Tres Leches Cupcakes are a light and airy cupcake that’s filled with three decadent and creamy milks, then topped with a fluffy whipped cream and dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Are you familiar with Tres Leches cake? It’s a light, sponge-like cake that’s soaked in three milks (tres leches). Typically the cake is made in a larger form, but I wanted something that was more portable and perfect for single serving. Find more cupcakes here.
This Mexican-inspired dessert is a light yet indulgent treat that is really a breeze to make.
How To Make Tres Leches Cupcakes:
- You’ll start by creating your cake batter from scratch. That might sound intimidating, but I promise this is such a super easy recipe! I’ve made it with a hand mixer and stand mixer and both ways work amazing!
- Since this cake is meant to absorb the three milks, the cake needs to be a light sponge cake. To do this we have to separate the egg yolks and egg whites, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then gently fold back into the batter. This creates air pockets in the cupcake that can absorb all the milk later on.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled you’ll want to score the tops of them with a knife or fork to allow the milk to seep in.
What Milks go into Tres Leches Cake?
This recipe calls for three types of milk that are whisked together until smooth then slowly added to each cupcake.
- Heavy Cream
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
You don’t need to add any other sweeteners or flavorings to the milk mixture! It’s so simple!
You might be wondering if the cupcake wrappers are durable enough to hold in all the liquid from the cupcakes? YES! There is ZERO leaking through or soggy wrapper bottoms. I’ve never had an issue with them making a mess when transporting either.
But seriously, can we all just take a moment and marvel at that gorgeous cupcake?
These Tres Leches Cupcakes should definitely be made pronto. Grab a fork and dig in!
HELPFUL PRODUCTS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
Make sure you don’t miss a thing! Follow I Wash You Dry here:
FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN
Tres Leches Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 5 whole eggs; separated
- 1 cup Sugar; divided
- 1/3 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Tres Leches:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 10oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 8oz can evaporated milk
For the Topping:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 to 4 tbsp powdered sugar
- cinnamon sugar
- fresh sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Set oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
For the Cupcakes:
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- In another two bowls separate the egg yolks and whites. To the yolks add 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat with a mixer until yolks are pale yellow and fluffy. Add coconut milk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Slowly, and gently incorporate yolk mixture into flour mixture.
- Beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into batter until incorporated being careful not to over mix.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
For the Tres Leches:
- In a bowl combine 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, one can of sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Score the tops of each cupcake with a sharp knife so liquid can easily be absorbed.
- Pour one tablespoon at a time into each cupcake, let it absorb and continue until you have put 3 tablespoons into each cupcake. Let them stand and absorb for about 20 minutes.
For the Topping:
- Beat the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff. Pipe the whipped cream onto each cupcake and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and top with fresh sliced strawberries.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on 5/19/2011. Updated photography & recipe on 3/1/2018.
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Skillet Mac and Cheese
Adrian
These look amazing! I’m thinking I will make these for my mother’s birthday celebration. I do have one silly question as a novice baker. When scooping the cake batter into the cupcake liners do you fill half-way up, three-quarters of way up? For best results?
Thanks in advance
Samantha
I made these the other day and my family can not get enough! Now, they want it in cake form! Thank you so much!
By any chance would this recipe be able to make a 5inch 4 layer cake? Also, would I be able to incorporate Dulce de leche filling in this recipe? Thank you, again
Ann Duchow
these were amazing! very airy and ooey gooey delicious stickiness all in one cupcake. I made these the other day for Cinco de Mayo and took them to work so I did use homemade buttercream topping as the whipped cream wouldn’t have held up. Everyone loved them.
Harriet Millheisler
I made these for my niece’s “Taco ’bout a Baby” baby shower, and they were perfect! I made the cupcakes Friday night, added the 3 milks, and kept them in the fridge until Saturday, then added the whipped cream and strawberries. I used Celebrate It non-greasy cupcake wrappers that I found at Michael’s, and they worked! My pink with white polka-dot papers were as pretty after baking as they were before. Everyone loved them, and they looked beautiful on my silver tiered tray! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Britt
Question, do you know why when I bake these they don’t keep their shape? They always shrink in diameter?
Laura
These were a hit at last night’s NYE get together!
Instead of “scoring” the cupcakes, I went ahead and used a medicine dropper to add the tres leches mixture. 14mL added into each cupcake. Using the medicine dropper allowed for less of a mess.
Stacia Denton
Excellent tip! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole
I made this recipe skipping cupcakes steps with 7 leftover keto cupcakes I had
Used half and half, heavy cream and sweetened condensed coconut milk! Amazing!
3 tbsp sauce perfect!
Rest of your sauce will go on blueberry muffins leftovers tomorrow!
