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This mini Tres Leches Cake is soft, spongey, and soaked in a rich, sweet milk mixture that makes every bite incredibly moist and flavorful. Topped with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, it’s a simple and satisfying dessert perfect for any occasion.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Easy to make with pantry staples.
- Perfect Portion: A small cake that’s just the right size.
- Creamy & Light: Fluffy cake soaked in a rich milk mixture.
- Make Ahead: Chill overnight for an effortless dessert.
I love this small tres leches cake so much and couldn’t wait to share it with you. It’s soft, spongey, and soaked in a sweet blend of three milks that makes every bite incredibly rich and moist.
I like to add a splash of limoncello for a bright lemony note—it’s totally optional, but so good. However you make it, this little cake is pure magic. Give it a try—you’ll be glad you did.
If you love this one, be sure to try more of our mini cakes like buttery Pound Cake, warmly spiced Spice Cake, caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake, rich Flourless Chocolate Cake, and classic White Cake. Each one is perfectly sized and full of flavor.
Featured Comment
“So good! Especially with the cinnamon in the whipped topping…”
– Michelle
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this tres leches cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. This recipe has not been tested with alternative flours.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and gives it a light, fluffy texture.
- Egg: You’ll need one egg, with the yolk and white separated to be used at different stages.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake and helps create a tender crumb.
- Milk, Heavy Cream, Sweetened Condensed milk, and Evaporated milk: Regular milk goes into the batter. After baking, the cake is soaked with a mixture of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, giving it its signature rich texture.
- Use leftover heavy cream in Banana Pudding or French Silk Pie.
- Extra sweetened condensed milk is great for Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Ice Cream, or Fudge.
- Leftover evaporated milk can be used in Pumpkin Pie Bars.
- Limoncello (optional): This Italian liqueur, made from lemon zest, sugar, and grain alcohol, adds a light lemon flavor. My husband makes it at home using our simple limoncello recipe, but you can also find it in most liquor stores. If you skip the limoncello, add an extra tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk instead.
- Whipped Cream and Cinnamon: For the topping, you can use store-bought whipped cream, but homemade whipped cream made with heavy cream and sugar adds a fresh flavor. A sprinkle of ground cinnamon finishes it off.
Recipe Variations
Try one of these simple variations to change up the flavor of your tres leches cake:
- Non-Alcoholic: Omit the limoncello and add 1 extra tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk for classic richness.
- Coconut: Use coconut milk in the batter and sprinkle toasted coconut on top for a tropical flavor.
- Spiced: Add a pinch of nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to the batter for a warm, spiced version.
How To Make Tres Leches Cake
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a mini tres leches cake. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Before You Begin: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter or spray a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Whip Egg White: In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with an electric mixer until foamy. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Add Egg Yolk and Flour: Beat in the egg yolk. Gently mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining flour, mixing until smooth after each addition.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack.
- Poke Holes: After the cake cools slightly, use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the surface.
- Add Milk Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and limoncello (or 1 tablespoon of extra sweetened condensed milk if not using limoncello). Pour evenly over the cake.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Serve: Top with whipped cream before serving.
Expert Tips
- Use Cold Eggs for Separation: It’s easier to separate the yolk and white when the egg is cold. Do this first, then let them come to room temperature if needed.
- Whip Egg White to Soft Peaks: This step creates a light, airy texture that helps the cake absorb the milk mixture evenly. Soft peaks will gently fold over when you lift the beaters.
- Measure Flour Accurately: For best results, weigh the flour with a digital scale. If using measuring cups, fluff the flour first, spoon it into the cup, and level it off without packing it down.
- Let the Cake Rest: Refrigerate the soaked cake for at least 5 hours. This allows time for the milk mixture to fully absorb and create the signature moist texture.
- Limoncello Substitute: If you’re not using limoncello, replace it with 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk to maintain the cake’s richness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cover the cake and keep it refrigerated. It’s best enjoyed within 2 days.
Freezing is not recommended. The texture changes once thawed and may become too soggy.
Poking holes allows the milk mixture to soak evenly into the cake, giving it the moist texture Tres Leches is known for.
Yes, double the ingredient amounts and bake the cake in a 6×8-inch baking dish.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small tres leches cake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Mini Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg -separated (yolk and white used at different steps)
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional) – If not using limoncello, use an extra tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk instead
For the Topping
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter or spray a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg yolk. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining flour, blending until smooth after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the cake with a fork or skewer.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and limoncello (or use 1 extra tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk if omitting limoncello). Pour over the cake.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Make the Topping
- In a bowl, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and cinnamon with a hand mixer or whisk until soft peaks form.
- Spoon the whipped cream over the cake before serving.
Notes
- Use Cold Eggs for Separation: It’s easier to separate the yolk and white when the egg is cold. Do this first, then let them come to room temperature if needed.
- Whip Egg White to Soft Peaks: This step creates a light, airy texture that helps the cake absorb the milk mixture evenly. Soft peaks will gently fold over when you lift the beaters.
- Measure Flour Accurately: For best results, weigh the flour with a digital scale. If using measuring cups, fluff the flour first, spoon it into the cup, and level it off without packing it down.
- Let the Cake Rest: Refrigerate the soaked cake for at least 5 hours. This allows time for the milk mixture to fully absorb and create the signature moist texture.
- Limoncello Substitute: If you’re not using limoncello, replace it with 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk to maintain the cake’s richness.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Love this recipe. Only thing, I don’t see the amount of butter to add-in.
I’m so glad you love the recipe. This is a sponge cake, and often sponge cakes are made without butter. Instead, they rely on whipped eggs for structure and a light texture. The richness and moisture come from soaking the cake in the three kinds of milk, making it perfectly tender and flavorful.
I was visiting with friends and fixed us a enchilada casserole so I was looking for a dessert recipe to go with it and found this one. I did use the limoncello variant. It turned out very good. We very much enjoyed it. My friends had never had it before and I’d never made it before but it all turned out well. Thank you.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it – thank you!
Delicious. Love this recipe. Simple and delicious. I cut a bit of the sugar out and like it better. Mine is still coming out a bit dense or not rising much. I assume I’m overbeating the egg whites or something. Do I just beat the yolk and flour in the same bowl as the egg white sugar mix?
I’m so happy you love the recipe, Stephanie. If your tres leches cake is not rising it is likely that the batter was overmixed. It is also important to whip the egg white well (see the process photos in the recipe post to see what it should look like) before adding the egg yolk and other ingredients in the same bowl. At this point, avoid overmixing the batter and see it that changes anything.
hi i am only now baking the cake but just curious about vanilla essence to cake batter or even the milks. never make a cake without essence before lol.
So good! Especially with the cinnamon in the whipped topping. How would you increase the amount of ingredients if you wanted to use a 8-inch round pan?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake. If you want to bake the Tres Leches Cake in an 8-inch round pan, double the ingredients.
This sounds fantastic, but I’m not crazy about limoncello. How do you think rum would go?
Hi Barbara,
Although I haven’t used rum, I would say give it a go! The amount used isn’t that much but I bet it would be delicious. Please let me know how it turns out for you.
Joanie
Great sponge cake recipe.
Rum would probably be good, or used rum extract, because it’s one of the flavor of pina colada.
What is limoncello? Never heard of it before!
I just made the limoncello tres leches cake and it was wonderful, I have a can of chocolate sweetened condensed milk that I’ve been wondering how to use, now I know! Only sub Godiva liquor. Can’t wait!
Limonello Tres Leches cake is wonderful.
Thank you, Michele.