Strawberry tres leches is a moist, light and fluffy sponge cake soaked in a sweet fresh strawberry milk made with three types of milk. This strawberry tres leches cake is topped with sweetened whipped cream and more fresh strawberries. It’s a wonderfully refreshing strawberry milk cake that’s perfect for spring and summer entertaining.
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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 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 strawberry tres leches cake to the blog. I know you’ll love it because:
- It has the perfect contrast of taste and texture. This easy strawberries and cream tres leches cake has layers of textures filled with sweet, milky flavor with hints of tart strawberries. The vanilla cake is fluffy and moist after being soaked in the strawberry milk which pairs perfectly with the light and creamy whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This tres leche con fresas, (aka, three milks with strawberries) cake is made with pantry basics and comes together using a blender and a mixing bowl.
Ingredients
This strawberry 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 strawberry dessert.
Strawberry Milk and Cake
- Strawberry Milk: Gather fresh strawberries, sugar, condensed milk, whole milk and half and half or heavy cream.
- Vanilla Cake: Gather vanilla or strawberry cake mix, milk, oil, eggs and sour cream.
Whipped Cream and Strawberry Topping
Gather heavy cream, sugar and more fresh strawberries.
Substitutions
This three milk strawberry milk cake is meant to be quick, easy and so delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe if you need them:
- Strawberries: Use fresh, ripe and sweet strawberries. Taste the strawberries to ensure they are sweet. If needed, add a little more sugar to taste once the strawberry milk is made.
- Condensed Milk: Feel free to use evaporated milk in place of the condensed milk. Just make sure to add a bit more sugar to taste once the strawberry milk is made.
- Whole Milk: Feel free to use your preferred milk. For even more strawberry flavor, you can replace some or all of the milk with strawberry flavored milk. Please note that the three milk strawberry milk mixture will be sweeter.
- Half and Half or Heavy Cream: Feel free to use either one.
- Box Cake Mix: I prefer using vanilla cake mix but feel free to use strawberry cake mix for even more strawberry flavor.
- Oil: Any neutral baking oil will work well in this strawberry milk cake recipe.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Sour Cream: Omit if you prefer a lighter and fluffier sponge cake to soak in the strawberry milk.
How To Make
Learn how to make strawberry tres leches in a few easy steps.
Make the Strawberry Milk and Cake
- Place the fresh, clean and hulled strawberries, along with 1 tablespoon of sugar into a food processor or blender. Allow the berries and sugar to macerate for about 15 minutes. Then add the condensed milk, whole milk and half and half (or heavy cream). Blend the ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the sweetness as needed. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, milk, sour cream and cake mix until well combined. Pour the vanilla 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.
Chill and Serve the Strawberry Tres Leches
- Pour the three milk strawberry milk on top of the cake through a mesh strainer. 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.
- When you are ready to serve the strawberry tres leches cake, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream and sugar 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 strawberry milk cake with the whipped cream and more fresh berries.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: The strawberry milk and cake can both be made ahead. Strawberry milk can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. The cake can be made and stored at room temperature for 1 - 2 days. The tres leches cake can be made and stored, covered in an airtight container for 2 days prior to serving. Wait to top the cake with whipped cream and berries until right before serving.
- Store: Place leftover pieces of the strawberry milk 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 strawberry tres leches cake recipe by making the strawberry milk and soaking the cake overnight.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use the best strawberries you can find. Fresh, ripe strawberries add all the strawberry flavor in this strawberry tres leches cake. Make sure the berries are sweet and flavorful.
- 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 strawberry cake mix for even more strawberry flavor. If you want even more strawberry flavor, use a strawberry cake mix in place of the vanilla cake mix.
- 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 strawberry milk cake until right before serving. This three milk cake with strawberries is topped with freshly whipped cream and more strawberries. Freshly whipped cream and fresh berries are best when enjoyed shortly after being made. Allow the cake to soak without the topping.
FAQs
How long do tres leches need to soak?
Ideally the strawberry tres leches cake will soak at least overnight. The longer the cake soaks in the three milk mixture the better. This strawberry milk cake can be made up to 2 days in advanced.
What does tres leches cake taste like?
A classic tres leches cake tastes moist and sweet, but not too sweet. Milky, creamy vanilla is the main flavor in the milk and cake. This strawberry tres leches cake recipe adds fresh strawberries to the three milk mixture and as a topping to add a touch of sweet and bright strawberry flavor, while also remaining true to the milk flavor of a classic three milk cake.
What do you use to poke holes in a cake?
A wooden spoon is the perfect tool to use to poke holes in the cake for the strawberry milk 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.
Can this strawberry tres leches cake be made gluten free?
Yes, simply use a gluten free cake mix or make your own gluten free cake.
Other Strawberry Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Cream Cake
- Strawberry Mousse
- Strawberry Bars
- Strawberry Brownies
- Strawberry Dump Cake
- Strawberry Crunch Cake
If you try this Strawberry 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!
Strawberry Tres Leches Recipe
Strawberry tres leches is a moist, light and fluffy sponge cake soaked in a sweet fresh strawberry milk made with three types of milk. This strawberry tres leches cake is topped with sweetened whipped cream and more fresh strawberries. It’s a wonderfully refreshing strawberry milk cake that’s perfect for spring and summer entertaining.
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 blender or food processor to make the strawberry milk
- 1 fine mesh strainer
- 1 stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer with beaters to make whipped cream topping
Ingredients
Strawberry Milk
- ½ pound strawberries clean, hulled and sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1¼ cup (300 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) half and half or heavy cream
Sponge Cake
- 15.25 oz. vanilla or strawberry box cake mix
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature optional
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake Topping
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream
- 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
- 1 - 2 cups sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Place the fresh, clean and hulled strawberries, along with 1 tablespoon of sugar into a food processor or blender. Allow the berries and sugar to macerate for about 15 minutes. Then add the condensed milk, whole milk and half and half (or heavy cream). Blend the ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the sweetness as needed. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour.½ pound strawberries, 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar, 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk, 1¼ cup (300 ml) whole milk, ¼ cup (60 ml) half and half or heavy cream
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper.In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, milk, sour cream and cake mix until well combined. Pour the vanilla cake into the prepared cake pan.15.25 oz. vanilla or strawberry box cake mix, ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, ½ cup (120 ml) oil , 4 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 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.
- Pour the three milk strawberry milk on top of the cake through a mesh strainer. 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 3 - 4 hours. The longer the cake soaks, the better. Soaking the cake overnight is recommended.
- When you are ready to serve the strawberry tres leches cake, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream and sugar 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 strawberry milk cake with the whipped cream and more fresh berries.1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste, 1 - 2 cups sliced strawberries
Notes
Store: Place leftover pieces of the strawberry milk cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
Make Ahead: The strawberry milk and cake can both be made ahead. Strawberry milk can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. The cake can be made and stored at room temperature for 1 - 2 days. The tres leches cake can be made and stored, covered in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days prior to serving. Wait to top the cake with whipped cream and berries until right before serving.
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