Maybe with some eggs to become baked bread pudding
Love your repurposed idea for moms!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lea
Question for clarification, the recipe ingredients call for 10 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, but sweetened condensed milk comes in a 14 ounce can. Is it 10 ounces or 14?
Bianca
Amazing recipe! I used this for 2 8” cake pans and they came out great! For the cupcakes, after soaking them, the wrappers did become soggy even with 2 tbsp of milk mixture. Is there a specific cupcake liner that you use? Also, can these be baked in advanced and frozen?
Shawn
I’ve never had an issue with the wrappers getting soggy, but if yours did, I would try the foil lined wrappers next time. As for freezing – I imagine the cake can be frozen ahead of time, but defrost and THEN add the milk for best texture and flavor. Hope that helps!
Jasmine
Can you use cake flour or does it have to be all purpose flour ?
Shawn
I would stick with all purpose flour for this recipe.
Isabel
What if I want to make this into chocolate? What do you suggest I do?
Sonz
Hi! The recipe says 24 servings, but I’m assuming it’s for 12 standard cupcakes?
Shawn
It actually makes 24 cupcakes!
Denisse
It makes 12 standard cupcakes… I just tried the recipe and luckily I had pantry items for 2 batches of 12 as I need 24… they smell and taste delicious. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe!
Shawn
So happy you enjoyed them Denisse!
Crystal Sage
the whipped frosting was delicious. the milk sauce was yummy, but the cupcakes themselves seemed more like french toast than cake. They were very eggy. The egg to flour ratio was not right in my opinion. It was a bummer on my birthday. An old friend made a tres leches cake a dozen years ago that I have not been able to replicate since.
Shawn
The cupcakes are supposed to be spongey and not your typical cake-like texture. I’m not sure if that’s throwing you off or not? Sorry you weren’t happy with the results.
Susan
BEST tres leches ever. I fell in love with this cake in Mexico years ago and have made many recipes in cake form. This was by far the best! I love the fact that each cupcake is (for the most part) equally moistened and contained. Cake was delicious (I don’t think previous recipes I’ve tried had cinnamon in it). Thank you – new favorite recipe!!
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Susan! Thanks for your sweet comment!
Laura
Hi, can regular whole milk be used instead of coconut milk?
Sunshine Smiles
Tasted so good! Husband’s allergic to coconut milk, so I did a 1:2 ratio of melted butter and water as recommended by the internet, and the cupcakes turned out fine. By far the tastiest cake-type dessert I’ve had in forever!
I could have improved it for myself by mixing the whipped topping a little stiffer and taking a bit more time to let the tres leches absorb into the cupcakes. But overall they were fabulous.
Shawn
I’m so glad you were able to make it work with your husband’s allergy. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Angil
If making these as a cake, what alterations would you suggest? Also, what would a good bake time be? Sorry need all of the help I can get, I’m not a savvy Baker.
Shawn
Hi Angil, I’m thinking you could bake this in a 9×13, and just bake until the center of the cake is cooked through. Not sure on how long that would take exactly. Hope it works out for you!
Christine Woodmansee
Did you use coconut milk in a can (non-dairy) or the coconut milk that you find in the dairy department? These look yummy and I’m going to take them to a dinner party tomorrow night!
Shawn
Hi Christine, I use the coconut milk from a can for these cupcakes.
Sam
What size muffin pan did you use?
Shawn
Hi Sam, I used a standard sized cupcake pan with 2 inch diameter cups.
Jazbeth
I will be trying these tonight for tomorrow should I add the milk tonight and is it ok for them to sit in the fridge until tomorrow morning ?
Shawn
Absolutely! It will give the milk time to thoroughly soak in to the cake. Yummmy!
Jazbeth
Thank you! Also how soon after I have added the milk do I wait until I put them in the fridge ? (Covered) or do they stay out for the 20 minutes then put them in the fridge ?
Sorry thank you
Shawn
Hi Jazbeth, You can put them in the fridge right away if they are going to be in there over night. When you are ready to serve, just pop out of the fridge, put your toppings on and enjoy!
Claudia
This recipe sounds so yummy! I like the idea of it being an airy cake to absorb the milk. I’m planning on making these in advance for a bbq on Sunday. I won’t be home Saturday so I need to prep as much as I can today and Friday. Do you have any tips?
Like should I make the cupcakes today and incorporate the milk Friday night and the topping on Sunday before serving? Will it affect the taste?
Shawn
Hi Claudia, You should be okay to prep on Friday with the milks. Just cover and pop them in the fridge. Just before serving, take them out put on your toppings and enjoy. Hope this helps!
Mason
First off: thank you so much. These look amazing and I’m excited to try them!
I’m thinking of adding a mango or guava curd to the center of the cupcakes, do you recommend any adjustments to the recipe?
