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This Sourdough Tres Leches Cake is a soft and tender, moist yellow cake soaked in a rich blend of three milks and topped with a homemade whipped cream frosting. Rich and creamy with a hint of tang from sourdough discard, it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert that gets better as it sits.
Tres leches is a traditional Mexican cake named for the rich mixture of three milks that’s poured over the cake, soaking it until it’s irresistibly moist and tender. This version is a spin on the traditional recipe and is made with sourdough discard. It is the perfect sweet treat to serve with your favorite Mexican dishes or tacos made with Sourdough Flour Tortillas.
Why you will love this recipe
- The cake has a soft and tender texture, made even more decadent by the sweet milk mixture that is poured on top and absorbed into the cake.
- This cake is a great make-ahead sourdough dessert recipe. It needs time to allow the milk mixture to soak into the cake, and it only gets better as it sits.
- Although this recipe has multiple steps, it is beginner-friendly and easy to do!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough discard – It is best to use room temperature sourdough discard in this recipe but cold discard will work in a pinch. This will help it incorporate into the batter more easily. You can also use room temperature active sourdough starter instead.
- Sugar- White granulated sugar gives this cake the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Milk – Tres Leches means “three milks” so you will need three different types of milk to make this cake. You will need whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. The milk mixture will make a sweet syrup that you will drizzle on top of the cake. If you would rather, you can replace whole milk with heavy cream.
- Heavy whipping cream – To make homemade whipped cream with you will need heavy whipping cream along with a few other ingredients. It is super easy to make but if you would rather use store-bought whipped cream, you will need about 2 cups.
- Cinnamon – A light sprinkling of cinnamon is added on top of the cake to add flavor and give the cake a pretty presentation.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Tres Leches cake
Step 1: With beaters or a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for about 5-6 minutes until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the consistency is pale and fluffy.
Step 2: Add in the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter and sugar.
Step 3: Mix in the sourdough discard to incorporate.
Step 4: Mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together and then add the flour mixture with the vanilla extract and milk to the bowl. Fold in with a spatula until the flour is combined.
Step 5: Grease a 9×9 inch pan and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6: Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
Step 7: Stir together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in a large bowl.
Step 8: Use a fork or skewer to poke holes all throughout the cake.
Step 9: Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake. Don’t do this quickly or the mix will overflow. Give the cake a few seconds to absorb the mixture and then continue adding the remaining milk.
Step 10: Cover the soaked cake and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but I recommend letting it soak overnight. It’s worth the wait!
Step 11: Make the whipped cream topping by adding the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together in the bowl of a stand mixer and beating with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. This will take about 2-3 minutes typically.
Step 12: Cover the cake with the whipped cream topping and then sprinkle with ground cinnamon and top with strawberries if you would like.
How to cream together butter and sugar
One of the most important steps of this Sourdough Tres Leches cake is to make sure to cream the butter and sugar well. If you don’t cream it long enough, the cake will not rise as well, and the batter will be lumpy.
The key to an airy cake with a good rise is creaming the butter and sugar properly. It is a step that is crucial in many baked goods such as in Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies or Sourdough Banana Bread.
The best tool for creaming butter and sugar is your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed. If you do not have a stand mixer, hand beaters will also get the job done!
You want the sugar to mostly dissolve during this process. When you feel the butter and sugar between your fingers, most of the graininess should be gone. The butter you use should be room temperature when doing this. Cold or hot butter will not cream well. For a full guide on the dos and don’ts, check out this How to Cream Sugar and Butter article.
Recipe Tips
- Cream the butter and sugar together well. See the section above for detailed instructions.
- Make sure the cake is baked through. If the middle is underdone, the middle of the cake will sink while cooling.
- This can be made in a 9×13 baking dish, but it will make a thinner cake. The baking time will be shorter, probably 25-30 minutes.
- Ideally, use room temperature ingredients to ensure everything incorporates well. Using cold ingredients will result in a lumpy batter (although it will still taste good).
Storage instructions
To store leftover Sourdough Tres Leches Cake, add it to an airtight container or cover the pan with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can use either sourdough discard or sourdough starter.
