Tres Leches Layered Cake

a layered tres leches cake with strawberries and red flowers.

4.72 from 46 votes

Tres Leches Layered Cake

This Tres Leches Layered Cake is exactly what dreams are made of and more. Made with a doctored-up boxed cake mix for a base we get three layers of flavor and simplicity. You're going to love this milk and berries cake!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 613kcal

Author: Nicole Durham

Cost: Recipe $18.24 / Serving $1.14

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix ($1.00)
1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.13)
1 cup granulated sugar ($0.36)
1 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix ($0.98)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional ($0.04)
4 large eggs ($0.60)
1 cup sour cream ($1.00)
½ cup vegetable oil ($0.35)
1 cup milk ($0.20)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ($0.03)

Tres Leches Syrup

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk ($1.26)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk ($1.86)
1 cup heavy whipping cream or milk ($1.49)
1 splash vanilla extract ($0.01)

Frosting

1 small box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix ($0.98)
1 cup reserved tres leches syrup
1 quart heavy whipping cream ($5.67)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ($0.03)

Assembly

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced ($2.24)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment circles, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
Mix dry. In a very large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, instant pudding mix, and cinnamon if using.
Mix wet. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
Combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth and no flour streaks remain.
Bake. Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and soak. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks while warm, poke the tops with a toothpick, and spoon tres leches syrup over each layer.
Make syrup. Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Reserve 1 cup for the frosting. Spoon remaining syrup over the cakes in stages, allowing it to absorb fully.
Make frosting. Whisk the instant pudding mix with the reserved syrup and let sit briefly to thicken. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Gently beat in the pudding mixture just until incorporated.
Assemble. Frost the tops of two cake layers, add sliced strawberries, and spread a thin layer of frosting over the fruit. Stack layers and chill the cake for 30 minutes to set.
Finish. Frost the outside of the cake as desired and garnish with fresh strawberries. Slice and serve.

Notes

Level layers. Trim cake tops if needed for even stacking.
Soaking method. Add syrup gradually and allow absorption to prevent instability.
Frosting control. Chill frosting or cake for 10 to 15 minutes if it becomes too soft to work with.
Decorating tip. Lightly dust cinnamon along the sides to hide imperfections.
Storage. Keep refrigerated due to dairy content and serve chilled or slightly cool.

Nutrition