Tres Leches Cake With Cake Mix

The Tres Leches Cake With Cake Mix is one of the most popular desserts worldwide, and this recipe makes it a lot simpler. Instead of making the difficult sponge cake yourself, you can use a boxed cake mix and still end up with a soft, milky and perfectly moist cake.

For people who are new to baking, for busy bakers, and for anyone looking for a dessert that will please a crowd without having to spend hours in the kitchen, this Tres Leches cake using a cake mix is an excellent option. A sweet blend of three milks is absorbed by the cake, after which it is overlaid with a layer of whipped cream and finished off with fresh raspberries. Each mouthful is cool, creamy and tender. The cake is ideal for birthdays, holidays, family dinners and potlucks.

What is the expression ‘Tres Leches’ meaning?

“Three milks” is a translation of “tres leches” and consists of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk (or heavy cream); when used together they produce arich and well-balanced soak that transforms a plain cake into a moist, custard-like dessert without making it heavy.

Why You’ll Love This Cake Mix Version

Quick and simple; a pre-measured mix saves time and eliminates the need to guess at the base. Always kept moist; the soak in three milks ensures that each slice remains tender. Good to prepare in advance; in fact, it tastes even better after having been in the refrigerator for a night. Can feed a large number of people; a single 9×13 pan will serve 12 to 15 people. Simple to decorate; it looks like something from a bakery because of the fresh berries and the whipped cream

Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix (Easy, Moist & Creamy Shortcut Recipe)

You can prepare a tres leches cake using a cake mix to get a soft,milky and perfectly moist dessert, with simple steps, some expert tips, and a fluffy whipped cream topping together with fresh berries

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Chill time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

What You’ll Need

For the cake:

• A box 15.25 oz / 432 g of white or yellow cake mix
• Eggs oil, and water as listed on the box directions
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the three-milk mixture:
• 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can 12 oz evaporated milk
• 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
• For the whipped cream topping:
• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For garnish:

• Fresh raspberries or strawberries
• Fresh mint leaves

What cake mix is the best?

• A white cake mix will give your cake the lightest colour and a pure milky flavour, while a
• yellow cake mix provides a more rich buttery taste together with a golden crumb; both of
• these types work very well. It is best to avoid cake mixes that contain heavy pudding in
• the dough since they can be too dense and thus not absorb the milk properly

Method

 

How to Make Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix

Step 1: Bake the cake

1. According to the instructions on the box, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9
2. by 13-inch baking dish and then follow the directions to prepare the cake mix, inserting 1
3. teaspoon of vanilla. Pour the batter into the dish and bake for the time given on the box,
4. which is usually between 28 and 35 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes
5. out clean.

Step 2: Cool slightly

1. Let the cake cool for approximately 15 minutes so that it is still warm but not hot; a cake
2. that is slightly warm takes in the milk better than one that is completely cold.

Step 3: Mix the three milks

1. Mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk or cream, the vanilla and the
2. cinnamon (if you are using it) in a large bowl or pitcher. Keep mixing until the mixture is
3. smooth. Using a pitcher with a spout makes pouring a lot easier.

Step 4: Poke the cake

1. Poke holes all over the cake, approximately every half inch, using a fork or the handle of
2. a wooden spoon. Make the holes most of the way down but don’t go all the way through
3. to the bottom; these holes act as channels so that the milk can sink deep into the cake.

Step 5: Pour slowly

1. Spread the milk mixture over the cake in small amounts, allowing it to soak in. Begin at
2. the edges and then move on to the centre. Although it will seem as though there is a
3. great deal of liquid, the cake will absorb it while it rests.

Step 6: Chill

1. Put the pan into the refrigerator and leave it there for at least 4 hours, preferably
2. overnight. It is the chilling that changes the cake from damp to perfectly moist and fixes
3. the flavour.

Step 7: Whip the cream

1. Before serving, mix the cold heavy cream, the powdered sugar and the vanilla together
2. in a bowl that has been chilled until soft or medium peaks appear; do not beat them too
3. much or the cream will become grainy.

Step 8: Top and serve

1. Use a spatula to cover the cake with the whipped cream, then add the raspberries and
2. mint on top. Cut the cake into slices and serve it cold.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

1. Avoid omitting the poking since the more holes you make, the more evenly moist the
2. cake will be.
3. Pour it slowly, so that the milk doesn’t pool at the edges.
4. If possible, chill it over night since the texture is considerably better the next day.
5. Use some cold cream and a cold bowl since the cream whips more quickly and retains
6. its shape.
7. Add the toppings finally. Since berries release juice, it’s best to garnish them just before
8. serving.
9. Use a solid pan; both glass and metal can be used, but it is important that the sides are
10. tall enough to hold the milk.

Tasty Variations

1. For coconut tres leches, use coconut milk instead of whole milk and add toasted coconut
2. on top.
3. For chocolate tres leches, use a chocolate cake mix and end by adding chocolate
4. shavings.
5. For the strawberry tres leches, place some sliced strawberries between the cake and the
6. cream.
7. If you want it to have a rum or coffee flavour, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of strong coffee
8. into the milk mixture to give it a more intense taste.
9. To finish each slice, spread a spoonful of dulce de leche which is similar to caramel.
10. For the cupcake version, bake them in a muffin tin, put a skewer into each cupcake, and
11. then pour the milk over the top.

Storage Tips

1. To cover the cake securely and to keep it for up to four days; it must be kept cold until it
2. is served, since the cake soaked in milk should not be left out for a long time.
3. It is not advisable to freeze the cake once it has been soaked and topped since this may
4. affect its texture. If you need to prepare it in advance, then freeze the baked cake without
5. any added ingredients and soak it after it has been thawed.
6. You can prepare it in advance by baking and soaking the cake the day before, and then
7. add the whipped cream and the fruit only just before serving.

Common Questions

What makes my cake soggy?

1. If too much liquid is poured all at once, then the cake will have too few holes; it is
2. necessary to pour it in stages and allow it to absorb.

Why is there a dry area in my cake?

1. The milk didn’t get to all the areas so make more holes and pour it evenly over the
2. surface.

May I use a cake that I have made at home instead?

1. A sponge or vanilla butter cake is suitable, but the boxed mix is the fastest choice.

May I use whipped topping in place of whipped cream?

1. You could do it and the result would maintain its form for a longer period, but cream that
2. has been whipped fresh tastes better.

Should tres leches cake be soggy?

1. It must be very moist and tender, yet not submerged in liquid; when sliced, the cake
2. should keep its shape.

Notes

This tres leches cake, made using cake mix, shows that an easy shortcut can still result in a dessert which has a special feel about it; it is soft, creamy, only slightly sweet and looks nice with a bunch of fresh raspberries on top. Prepare it a day in advance to get the best flavour, and you’ll find that it disappears at your next gathering.

When you have given a go to this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below and let us know what toppings you decided to use!