This recipe is a combination of two of my favourite desserts and I am so excited to share it with you! Inspired by the famous Mexican Tres Leches Cake and the iconic Italian Tiramisu, my Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake really is not to be missed. Imagine a layer of light, moist cake soaked in a sweet and creamy coffee-flavoured milk, topped with a heavenly layer of mascarpone whipped cream. Perfect as an indulgent tea time cake or delicious dessert… I’ll grab my spoon.
Why you'll love this Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake
- It takes all the best parts of a tiramisu into a light and fluffy cake, with the flavours infused all through the sponge.
- This Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake is one of my favourite easy entertaining recipes because, like a traditional tiramisu, the secret is in the chilling time (meaning you can make it ahead and save the stress on the day).
- I find it's also surprisingly easy to transport - ideal if you have been asked to bring a pudding along to a dinner party. Trust me, this is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser…
You will need the following ingredients:
Eggs - use free-range large eggs if you can. I always recommend ones stamped with the British Lion.
Caster sugar - I like to use caster sugar, but you could use golden caster sugar or granulated sugar if that is what you have.
Vanilla extract - always use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla - rather than vanilla essence which gives a much more artificial flavour.
Plain flour - also known as all-purpose flour.
Baking powder - not to be confused with bicarbonate of soda (they do very different things). This helps add lightness to the tres leches cake.
Flaky salt - don’t worry, this won’t make the Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake taste salty. A small pinch of salt cuts through the sweetness of the condensed milk and heightens the other flavours. I like Maldon Flaky Sea Salt.
Milk - opt for full-fat (also known as whole) for the best results.
Condensed milk - just as mascarpone and coffee are synonymous with tiramisu, condensed milk is key in a tres leches cake. It adds a delicious sweet and creamy flavour to the milk soak.
Double cream - this helps lighten the mascarpone and stops the pudding from becoming too heavy.
Instant coffee - it is important it makes it strong otherwise the coffee flavour won’t come through in the dessert. You could use freshly brewed coffee instead of instant - just make sure it has cooled.
Splash of liqueur - this is entirely optional but adds a lovely flavour. Rum, Kahlúa, cognac, Marsala and Grand Marnier are also classic options - scroll down to the FAQs for more ideas.
Mascarpone - a creamy, thick Italian cheese with a high fat content and similar consistency to cream cheese. It needs to be at room temperature before making tiramisu.
Icing sugar - this adds sweetness to the whipped cream and also helps it keep its shape.
Cocoa powder - make sure you use the unsweetened variety (and definitely not hot chocolate powder!)
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements
Substitutions and Variations
Coffee: as long as the coffee is strong, you can use instant or not. Just make sure it has cooled. Espresso is good too.
Cocoa powder: Found on top of a classic tiramisu, I like it on top of this cake too but grated dark chocolate or shavings of dark choc would also be good here. Shavings look fun too.
Liqueur: You can use several different alcohols/liqueurs in tiramisu. Kahlúa increases the coffee flavour but if you like nutty flavours, Frangelico (hazelnut-flavoured liqueur) and Amaretto (almond-flavour liqueur) are a must-try. Rum, cognac, Madeira and brandy also work very well.
Here's how to make delicious Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake
This is a helpful step-by-step guide to making this delicious cake but the full recipe with the complete quantities and instructions can be found below.
ONE: Heat the oven to 160c fan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk for about 3-4 minutes or until you have soft peaks. Gradually add half (75g) of the sugar a spoonful at a time, whilst continuing to whisk.
TWO: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining 75g of the sugar and vanilla extract for about 2-3 minutes until pale and thickened. Add the milk and whisk for about 30 seconds to combine.
THREE: Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
FOUR: Slowly and gently fold in the meringue a little at a time - you need the mix to keep in as much air as possible. Tip into the lined tin and bake for 35 mins at 160c fan.
FIVE: Meanwhile, make the coffee soak: whisk together the coffee, condensed milk, cream and liqueur, if using. Set aside.
