Using a boxed cake mix, you can easily make a Reach Cake. Creamy, dreamy, and cinnamon-scented, this classic iced dessert will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Super delicate homemade leach cake
Spring Desserts (and Summer Desserts at ……) If you’re looking for something perfect for, well, maybe the perfect dessert.) Then this is the only way to go. A cool, sweet, creamy Tres Leches cake. Tres leches is a simple cinnamon-flavored cake soaked in three kinds of sweet milk and cream and served as a familiar cold beverage. The entire soaked cake is refrigerated for several hours and then topped with sweetened whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.
Because of its moistness, tres leches cake is not taken out and “frosted” in the traditional sense, but is served in a baking tray. This makes it actually very easy to bake, color, and then take it somewhere or serve it outside.
What does tres leches cake mean?
Tres leches is a Spanish word meaning “three kinds of milk” or “three kinds of milk.” It refers to the combination of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped cream that soak into the cake. This transforms the cake from a simple sheet cake into a super creamy, super moist iced dessert that is one-of-a-kind!
Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients for this cake. I used a boxed cake mix, but still mixed in plenty of flavorings for the best flavor and texture. Here is a detailed list of them.
Cake.
- Yellow cake mix. The base of the cake batter is one box of yellow cake mix. You can also use vanilla cake mix or plain white cake mix.
- Pudding Mix Vanilla pudding mix is a standard ingredient in boxed cake mixes and is moist and rich, but does not weigh down the cake. You may omit it if you prefer.
- Cinnamon Adding a little cinnamon to the cake adds warmth and an exquisite flavor.
- Eggs: 3 large whole eggs to hold the batter together.
- Water and milk: to give the dough the right texture and moisture.
- Oil Using oil instead of butter will make the cake fluffier and lighter. You can use vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Sour cream Plain yogurt will also work.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract or shaved vanilla bean gives the best flavor.
Fillings
- Tres leches: 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 can of evaporated milk, and 1 cup of heavy cream are all you need to make the classic “tres leches.”
- Chilled whipped cream. Chilled whipped cream lasts longer and is less likely to fall apart than homemade whipped cream. However, if frosting is to be done just before eating, homemade whipped cream can be substituted. Gelatin can also be used to stabilize homemade whipped cream to prevent it from crumbling and becoming runny.
- Cinnamon For sprinkling cinnamon on top of the cake.
What is evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk is milk that has been heated to evaporate its water content. It is then homogenized and canned to produce a thick, creamy milk. Evaporated milk has a rich, creamy flavor that is useful in many recipes, especially baking recipes.
What is sweetened condensed milk?
Sweetened condensed milk is similar to evaporated milk in that it is heated to remove water. However, since sweetened condensed milk is sweetened with large amounts of sugar, it also thickens. Sweetened condensed milk is used in many recipes and can be used for iced coffee.
How to make a simple Tres leches cake
The best thing about this easy tres leches cake is that it takes very little time. Most of the time is spent on your hands while the cake is baking and cooling. Traditional sponge cake recipes that use eggs are quite time consuming, so this is a real shortcut recipe.
- Prepare the oven and pan. Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, so the cake should be hot when you put it in the oven. Next, spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray or light butter, sprinkle with flour and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the cake mix, vanilla pudding mix and cinnamon in a large bowl and gently stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Combine eggs, water, milk, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Do not overmix or the cake will lose its texture.
- Bake. Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan, smooth top with a spatula and bake for 25 minutes. (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs stuck to it). The edges of the cake will be golden brown after baking.
- Allow the cake to cool. Once the cake is baked, place it on a cooling rack to cool completely. Do not remove the cake from the pan, but leave it in the pan to cool on the rack.
- Pour over the tres leches one at a time. When the cake is completely cooled, poke many holes in the cake with a skewer. Then pour the sweetened condensed milk over the entire surface of the cake, spreading it to the edges and letting it soak in thoroughly. Repeat this process with evaporated milk, followed by whipped cream.
- Chill. Cover the soaked cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Toppings and Serving. When ready to serve, spread the whipped topping over the cake and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Slice and serve.
My top tips for making the best cakes
While this recipe is very easy if you use a cake mix, I still have a few tips I want to share with you. Here are my top tips for making tres leches cheesecake that is creamy, rich and perfect.
- Mixing method. Be careful not to overmix the cake. Mix well until smooth, but do not continue to mix further. This will prevent the cake from crumbling or turning rubbery.
- Cooling Instructions Allow the baked cake to cool completely before pouring the milk over the cake. Pouring the milk over the cake while it is still hot will result in a soggy cake.
- Soften cooled eggs. Remove the Cool Whip from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to use so that it is soft enough to spread. If it is not softened, it will not fit properly on top of the cake.
- Serve chilled. This cake must be kept chilled at all times. Chilling allows the cake to retain as much milk as possible without becoming soggy or oozing excess milk. It also tastes very good cold.
Storage.
Store Tres leches cakes in the refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil or an airtight lid, if you have one. It usually keeps for up to three days, but it’s best to eat it quickly because it will get soggy over time.
Can I freeze tres leches cake?
If you want to freeze tres leches cake, we recommend just freezing the cake and then topping it with tres leches and whipped cream when thawing and serving.
Freezing the cake is easy. Just let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. The cake can be kept frozen for up to three months. Thaw to room temperature before using.
Easy Tres Leches Cake
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
Additional time : 4 hours
Total time : 4 hours and 45 minutes
Make a simple tres leches cake with a cake mix. This recipe is easy to make with a cake mix.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 16 oz tub cool whip
- Cinnamon, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with baking spray, set aside.
- Place the cake mix, vanilla pudding mix and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Add in the remaining ingredients (eggs, water, whole milk, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract) and whisk together just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. The edges of the cake will be golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has cooled, use a skewer to poke a lot of holes into the cake. In layers, pour the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream over the entire surface of the cake. Be sure to spread the milks to the edges of the cake and let them soak in before adding the next layer.
- Cover cake with saran wrap or foil and place the cake in the fridge to continue soaking in the milk and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to serve, spread the cool whip over the top of the cake and sprinkle with a thin layer of cinnamon. Slice and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:12 Serving Size:1
Amount Per Serving : Calories: 512 Total Fat: 30g Saturated Fat: 16g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 75mg Sodium: 482mg Carbohydrates: 56g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 39g Protein: 5g
