Tres Leches Carrot Cake

I absolutely love tres leches cake. It is so moist and decadent without being heavy or claggy. So what could be better than a deliciously spiced carrot cake soaked in three milks in time for an Easter dessert that absolutely everyone will love!

What is tres leches cake?

Tres leches literally means “three milks” and so it makes sense that a tres leches cake is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: traditionally evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream. This style of cake originates from Central and South America, but has now become popular the world over! It is normally served topped with fresh whipped cream, cinnamon and fresh fruit.

What is the history of tres leches cake?

Although there is no clear origin of which country the cake tres leches comes from, the idea of soaking a cake in three milk came about as a way of honouring the Holy Trinity in Catholic tradition.

Why is tres leches cake so good?

Tres leches is not like a traditional cake at all. It is a light sponge cake that is doused in a sweet milk mixture and often topped with some whipped cream, cinnamon and fruit. Somehow, despite all the soak and topping, tres leches cakes manage to feel decadent and indulgent but not too heavy or stodgy.

Ingredients needed to make a tres leches carrot cake

• Eggs: these are whipped up to a thick, mousse-like texture, helping with the structure of the cake.
• Vanilla: for added rounded sweetness in the carrot cake tres leches with cheese cream frosting.
• Caster sugar: for sweetness in this delicious tres leches cake recipe.
• Milk: whole milk adds moisture and richness to the cake.
• Flour: I use self raising flour for this carrot cake tres leches so I have no need to add any extra raising agents.
• Spices: a lot of carrot cakes use just cinnamon for the spice in the recipe, but I like the addition of nutmeg, cloves and cardamom for an extra dimension of flavour. I also use cinnamon to dust the top of the cake once decorated.
• Carrots: the star of this bake! I like to grate my carrots using a smaller sized grater, to keep it lighter within the cake for baking.
• Walnuts: for texture and crunch to the carrot tres leches as well as the cream cheese frosting. Totally optional, but a nice addition to the bake.
• Evaporated milk: one of the three milks used to soak the cake. Cannot be replaced.
• Condensed milk: second of the milks used in the cake soak. Cannot be replaced.
• Double (heavy) cream: the third and final milk for the soak. If desired, can be swapped for whole milk. However, I prefer the richness of cream. Also used in the topping.
• Cream cheese: the beautiful tanginess of this ingredient goes so well with the spiced carrot cake flavours! Make sure to use full fat cream cheese for best results.
• Icing (powdered) sugar: for the cream cheese icing spread over the top of the cake.

What equipment do I need to make a tres leches carrot cake?

• Baking tin*: you will need an 8”x 8” tin to make this cake. One with a loose bottom is my preference, for ease of removal after baking.
• Parchment paper: to line the baking tin. This stops the cake from sticking to the pan.
• Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups too, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
• Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
• Mixing bowl* any material of bowl will do: plastic, glass, ceramic… the choice is yours!
• Handheld electric mixer*: investing in a good electric mixer is a brilliant help with all baking, and will make beating up the eggs at the start of the recipe a total breeze!
• Sieve*: to remove lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring everything gets mixed together evenly without weighing down the cake mixture.
• Spatula*: to help with folding/mixing together ingredients and scraping the mixing bowl down.
• Jug*: to mix the milks in before soaking the cake.

How to make tres leches carrot cake

Tres leches is actually quite a simple cake to make! First make the cake, then whilst it bakes put together the soaking milks. Once it is out of the oven, poke holes in it and gradually add in all the milk. Allow to soak overnight before topping with the whipped cream cheese topping and decorating as desired. Enjoy!

For the cake

Step 1: Line an 8” square tin with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the cake mixture.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar until light, airy, mousse like and tripled in size.

Step 3: Gently sift in the flour and spices, then tip in the milk and fold it all together until almost combined. Be very careful to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.

Step 4: Tip in the carrots and walnuts and fold in gently until evenly mixed.

Step 5: Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Rest the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then poke holes all over the cake using a skewer.

Step 6: While the cake is baking, mix together the three milks to make the soaking liquid.

Step 7: Once the cake has been baked and poked all over, pour the milks over the cake gradually, allowing it to be absorbed before adding some more. Keep some of this liquid aside if you wish to serve the cake with it later. Leave the cake to cool in the tin and absorb the milks, chilling once cool enough to go in the fridge.

For the topping and decoration

Step 1: To make the topping, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth. Add in the double cream and whisk until it thickens. This should take no more than a minute or two.

Step 2: Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cold cake, creating a swirl pattern in the top if you wish. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and chopped walnuts if desired. Enjoy!

Why did my cake shrink after baking?

If the cake has shrunk a little from the sides, or looks a little like it has collapsed slightly after baking, no need to fret! This is absolutely normal! Once it has been poked and soaked with the milk mixture it will expand again and look beautifully moist and sponge-like.

How long should I let tres leches soak?

I would recommend leaving this carrot tres leches cake to soak overnight for all the milks to get into every nook and cranny of this delicious bake! I tend to make this the night before serving, but it can be made up to two days ahead of serving if you wish.

How to decorate tres leches cake

You can decorate a tres leches however you would like! Traditionally, recipe cake tres leches is topped with soft whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon and some fresh berries. Since this is a carrot cake version of the cake, I have incorporated cream cheese into the whipped cream topping and finished the cake with a dusting of cinnamon as well as some chopped walnuts.

How to serve tres leches cake

Since this is such a moist cake, after soaking in all the milks, it is best served cold. I think it is absolutely heavenly served straight from the fridge, cold and dredged in the glorious milks!

How to store tres leches cake

Always keep the cake in the fridge. Due to it being soaked in milks and having a cream cheese whipped cream topping, I would not recommend storing it at room temperature. The cake will keep for up to five days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can I freeze tres leches cake?

If you wish to freeze it, you can freeze the baked and cooled cake before soaking and decorating. Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in cling film and foil before freezing. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the cake overnight before soaking it and adding the decorations.

Once the cake has been soaked, I would not recommend freezing it as it will be very soggy and freezing it will affect the texture of the cake once defrosted.

Tips for the best tres leches carrot cake every time

• Beat the eggs and sugar until almost mousse-like. The mixture will be thick and really pale, and have tripled in size. This is perfect!
• When adding in the dry ingredients to make the cake mixture, sift them in gently and fold really carefully in order to keep as much of the air in the cake as possible. It is the beaten eggs that give the volume to the cake, so this is really important to allow the cake to absorb as much of the milk as possible.
• Once the cake has baked, it may have pulled a little away from the sides of the tin. No need to fret! After you have poured the milk mixture over the cake, it will absorb the liquids and look less wrinkly and shrivelled.
• Allow the cake plenty of time to soak in all of the milks. This is really important to give you the best tasting carrot cake tres leches ever!
• Top the cake with the cream cheese topping after the milks have soaked in overnight for best results.

Troubleshooting

If you have any other questions about this easy tres leches carrot cake recipe, please leave me a comment below, I would love to help. And if you do make this recipe for tres leches carrot cake, please do consider leaving a rating and review below. I would really appreciate your feedback to grow my website and it really helps others looking for a similar recipe too. Additionally, you could also post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!

More carrot cake recipes from my blog for you to enjoy

Do check out these other delicious recipes on my blog too:

Thanks for joining me today my friends, and as always: happy baking! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Baking tin	Digital kitchen scales
Measuring spoons	Mixing bowl
Handheld electric mixer	Sieve
Spatula	Jug