand this cake (quattro de leche?) and cover up the rather unattractive top…
I would definitely try this again, but with much less water for the glaze.
Hi jenn
I sorry for a lot of questions.
If i make 2 9×2 inches is going to be tha same process.I thinking how to put together 2 layers?
Hi Fanny, I wouldn’t recommend making this into a layer cake – with the soaking liquid it has, I think you’ll have a big mess on your hands – sorry!
Jenn, First thank for share your recipes they are the best I made tres leches cake it was delicious. I want to make another one but I only have fine cake flour can I use this? Thanks
Glad you like this cake, Fanny! Yes, cake flour will work here.