Last Updated on April 4, 2021 by Chef Mireille
Coconut Tres Leches Cake is a slight variation to a classic Latin American cake that is often served at birthdays and other special occasions!
Make sure to check out more Mexican Recipes here to plan all your Mexican meals – not just dessert!
Tres Leche, which translated literally means 3 milks. Pastel Tres Leche or Tres Leche Cake is popular throughout South and Central America, as well as the Spanish speaking Caribbean. A light sponge cake is fed with a combination of 3 milks and then frosted with sweetened whipped cream. A light and creamy dessert, it is a great summertime dessert. Instead of your Strawberry Shortcake, this is a similar dessert you can try, as it is often decorated with strawberries.
Feeding cakes is the process of piercing the cake with a toothpick or a fork and then feeding the cake with a liquid for a few hours, allowing the cake to drink up all the liquid. It is very common to use alcohol in the process. This is how the classic Caribbean cake, Black Cake, is made as well as many Rum Cakes or Irish Whiskey cake. Although some might think this would make a soggy cake, but it does not. It actually produces a very soft and moist cake, even in this 100% whole wheat version.
In this coconut variation, I replaced one of the traditional three milks with coconut milk. If you love coconut as much as I do, let’s take a look at some of my other coconut treats you might want to try during this holiday season!
Coconut Treats
- Gluten Free Coconut Brownies
- Coconut Fruit Parfait
- Coquito Acaremelados – Coconut Caramel Balls
- Caribbean Coconut Roll
- Coconut Shortbread
How to make Tres Leches Cake
This cake is so light, soft and moist. A perfect cake for summertime! Now you have the recipe all ready when summer comes!
This is definitely the cake I want for my next birthday!
Coconut Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Milk Feeding Ingredients
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup coconut milk
Whipped Cream Frosting Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Garnish Ingredients
- ¼ cup dessicated coconut
- blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×12 baking pan with non stick spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract and mix well, until thoroughly combined.
- Mix eggs at highest speed for 2 minutes, until they have slightly increased in volume.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.
- Add dry ingredients in two batches and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer to prepared baking pan and spread batter in an even layer.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick/knife inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- In a bowl, combine all the milk feeding ingredients and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
- With a toothpick, prick cake all over.
- Pour milk feeding over cake.
- Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- To make frosting, whisk cream, sugar and vanilla until whipped cream consistency.
- Remove cake from refrigerator and pour out excess milk.
- Flip cake over onto a serving platter. With a paper towel, wipe off milk around the edges.
- Top with whipped cream frosting.
- Garnish with dessicated coconut and blueberries.
Nutrition
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If I were you, I would have gone for an all-in-all coconut cakes + milk as well… hehe… I would also love to try this for my birthday!!! Looks so delicious!
Omg, who can resist to this beauty, coconut tres leche cake am in love with this fabulous cake, feel like having a huge slice rite now.
thanks – it made such a delicious birthday cake for my friend – I am sure you would love it
Wow Mir, looks awesome! Cake looks perfectly spongy! I m yet to try this cake! A perfect birthday treat!
yes – its a great birthday cake – very light and spongy
That looks really good, so glad I stumbled on your site. This is a simple and easy to make recipe. Can’t wait to give it a try soon.
I’ll be excited to learn how you enjoyed it
This is one of my absolute favorite but I don’t get to make it often because of my husband’s milk-phobia.
🙂 – hubby needs to embrace the lactose! ha ha
Thought I commented here..
anyway..
This is THE only cake that the husband would ever eat ! and he loves a certain version of it.. it looks scrumptious and classy !
I am yet to try this sinful cake . Adding coconut must have tasted very delicious.
this cake is awesome even in its traditional version but the coconut put it over the top
The coconut milk must have made it rich and tastier. The cake looks so light and spongy Mir.
yes it is a very light and airy cake
it is it is a wet yet not mushy cake – amazing texture
This is quite a rich cake. I just wanna get a bite f this….seems so delicious