Lotus Tres Leches “Milk” Cake

We are sure you have seen delicious Tres Leches Milk Cakes flooding your Instagram, but have you ever actually tried one? They are absolutely delicious and super easy to make. Tres Leches comes from Mexican origins and is usually served as a dessert at any celebration. We don’t need a celebration to make this cake, we would eat this any day! Imagine the softest sponge cake soaked in a sweetened lotus milk mixture covered in cool whipped cream with crispy bits of lotus cookie. It is heaven, we highly recommend it!

Here is what you will need to make Lotus Tres Leches “Milk” Cake

Things to keep in mind:

Sponge Cake: Essentially the cake itself is a straightforward sponge cake, made the traditional way using whipped egg whites to lighten and give it that sponge-like texture. We need that texture so it can soak up the milk liquid we will pour on at the end.

Let it rest: This cake is best when it’s allowed to rest in the fridge overnight. Yes, we know you want to eat it right away. But it’s supposed to be served chilled, and for the sponge to really absorb all that liquid and properly and moisten the cake it should rest overnight. Can’t do it overnight? A couple of hours will suffice.

Dulce De Leche: There is a thin layer of Dulce De Leche in this cake, it is completely optional and tastes great without it. If you do decide to make it using our hack for boiling the condensed milk in the can, please make sure to always keep the can complexity submerged in water while boiling. Also, allow the can to come to room temperature before opening it up. More on this below.

Components of Tres Leches Milk Cake:

1. Sponge Cake
2. 3 Milk Mixture
3. Dulce De Leche (optional)
4. Whipped Cream Topping

1. LET’S MAKE THE SPONGE

Into a large bowl sift together flour + baking powder + salt. Whisk together to combine, set aside.

Separate the egg whites into a separate bowl, add the egg yolks into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use a handheld electric mixer). Whisk the egg yolks with ¾ cups of sugar on high speed until they turn a pale yellow. About 2-3 minutes. The batter should be thick enough to leave ribbons when lifted.

Add in milk, melted lotus spread(make sure it is not hot), and vanilla, use a spatula to gently mix into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Wash and dry your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment.

• 

• 

Add the egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until soft peaks are formed. Next, add in the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form about 1 min. Lastly, add the egg yolk mixture to your sifted flour mixture. Using a spatula gently combine. Start adding the egg whites in batches folding into the egg yolk mixture until fully incorporated and no white streaks are visible.

• 

• 

• 

Place in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and allow to come to room temperature.

• 

2. Tres Leches “3 Milk Mixture”

This is where the Tres Leches gets its name. The milk mixture that is poured on top of the cake contains 3 types of milk; evaporated, condensed, and whipping cream.

Into a container with a spout for easy pouring add all 3 milks and melted lotus spread, whisk together to combine.

When the cake has cooled use a fork to poke the cake all over. Pour the milk mixture evenly on top, make sure to reserve about ⅓ of a cup for serving with the cake later. Place in the fridge to allow the cake to fully absorb the liquid for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.

• 

• 

• 

3. Dulce De Leche (Optional)

Authentic Dulce De Leche is made by cooking milk with sugar for a long long long long time with constant stirring. This is a hack we learned when wanting to make homemade Dulce De Leche that’s hands-off for the most part. This part of the recipe is completely optional, but we find it adds a nice layer of flavor.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. There needs to be enough water in the pan to completely cover the can we are about to cook. Remove the label off your can of condensed milk. Gently submerge it into the pot of boiling water on its side (not upright). It is extremely important that the can is completely covered in at least 4-5 cm of water at all times. Lower to a simmer and cook the can for 3 hours, adding boiling water as needed to keep it covered. Remove the can using a pair of tongs. Allow the can to completely cool before opening it because the Dulce de leche can squirt out and it is extremely extremely hot and can easily burn you. Once it has cooled, empty the contents of the can into a bowl. Mix together using a whisk until it is smooth.

4. Whipped Cream Topping

The whipped cream topping is the last layer of our Tres Leches Cake. You can either add this before refrigerating the cake overnight. Or you can make it fresh the day of serving.

Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add your heavy whipping cream and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks have formed, about 2-3 minutes.

Tres Leches Cake Assembly:

After the cake has been refrigerated. Spread a thin layer of the dulce de leche onto the top of the cake.

Cover completely with the whipped cream topping.

Sprinkle on crushed lotus cookies. Serve the cake with the reserved milk mixture. Enjoy!

HOW TO STORE TRES LECHES CAKE

Cover the cake with cling wrap or a tight lid and keep it refrigerated. Serve chilled.

CAN YOU MAKE TRES LECHES AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely, this cake is the perfect make-ahead dessert. It benefits from being made the day before, give all the milk time to soak into the cake. You can either cover it in the whipped topping before storing overnight or make the whipped cream fresh the day of serving.