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We LOVE easy AND we love cake – especially ones we grew up enjoying, like our easy tres leches cake.

Tres leches cake (three milk cake) is a popular Latin dessert so of course our Mexican mama made it for us! It’s just like it sounds, a sponge cake with a 3-milk mixture over the top. This version is made EASY with a cake mix. But trust us, it tastes JUST as good as our original Tres Leches Cake.

Our milk mixture uses evaporated milk, half-and-half, and sweetened condensed milk (go big or go home). We poke holes in the sponge and soak it with this mixture creating an extra flavorful and tender piece of cake – similar to our Jello poke cake. It’s always a hit, so it’s a good thing it makes an entire jelly roll pan!

Try Mexican Wedding Cookies, Churros, Fried Ice Cream, and Flan for more traditional family favorites!

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • Make it easy. This is a simple version of a family favorite dessert. It uses a cake mix, a quick and simple twist to an authentic tres leches cake recipe.
  • Make ahead dessert. Make it in advance and store it in the fridge, perfect for planning ahead for fiestas or special events.
  • Feeds the masses! This sheet cake can yield many generous slices.
Ingredients for making cake measured and prepared.

Tres Leches Cake Ingredients and Substitutions

Cake

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) package white cake mix – or your favorite white cake recipe or follow this from-scratch Tres Leches Recipe
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup cold water
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • strawberries, optional

Frosting

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional toppings We like adding strawberries or a fresh berry topping.
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How to Make an Easy Tres Leches Cake

  1. PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10×15-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. CAKE. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix powder, eggs, cold water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and mix well.
    • Pour batter into a prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 22-24 minutes. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then poke holes all over the cake with a bamboo skewer.
  3. MILKS. In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half. Slowly pour over the cake, letting it soak in all the holes.
  4. CHILL. Top cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  5. WHIPPED CREAM. Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. Mix until soft peaks form, then spoon and spread over the cake.
    • Add any toppings and serve.
  • Use a box of white cake mix between 15-18 ounces and follow the directions on the recipe and not the directions on the box.
  • Do not overmix the cake batter. Over-mixing can cause a dense cake that will be unable to absorb all of the milk mixture.
  • The cake texture should be wet, but not so soggy that the cake disintegrates.
A slice of easy tres leches cake recipe on a white plate.
5 from 28 votes

Easy Tres Leches Cake

By: Lil’ Luna
This easy tres leches cake uses a tasty shortcut (a cake mix!) to create one delicious, chilled dessert that feeds around 20 people!
Servings: 20
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
chill: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) package white cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup cold water
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • strawberries, optional

Frosting

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10×15-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and mixed well but without overmixing. Pour batter into a prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 22-24 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then poke holes all over the cake with a bamboo skewer.
  • In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half. Slowly pour over the cake, making sure to get in all the holes.
  • Top cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Before serving, make the whipped topping. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Mix until soft peaks form, then spoon and spread over the cake.

Notes

Recipe Note. Use a box of white cake mix between 15-18 ounces and follow the directions on the recipe and not the directions on the box.
Make ahead of time. The cake needs to absorb the milk for a minimum of 3 hours, but you can make it up to a day in advance to let all the liquid absorb. Store the whipped cream separately and apply before serving.
Store leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 247mg, Potassium: 191mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 524IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 192mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Make ahead of time?

The baked white cake can be frozen ahead of time. Thaw, add the 3 milks, and refrigerate before adding toppings and serving.
The cake needs to absorb the milk for a minimum of three hours, but you can make it up to a day in advance to let all the liquid absorb. Store the whipped cream separately and apply before serving.

How to store?

Store leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

This recipe was originally published March 2023.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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5 from 28 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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27 Comments

  1. Sarah Jones says:

    5 stars
    My friend make this Tres Leches Cake from a Duncan Hines mix. Best I’ve ever eaten. I made one I thought was the recipe she used. Not! Way to wet, I guess the cats loved it, not me.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Oh, shoot! I’m sorry! You’ll have to try this specific one & let me know what you think!

  2. Lola says:

    Could you make this in a 9×13 pan instead of sheet pan?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You could definitely give it a try!

  3. Serena Beaver says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was a huge hit with my family. They now request it for their birthdays! It is not too sweet like some cakes. It is also very moist, as you could guess but it’s not soggy either. Very nice. Thank you!

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