By Rajlakshmi
December 10, 2025
Tres leches, or ‘cake of three milks’, is made by soaking vanilla sponge cake in a divine concoction of three types of milk–condensed, evaporated and cream. Often topped with whipped cream or meringue and garnished with slivers of nuts and fruits, this makes for an awesome Christmas dessert!
1 cup of flour 1 cup of evaporated milk 1¼ cup of condensed milk 1¼ cup of full-fat milk 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder ¼ teaspoon of salt 5 large eggs 1 cup of sugar ⅓ cup of whole milk 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
In a bowl, add the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
Beat the egg yolk. Pour three-quarters of the sugar. Whip until the mixture is pale in colour. Add a third of the milk and the vanilla essence.
Add the dry ingredients and fold the dry into the wet. In a separate bowl, add the egg whites till soft peaks.
Add the remaining egg to the egg whites slowly. Fold the egg whites into the previous batter.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a rectangular cake pan. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk. When the cake is baked and cooled, poke holes into the cake.
Pour the milk mixture. Dust some optional cinnamon and garnish with fresh fruit. Serve tres leches for a perfect Christmas dinner dessert!