Tres Leches Cake (Cake Mix)

Tres Leches Cake Recipe – delicious poke cake recipe – super moist cake soaked with three kinds of milk and topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream. Yellow cake mix, cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, half and half, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream. Top the cake with cherries or fresh berries. This is my most requested cake recipe. Give this easy recipe a try the next you need a dessert for a crowd.

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Easy Tres Leches Cake

This Tres Leches cake is to-die-for! We took one bite and were blown away! This delicious cake is ultra moist. It just melts in your mouth. I especially loved the touch of cinnamon in the cake. This is super simple to make with a box of cake mix and three different types of milk. I made this for our Cinco de Mayo celebration and it was gone in a flash! Chicken Legs has requested this for his birthday cake later this month. Give this easy recipe a try the next time you need a crowd-pleasing dessert!

What is a Tres Leches Cake?

Tres Leches Cake or milk cake is a tender cake soaked in a mixture of three different types of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Soaking the cake in milk yields a super moist cake. The cake is topped with sweetened whipped cream.

How to Make Cake Mix Tres Leches Cake

This cake is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a large bowl, add a box of cake mix, cinnamon, and the egg, oil, and water called for on the box of cake mix. Mix the cake on low speed with a hand mixer for two minutes. Spread cake batter into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake the cake in a pre-heated oven according to package directions.

In a small bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half-and-half. Remove the cake from the oven. Use a fork or wooden spoon handle to poke holes in the hot cake. Pour the sweet milk mixture on top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve the cake, In a large mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip cream on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the cake. Top the cake with maraschino cherries and cut it into slices.

Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can use any flavor of cake mix that you enjoy. Yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or cinnamon cake mix would all be delicious.
  • Can substitute heavy cream or whole milk for half-and-half.
  • Use a long-tined fork, wooden spoon handle, or chopsticks to poke holes in the cake.
  • When making the fresh whipped cream, I chill my mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before adding the cream and sugar.
  • Can substitute a tub of cool whip whipped topping for fresh whipped cream.
  • The cake will keep up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
slice of cake mix tres leches cake

Easy Mexican Cake Recipe

This is one of our all-time favorite cakes. I never have any leftovers when I take this to parties and potlucks. Serve the cake topped with cherries or fresh fruit. It is equally delicious with some vanilla ice cream. This cake is the perfect addition to any cookout, dinner party, or holiday meal. You must make this decadent cake ASAP!

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slice of tres leches cake with text overlay

Cake Mix Tres Leches Cake

Yield: 12 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Tres Leches Cake Recipe – delicious poke cake recipe – super moist cake soaked with three kinds of milk and topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream. Yellow cake mix, cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, half and half, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream. Top the cake with cherries or fresh berries. This is my most requested cake recipe. Give this easy recipe a try the next you need a dessert for a crowd.

Ingredients:

Cake

  • 1 box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon

Milk Mixture

  • 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 2 cups heaving whipping cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • cherries

Instructions:

  • Mix together cake mix, cinnamon, plus ingredients to make the cake. Prepare the cake according to the package directions. Bake in a greased and floured 9×13 pan.
  • Mix together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half and half. Poke holes in the cake and slowly pour the milk mixture over the hot cake. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to serve, whip together heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip at high speed for 1-2 minutes. Spread over the cake and top each slice with a cherry.

Notes:

  • Can use any flavor of cake mix that you enjoy. Yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or cinnamon cake mix would all be delicious.
  • Can substitute heavy cream or whole milk for half-and-half.
  • Use a long-tined fork, wooden spoon handle, or chopsticks to poke holes in the cake.
  • When making the fresh whipped cream, I chill my mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before adding the cream and sugar.
  • Can substitute a tub of cool whip whipped topping for fresh whipped cream.
  • The cake will keep up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.

Steph

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Comments

  1. My first time trying this type of cake. I took it to our Mexican Fiesta at church on Sunday and received thumbs up from all who are familiar with this cake. Thanks for a great recipe!!!

    Blessings,
    Linda

  2. I made this cake unsigned a lemon box cake mix and it was fantastic! I also made the topping with a bit less sugar because the cake itself was so sweet.

    Thank you so much! It made an awesome birthday cake for me!

  3. Girl, I can't lose weight reading this blog!

    lol…maybe I just need to stay fat! Looks wonderful.

  4. I tried this recipe and we had it for lunch desert today! Excellent! I forgot a couple things. The cinnamon! ANd I also forgot to get some mercino cherries. OIE! But it was delicious anyhow. Will definitely keep this one in mind for the future!

  5. Holy moly!! I'm ready to try this one. But, do you think a spice cake mix would work? I'm thinking yes since you added cinnamon to your yellow cake mix.

  6. Oh Lord have mercy your cake looks sooo good! And the doc just told me I have to loose 50 pounds before knee replacement!! I'll just live vicariously through you! :-0
    Have a good week-end!
    Dorothy

  7. I found your site on foodblogs.com and thought I’d stop by and check it out. Just subscribed to your feed and can’t wait to see what your next post will be!

  8. I will definitely try this. I know half-and-half has a different name in the UK… goes off to Wikipedia to find out what to buy…darned regional differences in every day food product names! 🙂

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