How to Make the Perfect Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Indulge in the irresistible sweetness of this classic Mexican dessert with a plant-based twist, vegan tres leches cake, a sweet vanilla cake soaked in a combination of three dairy-free kinds of milk, covered in silky coconut whipped cream, then topped with juicy strawberry slices.
This recipe was edited in October 2021. If you are looking for the old recipe you can download it here.
What Makes This Recipe Great
This delicious dessert recipe leaves me full of nostalgia for my childhood birthday parties and our weekly family meals. It has been one of my favorite cakes for decades, closely followed by the Chocoflan, and Carlota de Limon. It is completely vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free, and will impress both vegans and non-vegans alike.
What Is Tres Leches Cake?
Traditional tres leches cake is a very popular cake in Latin America. The recipe varies according to the country you are in, but in Mexico, it is a vanilla sponge cake soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream (media crema). It is then topped with whipped cream, fresh berries or assorted fruit, and sometimes cinnamon. On occasion, rum or rompope (a sort of Mexican eggnog) is added to the milk mixture.
Ingredients
Dairy-Free Whipped Topping: This can be store-bought or you can easily make it yourself. If you plan on buying it, check your local grocery store for options. If you plan to make it I recommend this recipe made with coconut cream.
Aquafaba: This is the liquid from a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). The protein in the cooking liquid makes it act as an egg replacement and binder, and it can even be beaten to make meringue, like egg whites.
Soy condensed milk: I purchased my soy condensed milk at HEB, my local grocery store. You can purchase coconut or oat milk condensed milk online if you can’t find it. Alternatively, you can make it yourself.
Soy evaporated milk: I purchased my soy evaporated milk at HEB, my local grocery store. If you can’t find it you can purchase coconut evaporated milk online.
How to Make Vegan Tres Leches Cake
In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients: soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together.
In a medium bowl beat the aquafaba until it forms soft peaks. Fold in the whipped aquafaba into the batter.
Pour into a cake pan and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool, then cut off the top of the cake.
How to Make the Three Milk-Soaking Liquid
- There are two ways to make this. The first one is to simply combine the condensed oat milk, evaporated soy milk, and condensed soy milk.
- The second (find instruction in recipe notes) is to combine 1 cup of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups oat milk, 1 1/2 of soy milk, and 1/2 cup of sugar and simmer for 30 minutes (this is so the milk thickens slightly), then let it cool completely in the fridge. Either way will work.
To Assemble
Poke holes in the cake.
Pour in the three milk syrup. Let it sit in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to serve it top it with whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries.
Expert Tricks and Tips
When pouring the milk on the cake start from the center then pour to the sides. This will ensure that the cake soaks all the way through.
Serving
Serve topped with fresh fruit with acidity in it like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and mango.
Storing
If you have any leftovers they will keep for only one day in the fridge.
FAQ
Tres leches cake is very similar to a poke cake. Which is basically a cake that you poke holes in after baking and soak in a liquid. A poke cake is very popular in the southern United States.
The word “Tres leches” translates to “three milks”. It is aptly named because you use a combination of three milks to soak the cake.
Yes!!! Tres leches is supposed to be a moist cake, but it should not be soggy, and it should still hold its shape.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ¼ cups Soy milk, unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons Apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons Aquafaba
Milk Syrup:
- 1 ½ cups Oatmilk, unsweetened
- 1 ½ cups Soy condensed milk (11.2 oz)
- 1 ½ cups Soy evaporated milk (11.2 oz)
Whipped Topping:
- 2 cans Reddi-whip Coconut Whipped Topping
- 1 pint Strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
To make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8 x 13 " baking pan with parchment paper, and spray lightly with oil.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well.
- Add the milk-vinegar mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture, add the oil, and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, pour in the aquafaba and using a stand mixer with the whiks attachementor a hand-held mixer whip at medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
- Pour the whipped aquafaba into the bowl with the cake batter, and fold it in with a spatula until it has completely incorporated into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake in the middle rack of the oven, for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. Let cake cool for 10 min, and remove from baking dish. Remove parchment paper and let cake cool completely on a rack.
To make the milk syrup
- In a bowl, combine the oatmilk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Whisk and set aside.
