Strawberry Tres Leches Cake

This strawberry tres leches cake is ultra-moist, never soggy, and packed with rich strawberry flavor from a simple cooked strawberry syrup trick. A must-try!

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: strawberry cake, strawberry tres leches, tres leches

Servings: servings

Author: Elena Davis

Ingredients

Cake

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs separated
1 cup granulated sugar divided
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Syrup

1 pound fresh strawberries stemmed and quartered
½ cup granulated sugar

Tres Leches Milk Mixture

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup strawberry syrup from above

Whipped Topping

1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar adjust to taste
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt
Beat egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar until pale; mix in milk and vanilla
Beat egg whites to soft peaks, add remaining sugar, beat to stiff peaks
Gently fold whites into yolk mixture
Fold in dry ingredients until just combined
Pour into un-greased 9x13-inch pan, smooth top
Bake 22–30 minutes until slightly golden, and a toothpick comes out clean, cool completely

Make Strawberry Syrup + Purée

Cook strawberries and sugar over medium heat 15 minutes until very soft and juicy
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, reserve the liquid (syrup) and keep the strawberries
Blend the cooked strawberries until smooth
Chill the strawberry purée until ready to use

Make Milk Mixture

Whisk evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, and strawberry syrup (about ¾ cup to 1 cup)

Soak the Cake

Poke holes all over cooled cake
Slowly pour milk mixture in stages and let it absorb fully
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight best)

Make Whipped Cream

Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks

Finish and Serve

Spread whipped cream over cake
Spoon chilled strawberry purée on top and gently swirl
Serve cold and enjoy!

Notes

Cook the strawberries. This is what sets this recipe apart from every other version online (no watery flavor)
Don’t rush the soak. Pour in stages and let it absorb—this gives that creamy texture instead of soggy
Fold gently. This cake relies on air, not fat—don’t deflate it
Chill overnight if you can. The flavor deepens, and the texture becomes perfect
Wipe your knife between cuts. Clean slices = bakery-level presentation

Nutrition