Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze
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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
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- 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.
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Hi! I made this cake for hubby’s birthday. Was very delicious. I feel like the liquid absorbed very quickly and was more concentrated on the edges. The middle pieces were moist but not as moist as the outer. Not sure what I did wrong. Any ideas ?
Hi Farah, Next time, slow down a little with the soaking liquid; if you spoon it very gradually over the cake, you can make sure it distributes more evenly. Hope that helps!
Absolutely delicious. I modified the recipe by using 0.75 cups of sugar instead on one cup.
Can we leave out the rum in the glaze and the soaking mixture? Should we replace it with anything else (non alcoholic)? Thanks
Hi Tammy, It’s no problem at all to just omit the rum — it will still be delicious.
I’m confused about inverting the cake to let it cool. What stops the cake from falling onto the counter? Do you use a lid to stop it?
Hi Sean, I know that sounds really unconventional, but a chiffon cake needs to be inverted to cool or it will collapse. To ensure that it doesn’t fall out while inverted, make sure the cake is fully baked (it has a tendency to fall out if it’s underbaked), that you avoid a metal pan (use glass or ceramic) and do NOT grease the pan. Hope that helps and that you enjoy if you make it!
Awesome, thanks so much! Thoughts on adding a whipped cream topping above the dulce de leche layer? Would that work?
Hi Sean, I’d probably suggest doing one or the other. 🙂
I added a cinnamon whipped cream and it was delicious with the dulce de lèche, so you can definitely do both
Hello! I couldn’t find dulce de Leche so I found a recipe to make it. I gave it a go and while it’s delicious.. but not as dark in color, it’s rather light actually. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to taste like so- do you think I should try again? Also, would it be a deal breaker if I use half & half or should I go back to the store! Thanks so much!
Dani
Hi Dani, you could certainly try the Dulce de Leche recipe again or for the most predictable results, you could order it online. And I do think you could get away with half-and-half in place of the cream. Hope that helps!
This cake was a bit challenging for me. My mistakes though, I did get the de Leche right but then the first cake fell & I was in a rush for bedtime for my toddlers so I didn’t read the directions fully and I did rush the liquid process and now it’s sitting in the fridge this morning with a very slight pool on the top of the cake. Not sure at this point if I should pour off the liquid before I attempt to salvage it? I don’t want to try again!
Hi Dani, It’s not unusual for the liquid to pool a little — you can just pour it off. I hope (after all your trials and tribulations!) that you enjoy. 🙂
Hi Jenn! I have some friends that eat gluten free. Can this recipe be modified for that or should I look for a different dessert?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Amy, I’d look for a different dessert – sorry!
I made this for my husbands work function and it was a hit. My Latino friends said this was perfect. And one of our friends recently visited Spain and said she was the tres leche expert. This recipe received 5 starts from her as well. Thanks again Jen for making me look like the “genius chef”! 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
Do you happen to know what is “heavy cream” called in Canada? We have “half and half” (which is typically used as coffee cream) or “whipping cream”.
Thank you,
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, It looks like it’s called whipping cream in Canada. 🙂
I made the cake the first time and it came out perfect. I made it again today and the cake did not rise to fill the pan. It was only halfway. What did I do wrong? Also, the egg white mixture does not look white and fluffy like your picture. When I add the sugar, it stays the same color. Why?
Hi Angelica, sorry you had a problem with the cake this time! You mentioned that your egg white mixture doesn’t look white and fluffy like mine. That definitely can cause issues as that mixture adds lightness to the cake and helps it to rise. And did you by any chance grease the baking dish? (If you do, it keeps this kind of cake from rising fully.) Last, did you make any adjustments to the recipe this time around?
Fit for a king! This is a very special cake. Decadent and delicious. So glad I used the dulce de leche glaze instead of whipped cream although whipped cream is excellent on the side.
Hi!! Can i use brandy instead of rum???
Sure, Colomba — hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I was searching for a moist banana cake when I came across your wonderful website and sticky toffee banana cake. I have now made that about 5 times to rave reviews. Just off the back of that, I have ordered your cookbook which should arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed. I am currently looking to make this delicious looking tres leche cake but as it’s just me and hubby and it looks like a lot, could I halve the recipe and use a 21 x 21cm pyrex glass dish? If yes, any suggestions how I can adjust baking time? I live in the UK hence the measurement in cm. Many Thanks.
P.S: I often find myself just reading your recipes like a novel, at this stage, hubby may have to pry the cookbook from my hands when it arrives.
Hi Nenny, so glad you enjoyed the sticky toffee banana cake enough to order the cookbook! I do think you could halve the tres leches cake and use a 21 and use a 21 x 21-cm dish. The cake may take a few minutes longer in the oven but keep a very close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks Jenn, I will give this a try this weekend. If I do decide that we should make absolute pigs of ourselves and use a 33 x 23 cm dish, if it fair to assume a porcelain one will work? The cookbook has arrived, happy days 😋
Should, Nenny, porcelain should work. Thanks so much for purchasing the cookbook! ❤️