Perfectly milk-soaked gingerbread tres leches cake, flavoured with ginger and cinnamon and topped with whipped cream. It is a great Winter or holiday dessert that is best made a day ahead, so it’s perfect for working ahead of the day.
Tres Leches cake, or 3 milk cake, is a classic Mexican cake. This gingerbread tres leches is spiced with ginger and cinnamon, making it perfect for a lovely Winter or holiday dessert.
I love that it’s made the day ahead and sits happily in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Simply add the whipped topping right before serving.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Eggs – This recipe requires the eggs to be separated into yolks and whites. I find that eggs separate best when cold from the fridge, but the whites will whip up best when at room temperature. As such, separate the eggs ahead and lets stand at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before starting the recipe.
Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar (golden sugar), but dark brown sugar could be used for a darker cake with a touch more molasses flavour.
Sweetened condensed milk – You will need just one can. Most of it will be used for soaking the cake, but save a bit of the leftover condensed milk to sweeten the whipped cream.
Evaporated milk – I recommend full-fat evaporated milk. It is usually the one that has nothing else on the label (such as 2% or low-fat or fat-free). If not-full fat, 2% is the next best option. In Canada, one can is 354ml, so you will use almost all of one can.
How to make gingerbread tres leches cake
- Place the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a bowl and electric beater).
- Whisk on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes until foamy (like a bubble bath!).
- With the mixer running at medium speed, begin adding the brown sugar a spoonful at a time until it is all added. Increase the mixer speed slightly and continue whisking.
- Whisk the egg white mixture until it is thick and glossy and forms soft peaks. Set aside for now.
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla and brown sugar to a large bowl.
- Use a hand whisk and whisk until lightened and foamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the flour, spices, baking powder and milk to the bowl and use a spatula to fold it together. It will be quite stiff.
- Add a large spoonful of the egg white mixture to the batter.
- Stir the egg whites into the batter to loosen it up a bit (you don’t need to fold it in at this point).
- Add the remaining whipped egg whites to the bowl.
- Gently fold in the egg whites, combining the batter well, but don’t over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and leve.
- Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. It will deflate somewhat during the cooling.
- Remove the outer ring of the pan and invert the cake onto a rimmed cake plate. Use a skewer to poke holes over the top of the cake.
- Pour some of the milk mixture over the top of the cake and use the back of a spoon to spread it towards the edges as it is absorbed (don’t let it pool in the centre). Once the milk is absorbed, add some more of the milk mixture and repeat until all of the milk mixture has been added and absorbed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before topping with whipped cream and serving.
Recipe tips!
- Be sure to separate the eggs carefully. Even a tiny bit of egg yolk in the egg whites can prevent the whites from whipping properly. Murphy’s Law dictates that it is always the last egg yolk that will break and contaminate the whole thing, so use the 3 bowl rule and separate the eggs one at a time placing the yolk into one bowl and the white into a second bowl. When the separation is yolk-free, transfer the white to the third bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Folding the egg whites is a critical part of this cake. I like to use a motion that uses the spatula to slice through the batter like a knife from 11-o’clock to 5-o’clock position in the bowl, then angling the spatula to 45 degrees and scooping from the bottom and folding it over the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat. Occasionally run the spatula around the outside of the bowl and fold as well.
- I prefer the taller cake with an 8-inch springform pan, but unless your 8-inch springform pan has sides at least 3″ tall, you’ll want to use a 9-inch springform as the cake rises considerably as it bakes.
- Do your best to saturate the cake with all of the milk mixture. Add the milk a bit at a time, adding more once absorbed. If the milk pools in the middle, use a spoon to spread it towards the edges. If the cake absolutely won’t absorb any more milk, save the extra and use it for a puddle on the serving plates and place the slice of cake on top.
- While tres leches cake is best after an overnight rest in the refrigerator, in a pinch you could make early and refrigerate for at 6-8 hours before serving, if you wanted to serve it same day.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
Making ahead is built into this cake, as it is best after it has rested in the fridge overnight. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The soaked cake itself (without the whipped cream) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and add whipped cream to serve.
