Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake combines the rich flavors of Italian tiramisu with indulgent Mexican tres leches cake, resulting in a heavenly dessert that’s a fan favorite. It's tiramisu but with cake!
Looking for more unique tres leches? Try my saffron tres leches cupcakes next—it's a delicious fusion you won't want to miss!
Why You'll Love This Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake?
This is one of those desserts I keep coming back to whenever I really want to impress my guests. It never fails to get rave reviews! The combination of Italian tiramisu and Mexican tres leches cake is simply irresistible—Instead of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, a light vanilla sponge cake soaks a rich coffee-infused three-milk mixture, finished with a cloud of mascarpone whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder. It's tiramisu but with cake!
I also love that it's a make-ahead dessert. Giving the cake plenty of time to soak up all that coffee milk makes it even better the next day, making it perfect for holidays, parties, potlucks, and special occasions.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try my rasmalai tres leches cake too—it's a fun Indian-inspired twist that's just as unforgettable.
-maria doss
★★★★★
"Made this for a party and everyone raved about this cake. I reduced the condensed milk and the sugar in whipped cream and it was the perfect sweetness! Thanks for a great full proof recipe."
-RISHA
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Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Flour - Because this tiramisu tres leches cake is light and airy, it's crucial to measure the flour accurately. To do this, first fluff the flour in your canister with a spoon before measuring. This helps prevent adding too much flour and ensures the cake turns out just right.
- Baking powder - Adds the much needed lift for the cake.
- Eggs - You’ll need 4 large eggs for this recipe. To make separating the whites and yolks easier, do so while the eggs are still cold from the fridge. Then, let the separated eggs come to room temperature for at least an hour before beating. This helps the egg whites whip up to their fullest volume.
- Heavy cream - Heavy cream is used in two stages: first, to create the coffee-flavored tres leches, and second, to whip up the mascarpone cream.
- Milk - Whole milk is used in two stages: first, to prepare the cake batter, and then to make the coffee milk for soaking the sponge cake.
- Mascarpone - Mascarpone is a rich, creamy Italian cheese made from cream, known for its smooth texture and slightly sweet flavor. You will find it small tubs in the cheese section of your grocery store.
- Coffee - I use instant coffee granules, just like in the iced coffee recipe. Brewed coffee isn't suitable here, as it would thin out the tres leches and affect the desired texture.
- Sweetened condensed milk - It is one of the three main milks used in a classic tres leches cake. You will need about ½ can for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder - Use just enough cocoa powder to dust the top, similar to the classic tiramisu.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
This tiramisu tres leches cake requires two days to prepare. On day one, bake the vanilla sponge cake, make the coffee-flavored tres leches mixture, and soak the cake in it. On day two, prepare the mascarpone whipped cream, then assemble and finish the cake.
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Make Ahead Instructions
Similar to my chocolate mousse tart, you can prepare tiramisu tres leches cake 1-2 days in advance, making it an ideal dessert for Thanksgiving. With the prep done ahead of time, you can simply set it aside and enjoy a stress-free, delicious Thanksgiving dessert recipe on the big day. In fact, I love to make this cake the night before so that it has a lot of time to soak up the milk mixture.
Tips for Success
- Shrinkage is perfectly normal! Once you bake the cake, it may appear slightly wrinkled. Don’t be concerned. After you pour the milks over it, they will be absorbed, and the cake will return to its usual appearance.
- Allow to soak overnight. This tiramisu tres lecehs cake really needs the full time to soak all of the milk. Make sure it really has atleast 8 hours to soak for the best tasting cake!
- Separate the eggs while they’re still cold, but let them sit at room temperature for at least an hour. This will help them whip up to their full volume.
- Rum is optional.
FAQ'S
I don't recommend it. Once the sponge has absorbed the coffee three-milk mixture, it becomes incredibly soft and moist, making it too delicate to stack without risking the layers breaking or sliding. For the best texture and easiest serving, enjoy it as a single-layer cake right from the pan.