Shawn
Hi Mason, I have not tested this recipe with that, but it’s worth a try! I can’t think of any adjustments you would need to make. Let me know how they turn out.
Jessica Ocampo-Callaghan
Do you think these would work in the mini cupcakes? I’m having a Seis de Mayo party at work, but I would need like a 100!
Thanks in advance!!!
Shawn
It could be worth a try! You would have to be sure to reduce baking time by a few minutes (The toothpick test will tell you when they are done). Also, the liquid for each cupcake would be reduced (at teaspoon at a time). Good Luck!
Jessica Ocampo Callaghan
Thanks for the tips! I’ll let you know how it goes on Sunday.
Ema
Great recipe! Can I substitute oil for the butter? I just realized I’ve run out of butter
Shawn
Hi Ema, great news! There is no butter in this recipe, so you should be good!
Jessica Ocampo-Callaghan
The mini version came out perfect!!! I improvised for the icing though since I was making so many and could not ice right before serving.
The recipe made about 68 minis and I reduced the bake time to 11 minutes and did about 2 teaspoons of the milk into each.
I cheated on the icing and bought a whipped already made one and instead of the strawberry I drizzled a small amount of caramel on each!
They were a huge hit at my work fiesta!
Thank you for the recipe and advice. I can’t wait to make more of your stuff in the future!!!
Shawn
Sounds like a winner! I’m happy to hear it all worked out.
G3
Hi, can you please let me know if this recipe could be halved? Thanks!
Shawn
Yes, you can half this recipe. Halving 5 eggs can be tricky, but all you need to do is separate 5 eggs and then whisk yolks and whites separately till it is a homogenous mixture. You can then divide each egg part in half and use as instructed in the recipe. The leftover whites can be frozen for another time. Hope this helps!
G3
Thank you so much. I will weigh them can’t wait to try them
Lori
These sound wonderful!! Sadly, I am allergic to coconut, can I substitute with Almond milk?
Shawn
Hi Lori, yeah, I think that would be totally fine!
Ann
Sounds good! Cheating here but can I use a boxed cake mix? If so, which one or what kind!
Shawn
Normally I would be all for using a cake mix, but on this recipe you would not get good results.
Michele
Regarding the coconut milk is it full fat or light? Can something else be substituted for it?
Vanessa
How many does this recipe yield? Also, can you make the cakes the day before and then top them the next day?
Shawn
The recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Yes you can make the cupcakes the day before and then top when needed! Enjoy!
MARLENE NEWBY
HAVEN’T MADE THESE YET BUT WONDERED WHY DID THIS RECIPE GETS ONLY 2 STARS WHEN ALL THE REVIEWS ARE GOOD?
Shawn
Hey Marlene, it’s because I’ve had spam bots leave spam comments and rate the recipes low, and even though I’ve deleted their comments and marked them as spam, they are still negatively impacting the recipe ratings. I’m working with the developer of the rating system to find a solution to this.
Marlene
They sound awesome and am making them for a get-together this Saturday. I’ve made so many of your recipes and loved them! Thanks for helping me create great meals!
Yadira
I made these and they were a hit was wondering can I make it as a whole cake vs cupcakes?
Shawn
You can definitely make it as a whole cake!
Nidia Moreno
what type of camera you used for those pictures? they look wonderful.
mangafox
I made these tonight and they were so good! Couldn’t find our mixer, but the whisk worked okay. 🙂
Shawn
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
Jenni Luna Perez
I just baked them and they have a bad smell on top of cupcake. Like a wet dog smell. Did I do something wrong ? I followed directions exactly. I did taste a naked one and tasted fine. It also smells fine inside. It’s just the tops that stink : (
Sunshine
How many dows this make?
Sunshine
Does*
Adrian
I made these tonight and they were so good! Couldn’t find our mixer, but the whisk worked okay. 🙂
Kristen
These look so delicious! I have been looking for a good Tres Leches cupcake recipe for some time. These will be perfect for Cinco de Mayo!
Krista {Budget Gourmet Mom}
Those look dangerously good! My hubby lived in Argentina for awhile and loves tres leches. Great recipe Shawn!
Krystal and Brad Cooley
YUMMY indeed! I'll have to make those one day. This weekend I have to make two cakes for a block party. They are delicious and they're actually Weight Watcher friendly! So they might not be the healthiest thing, but better than most cakes! So people are more likely to eat it. The ingredient list is SO EASY. Maybe I'll put the recipe up on my blog! It's got vanilla cake mix, pudding, some eggs, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, cool whip, and that's almost about it! 🙂
Sandy
I'm going to have to try these! I love getting that at cafe rio! If these taste as good as you say you may have just become my new favorite person!