Pumpkin tres leches is a light and fluffy spiced pumpkin cake soaked in a sweet and creamy three milk mixture. This pumpkin tres leches cake is topped with a cinnamon spiced whipped cream. It’s a wonderfully delicious, cozy and easy to make pumpkin cake that’s perfect for fall holidays.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a few cake recipes on the blog that use a simple cake and soak it with a tasty liquid to transform it into a truly decadent dessert. My Strawberry Tres Leches, Chocolate Poke Cake, Lemon Poke Cake and Butterfinger Cake are all easy to make cakes soaked with flavor. I am so excited to add this pumpkin tres leches cake to the blog. I know you’ll love it because:
- It has the perfect contrast of taste and texture. This easy and creamy pumpkin tres leches cake has layers of textures and cozy flavors.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This pumpkin milk cake is made with pantry basics and comes together using a couple of mixing bowls and a cake pan.
- Fall twist on a classic tres leches dessert. With a few swaps and addition, tres leches cake becomes your new favorite pumpkin dessert that feeds a crowd.
Ingredients
This pumpkin tres leches recipe needs only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you will need to make this creamy and decadent pumpkin dessert.
Spiced Pumpkin Cake
Gather yellow or spiced cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
Three Milk Mixture and Whipped Cream Topping
- Tres Leches: Gather sweetened condensed milk, condensed milk and heavy cream or half and half.
- Whipped Cream: Gather heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Substitutions
This three milk pumpkin cake is meant to be quick, easy and so delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe if you need them:
- Box Cake Mix: I prefer using spice cake mix for even more spiced flavor, but feel free to use yellow cake mix.
- Oil: Any neutral baking oil will work well in this pumpkin milk cake recipe.
- Water or Milk: Feel free to use either water or milk to make the pumpkin cake.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Condensed Milk: Feel free to use sweetened condensed milk coconut milk in place of the condensed milk.
- Evaporated Milk: Replace evaporated milk with the same amount of half and half.
- Half and Half or Heavy Cream: Feel free to use either one.
- Whipped Cream Topping: Feel free to make the suggested homemade spiced whipped cream topping or use Cool Whip.
How To Make
Learn how to make pumpkin tres leches in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, spices and cake mix until well combined.
- Pour the spiced pumpkin cake into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 28 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the cake pan to warm room temperature. Once the cake has cooled for 1 hour or is no longer very warm to the touch, poke holes in the cake using the bottom of a thick skewer or small wooden spoon.
3. In another large bowl whisk the evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream or half and half until smooth and well combined. Pour the three milk mixture on top of the cooled cake.The milk should soak into the cake easily. Cover the cake and pan with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to soak and chill overnight or for at least 4 - 5 hours. The longer the cake soaks, the better.
4. When you are ready to serve the pumpkin tres leches cake, make the spiced whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine the ingredients on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium speed. Mix for about 4 - 5 more minutes or until the cream has whipped to medium stiff peaks. Top the pumpkin milk cake with the whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: The milk and cake can both be made ahead of time and stored separately until you are ready to assemble the tres leches dessert. The three milk mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. The cake can be made and stored at room temperature for 1 day. The pumpkin tres leches cake can be made and stored, covered in an airtight container for 1 day prior to serving. Wait to top the cake with whipped cream and dusting of cinnamon until right before serving.
- Store: Place leftover pieces of the three milk pumpkin cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze: The only portion of this cake that freezes well is the cake. Feel free to bake and freeze the cake portion of this recipe. Cool the cake to room temperature, wrap the full cake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight and freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer the frozen cake to thaw at room temperature. Resume the pumpkin tres leches cake recipe by making the three milk mixture and soaking the cake overnight.
M’s Expert Tips
- Prepare the box cake according to the box directions. I’ve listed the ingredients and instructions for the box cake mix in my recipe, but feel free to refer to the box for instructions on high altitude baking or baking in different sized pans.
- Use spice cake mix for even more cozy spiced cake flavor. If you want even more spiced pumpkin flavor, use a spiced cake mix and more ground spices.
- Decide how big you want the holes to be. Use the end of a large wooden spoon for big holes or a thick wooden skewer for medium sized holes for the strawberry milk to soak into.
- Wait to top the pumpkin milk cake until right before serving. This three milk pumpkin cake is topped with freshly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon right before serving. Freshly whipped cream is best when enjoyed shortly after being made. Allow the cake to soak without the topping. Make the whipped cream topping no more than 1 - 2 hours in advance.
FAQs
Ideally the pumpkin tres leches cake will soak at least overnight. The longer the cake soaks in the three milk mixture the better.
A classic tres leches cake tastes moist and sweet, but not too sweet. Vanilla is the main flavor in the milk and cake. This pumpkin tres leches cake recipe adds a fall flavor twist. Pumpkin and pumpkin spice is added to the cake mix and a spiced whipped cream topping adds a cozy pumpkin cake inspired twist while also remaining true to the milk flavor of a classic three milk cake.
If you love a spiced cake, add 1 -2 teaspoons ground spices or a spice blend like pumpkin spice to the three milk mixture.
A wooden spoon is the perfect tool to use to poke holes in the cake for the three milk mixture to soak into. Make sure to space the holes out by 1-inch (2.5 cm) to ensure the cake isn’t too dry or too soggy.
Yes, simply use a gluten free cake mix or make your own gluten free cake.
Other Pumpkin Cake Recipes to Try
If you try this Pumpkin Tres Leches recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
Pumpkin Tres Leches Recipe
Equipment
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
- 1 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
- 1 stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer with beaters optional to make the whipped cream
Ingredients
Spicd Pumpkin Cake
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) water or milk
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree
- 1 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 15.25 oz. spiced or yellow cake mix
Tres Leches
- 12 oz. evaporated milk
- 14 oz. condensed milk
- ¾ cup (180 ml) half and half or heavy cream
Spiced Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, spices and cake mix until well combined. Pour the spiced pumpkin cake into the prepared cake pan.½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, ½ cup (120 ml) water or milk, 4 large eggs, room temperature, 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree, 1 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 15.25 oz. spiced or yellow cake mix
- Bake for 28 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the cake pan to warm room temperature. Once the cake has cooled for 1 hour or is no longer very warm to the touch, poke holes in the cake using the bottom of a thick skewer or small wooden spoon.
- In another large bowl whisk the evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream or half and half until smooth and well combined. Pour the three milk mixture on top of the cooled cake. The milk should soak into the cake easily. Cover the cake and pan with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to soak and chill overnight or for at least 4 - 6 hours. The longer the cake soaks, the better.12 oz. evaporated milk, 14 oz. condensed milk, ¾ cup (180 ml) half and half or heavy cream
- When you are ready to serve the pumpkin tres leches cake, make the spiced whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine the ingredients on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium speed. Mix for about 4 - 5 more minutes or until the cream has whipped to medium stiff peaks.2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar or maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Top the pumpkin milk cake with the whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon and enjoy.1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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