Although I haven't tried it myself, fresh lemon juice or white vinegar is often used as a substitute for cream of tartar. For every ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar needed, use ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar. You can still beat the egg whites without cream of tartar, but they might not reach their full volume.
I don't recommend it. Instant coffee adds a rich, concentrated coffee flavor without changing the consistency of the milk mixture. Brewed coffee adds extra liquid, which can make the cake overly wet and dilute the creamy tres leches mixture.
If you use brewed coffee, you'd need to reduce some of the milk to compensate, but that also makes the cake less rich and creamy. For the best flavor and texture, stick with instant coffee or instant espresso powder.
Absolutely! The amount of rum in this recipe is significantly less than in traditional tiramisu recipes. However, if you're serving children, you can easily omit the rum altogether.
Traditional tres leches cake is made without butter or oil, and for good reason. The whipped egg whites create a light, airy sponge that's perfect for soaking up the three-milk mixture.
Since the cake gets all of its richness and moisture from the coffee-infused tres leches mixture, adding butter or oil would make it heavier and less able to absorb the milk. The result is a cake that's incredibly moist, yet still light and fluffy.
More Make Ahead Desserts
Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tarter
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup milk whole milk preferably
For the coffee milk
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1 ½ cups milk whole milk preferably
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (½ of a 14 ounce can)
- 2 tablespoons white rum (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the mascarpone cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces mascarpone (one container) at room temperature
- cocoa powder for dusting on top
Instructions
Bake cake
- Separate eggs. Separate the eggs while they’re still cold, placing the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a larger bowl. Cover both bowls and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before you start preparing the cake.4 eggs
- Prep. Pre heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. 1 cup flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Beat egg whites. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar for about 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Make batter. Using the same beater (no need to wash), beat the egg yolks for about 2 minutes, until thick. Add sugar in 3 batches and continue to beat for about 4 more minutes, until thick and falls back as ribbons when the beater is lifted. Add ½ cup milk and beat for a few seconds, until mixed well. ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
- Finish batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions. Next, carefully fold in the beaten egg whites until just combined, taking care not to deflate them. This keeps the cake light, airy, and fluffy.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 20–23 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.👉 Don't worry if the cake shrinks slightly as it cools—that's completely normal.
Prepare the coffee milk while the cake is cooling
- Make coffee milk. Warm the milk on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot, but don't let it boil. Stir in the instant coffee until dissolved, then let the mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whisk in the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and rum (if using) until well combined.1 ½ cups milk, 2 tablespoon instant coffee, ¾ cup heavy cream, ½ can condensed milk, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoon rum (optional)
Soak the cake
- Poke holes. Once the cake has cooled completely, use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes all over the surface. This helps the coffee milk soak deep into the cake, making every bite incredibly moist and flavorful.
- Soak cake. Slowly pour the coffee milk evenly over the cake, giving it time to soak in as you go. This helps every part of the cake absorb the milk evenly, so you don't end up with dry or overly soaked spots. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
Finish cake
- Make mascarpone cream. Add 1 ½ cups whipping cream, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese and beat to combine. 8 ounces mascarpone
- Finish. Spread the mascarpone cream evenly over the chilled cake and smooth the top. Generously dust with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer for an even finish. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving so the frosting has time to set.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
This cake is incredibly moist and sweet, with a soft texture that makes it stand out from other desserts. If you love tres leches cake, then you are sure to adore my tres leches sauce served with chocolate waffles. I’ve also created a bread pudding with croissants that captures all the rich flavors of tiramisu, offering a delicious twist on this classic dessert.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
angela
hello, is here a way one can decrease the sugar content in the sponge
Maria Doss
Hi Angela, Reducing sugar in the sponge cake will affect the texture of the baked cake! However, you can reduce the sweetened condensed milk to make it less sweeter. Hope it helps, Maria
Risha
Made this for a party and everyone raved about this cake. I reduced the condensed milk and the sugar in whip cream and it was the perfect sweetness! Thanks for a great full proof recipe.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it – Maria ♡
Carlyn Wehle
Great cake! Not to sweet perfection
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Emily
Made this for my husband's bday and he is obsessed!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear - Maria ♡