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Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Tres Leches Cake
Perfectly soaked tres leches cake, flavoured with gingerbread spices and topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients
For the egg white mixture:
- 4 large egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
For the egg yolk mixture:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tablespoon (200 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, *see Note 1 below
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, full-fat recommended
For the milk mixture:
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) evaporated milk, full-fat
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) sweetened condensed milk
For the whipped cream:
- 2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) whipping cream, 35% b.f.
Instructions
- This cake can be baked in an 8-inch springform pan with at least 3" high sides or in a 9-inch springform pan. Lightly grease the pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Tip! I find that eggs separate best when they are cold, but egg whites whip up better when they are at room temperature. If you have the time, allow the egg whites to sit for 20-30 minutes before whipping.
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Start by separating the eggs. Place the yolks into a large bowl and set aside. Place the egg whites into a perfectly clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a medium bowl and an electric mixer). Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Ensure that there is absolutely no yolk in the egg whites or they won't whip up well.
- Tip! To test if the egg whites are whipped enough, stop the mixer and see if the whites hold soft peaks in the bowl. If the top is flat, keep whisking. You can see what they should look like when done in the step-by-step photos above this Recipe Card.
- Turn the mixer on to speed 4 (on a Kitchenaid mixer) and whisk the egg whites for about 3 minutes until they are very foamy (like a bubble bath!). With the mixer running at speed 4, begin adding the brown sugar a spoonful at a time, until all the brown sugar is added. Increase the mixer to speed 5 for about a minute or so, then notch it up to speed 6 for minute. Notch the mixer up again one notch and continue whisking the egg whites until they are thick and glossy, about 3-4 minutes more. The egg whites should hold soft peaks in the bowl when you stop the mixer. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside for now.
- Tip! When it comes to adding some of the egg whites to loosen the batter, use a BIG spoonful (such as a serving spoon from your utensil drawer, not a soup spoon). You'll want to add around a cup-ish. The first additional of egg whites should be stirred in and not folded in. You want the batter to be loose enough to easily fold together with the remaining egg whites.
- To the bowl with the egg yolks, add the 1/4 cup of brown sugar and the vanilla. Use a hand whisk to whisk them together until lightened in colour and foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon and milk and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the mixture together. It will be quite stiff. Add a big spoonful of the egg whites to the batter (see tip above!) and stir it in to loosen the batter (no need to fold this addition in). Add the remaining egg whites to the bowl and now use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the batter until well combined. Don't over-mix or you will remove too much air from the egg whites. The batter won't be completely smooth, but should be evenly mixed.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and level the top.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes for a 9-inch springform pan or about 40 minutes for an 8-inch pan. Watch closely near the end of baking and test with a cake tester when it looks close to done. The tester should come out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cake, then remove the outer ring. Carefully run a knife under and around the cake to loosen it from the parchment paper, then carefully invert the cake onto a rimmed cake plate. You'll need a rim on the cake plate to catch the liquid running off the cake when you add the milk mixture. Allow the cake to cool for another 10 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the milk mixture by stirring together the evaporated milk and the sweetened condensed milk in a large measuring cup. **Don't forget to set aside 2 Tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk to mix with the whipped cream later. I like to spoon it into a plastic bag and pop it into the fridge.
- Using a wooden skewer poke lots of holes in the top of the cake, poking right through the cake. Pour some of the milk mixture over the top of the cake and let stand until it is absorbed. Don't let the milk mixture pool in the centre of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to spread it towards the outside as it soaks in. Add more of the milk mixture and leave until that is absorbed. Repeat until all of the milk mixture has been absorbed. This could take an hour. Once all the milk has been absorbed, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, add the whipping cream to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with an electric mixer). Whip on high speed, adding the 2 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk as it beats. Whip the cream until fairly stiff so it holds its shape on top of the cake.
- Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and spread to cover. Garnish with a dusting of ground ginger if you like.
- Serve cold. Store the cake in the refrigerator where it will keep for 2-3 days.
Notes
Note 1: The base spicing is present, but not forward. If you’d like it a bit more spice-forward, round the spoons slightly when measuring.
I highly recommend reading the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe. You’ll find ingredient notes, more tips and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 136mg, Potassium: 397mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 390IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 274mg, Iron: 2mg
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