If your Sourdough Tres Leches Cake is dense and did not rise properly, you likely did not cream together the sugar and butter properly. Creaming them together well helps incorporate air into the batter and gives the cake a good rise and tender texture. See the section in the blog post that outlines tips and tricks to cream the better and sugar together well.
If the cake is not baked properly, the center will collapse when cooling. To prevent this from happening, check if your cake has cooked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is finished baking.
Also avoid opening the oven early on in the baking process or this can cause a cake to sink as well.
Yes! You could use a 10×10 inch or a 9×13 inch pan. Note that the 9×13 inch pan will result in a thinner cake and will need to be baked for less time.
More sourdough Desserts
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough White Chocolate Almond Scones
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Fruit Pizza
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Coffee Cake Sourdough Scones
Sourdough Focaccia Recipes
Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia
Tried this Sourdough Tres Leches Cake or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 114 grams butter, ½ cup
- 200 grams sugar, 1 cup
- 2 eggs, 100 grams
- 120 grams sourdough discard, ½ cup
- 280 grams cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups
- 5 grams baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- 5 grams vanilla extract , 1 teaspoon
- 300 grams milk, 1 ¼ cup
Milk mixture
- 240 grams whole milk, 1 cup
- 397 grams sweetened condensed milk, 1 (14-ounce) can
- 340 grams evaporated milk, 1 (12-ounce) can
Whipped Cream Topping
- 240 grams heavy whipping cream, 1 cup
- 25 grams sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoon
- 5 grams vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
- Cinnamon for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- With beaters or a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar for about 5-6 minutes until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the consistency is pale and fluffy.114 grams butter, 200 grams sugar
- Add in the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter and sugar.2 eggs
- Add in the sourdough discard until incorporated.120 grams sourdough discard
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together and then add into the mixture with the milk and vanilla extract. Fold in with a spatula until the flour is combined.280 grams cups all-purpose flour, 5 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt, 5 grams baking soda, 300 grams milk, 5 grams vanilla extract
- Grease a 9×9 inch pan and pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for about 33-35 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
- Mix together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in a large bowl.240 grams whole milk, 397 grams sweetened condensed milk, 340 grams evaporated milk
- Use a fork to poke holes all throughout the cake. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake. Don’t do this quickly or the mix will overflow. Give the cake a few seconds to absorb the mixture and then continue adding the remaining milk.
- Cover the cake and place it in the fridge for at least an hour but I recommend letting it soak overnight. It’s worth the wait!
- Make the whipped cream topping by beating heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a stand mixer until peaks form. This will take about 2-3 minutes typically.240 grams heavy whipping cream, 25 grams sugar, 5 grams vanilla extract
- Cover the cake with the whipped cream topping and then sprinkle with ground cinnamon and top with strawberries if you would like.
Notes
- Make sure to cream the room temperature butter and sugar well. If you don’t cream it long enough the cake will not rise as well and the batter will be lumpy. You want the sugar to mostly dissolve.
- Cook the cake until a toothpick comes out clean. If the middle is underdone the middle of the cake will sink while cooling.
- This can be made in a 9×13 but will make a thinner cake. Baking time will be shorter probably 25-30 minutes.
- Ideally, use room temperature discard. Cold discard still works but it will incorporate better with the butter mixture if at room temperature. You could even use active starter if you have some on the counter.
- If you would rather use store bought whipped cream you will need about 2 cups.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! I made this for a church pot luck and received so many compliments! I used a 9×13 pan and baked it a bit longer than the recipe called for, until it was golden brown and not jiggly.
I wouldn’t make it again. The cake just wasn’t good. Kinda dry and dense and tastes like heavy sourdough yet it’s supposed to
Be tres leches. The stuff you pour on and the topping is delicious. But it was expensive to throw away
I’m sorry the cake didn’t turn out well for you. I can barely even taste the sourdough in it so I’m surprised you could taste it that strong.
The best Tres Leche cake! I chilled mine in the fridge almost 24 hours and it was to die for.
Thank you so much Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
So good! I used a 9×13 pan and it turned out perfect. I used organic cane sugar so the crystals are bigger than refined sugar so they didn’t dissolve completely but it still turned out delicious and fluffy!
Thanks Lisa so happy to hear you liked the cake!
You’re going to love this sourdough tres leches cake. It is so moist and absolutely delicious!