Assembly
- Using a serrated knife, gently cut off the top of your cake. Place your cake inside of the baking dish and poke the surface of the cake with a fork. Be sure to press the fork all the way down through the cake.
- Start pouring the milk over the cake starting from the center. Contine pouring until the cake is soaked all over. There might be some liquid that hasn't been absorbed on the sides of the cake, but that's ok. Place in your fridge and let the cake soak overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve, top the cake with the coconut whipped topping and spread with a spatula. (Don’t add the whipped topping to the cake unless you’re ready to serve it.)
- Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the whipped topping and serve.
Video
Notes
- This recipe was edited in October 2021. If you’re looking for the old recipe you can download it here.
- It’s very important to make the cake the day before so you can let it soak in the fridge overnight.
- If you can’t find plant-based condensed or evaporated milk combine 1 cup of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups oat milk, 1 1/2 of soymilk, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes (this is so the milk thickens slightly), and let it cool completely in the fridge. This will be your tres leches. You can use your favorite plant milks.
- Top with strawberries or assorted berries. The acid in the berries cuts the sweetness of the cake.
- If you want to make your own whipped topping I recommend this recipe.
- If you’re looking for whipped topping without coconut check out all these options.
Nutrition
Although dorastable.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates.
I tried this recipe twice now and it’s not turning out well. Both times the cakes were pretty flat and gummy. Neither would soak up the liquid well. Not sure what happened- I got soft peaks both times and took care not to overmix. Comparing this to other recipes though, the dry to liquid ratio seems low.
Hi Dora, I love Tres Leches cake and appreciate this vegan version. Thank you! Can I substitute Almond Milk for Soy in this recipe? Also, wondering if you have substituted vegan egg replacers for aquafaba for this? Thanks again.
Yes, you can use any plant milk. I have never tried it with egg replacer so I can’t say.
I don’t use soy milk so can I substitute other plant milk?
Any other plant milk will work
Hi Dora,
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I was wondering, could this recipe be used for cupcakes?
Yes, I just made this into cupcakes for mini tres leches. I cut off the top of the cupcakes and put into tiny mason jars. If you want to soak the this in cupcake wrappers you will need very resistant cupcake wrappers!
I really want to try this but can’t find Aquababa in my local stores. Can I drain cans of chickpeas until I have the right amount needed for the recipe?
Yes!! That’s how I get my aquafaba. I will add note to the recipe.
This cake so SOOOOOO good- thank you Dora! I used to use another recipe for the vegan cake but decided to try yours and it’s my new recipe now. Only thing I did differently was to add 1/4 cup sugar to the whipped aquafaba and then continue whipping until it was glossy. So I used 3/4c total sugar for the cake. I also used a Can of coconut milk instead of the evaporated milk. Amazing. 👏🏼
Can I used canned coconut milk to replace one the the 3 milks?
Yes
Definitely the best vegan cake I’ve made, thank you, Dora!
This was fantastic! I haven’t had tres leches since I was a child. It was DELICIOUS and so easy to make! Even my non-vegan family gobbled it up. Thank you Dora!
What can I do if I don’t have Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, it’s super easy to find. You can try another egg substitute.
Is there a way access the old recipe? I bought all the ingredients for that one already and then the receipt changed when I went to bake the next day. The old recipe was recommended by a fellow dairy allergy friend.
Hi Ellie, I’m going to email to you.
Can you please email me too! I love the old recipe!
Sending it now
Hi Dora, I also came back to remake this based on the old recipe. May I also get a version of the old recipe emailed? Thanks!!
Just sent it to you.
Hi.My cake came out very flat, not at all like your picture. Did I do something wrong? I’m assuming it’ll still taste good, but will it get too soggy when I add the milks?
Hi Janice, the cake doesn’t rise too much. Once you add the milk it will expand in size with all the milk
Hi there! If I double this recipe in one pan will it cooke to make a thicker slice of cake? As in a taller cake?
Thanks!!
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it will.
Hi Dora,
Would I be able to use Gluten Free flour. Thank you.
Hi, I just saw the comments on using Gluten Free AP flour.
Thanks.
I’ve never tried it with gluten-free flour so I’m not sure
Hi. I just made it w gluten free flour. It looks way too thin to cut off the top. Maybe ill just poke plenty of holes and not cut the top… im
in the process of baking one w regular flour, ill keep you posted om the comparisons.
Keep us posted