SIX: Use a skewer to make lots of holes across the surface of the still-slightly-warm sponge. Pour over half of the coffee soak. Wait for it to be absorbed before pouring over the remaining mixture. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - ideally overnight.
SEVEN: When ready to serve, prepare the topping: whisk the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft peaks. Fold in the mascarpone. Move the cake onto a plate once cooled.
EIGHT: Using a palette knife or the back of a spoon, spread on top of the chilled cake. Dust liberally with cocoa powder. Serve straight away or chill until ready to serve.
Cooking Tips
Whipping the egg whites: Make sure your bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean and have no other residue on them, as this can impede the egg whites forming stiff peaks - which is what you want.
Folding the egg whites: You have just spent all that time getting air into the egg whites, don’t bash it all out when you come to folding the cake batter. Use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold it in. This means don’t stir, but essentially use the large spoon to bring the bottom of the mixture up and over the top. Turning the bowl a quarter-turn as you go makes this easier. Be patient and it’ll end up coming together.
Making ahead of time: I prefer to make my Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake the day before, then cover and chill it overnight in the fridge. This allows time for the flavours in the coffee soak to really infuse into the sponge (making it even more delicious). However, if I am pushed for time, it can be ready in 4 hours (the leftovers will be even better the next day though).
Frequently Asked Questions
Tiramisu (which literally translates as ‘pick me up’) is one of Italy’s most famous desserts. Traditional tiramisu recipes include alternate layers of savoiardi lady fingers soaked in coffee and liqueur, and a sweet egg, sugar and mascarpone cream, finished with a dusting of cocoa. More modern recipes lighten the mascarpone layer by adding whipped cream and/or whisked egg whites.
Tres leches cake is a light sponge cake soaked in a delicious sweet milk mixture (‘tres leches’ literally translates as ‘three milks’). It is popular in Mexico (where it comes from), Latin America and the United States. It is similar to an angel food cake due to the whisked egg whites, but is then soaked in a mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk and dairy milk which gives it a super moist, pudding-like consistency. Often it's finished with a layer of whipped cream and, sometimes, a dusting of cinnamon and fresh strawberries.
Condensed milk is cow's milk which has had about 60% of the water removed and some sugar added (condensed milk and ‘sweetened’ condensed milk are used interchangeably as they are normally all sweetened). It comes in a tin and has a thick texture and sweet flavour.
I know it can be annoying when you have half a tin of anything left, but condensed milk is so versatile and used in lots of delicious recipes. Personally, I love using it to make condensed milk flapjacks, brigadeiros (like Brazilian chocolate truffles) or a simple no-churn ice cream (one of the most ingenious recipes out). I have found that freezing condensed milk in Tupperware works well - it never freezes completely solid due to the sugar content but it lasts for longer than if it were in the fridge!
Other recipes you may also enjoy:
If you love tiramisu, these Baileys Tiramisu Pancakes are a perfectly indulgent brunch but more likely pudding really. Try my Banana Tiramisu, layered with banana, or just simple but very strikingly green Pistachio Tiramisu. It's delicious. I also love these Tiramisu Cookies that are tiramisu inspired but made into cookies. So good. And this Baileys Tiramisu is also a classic. It's a tiramisu infused with Baileys.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
PrintTiramisu Tres Leches Cake
Inspired by the famous Mexican Tres Leches Cake and the iconic Italian Tiramisu, this Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake really is not to be missed...
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: Serves 6-8
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
For the sponge:
4 large eggs, separated
150g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120ml full-fat milk
170g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the coffee soak:
2 tablespoon instant coffee mixed with 4 tablespoon boiling water, left to cool
200ml condensed milk
30ml double cream
Splash of liqueur, optional (see Ingredients and FAQs)
For the topping:
200ml double cream
30g icing sugar, sieved
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
Cocoa powder, to dust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Grease and line a 23cm (9-inch) square tin with non-stick baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk for about 3-4 minutes or until you have soft peaks. Gradually add half (75g) of the sugar a spoonful at a time, whilst continuing to whisk. This should take about 2 minutes. Once all the sugar has been added and the meringue has formed stiff peaks, set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining 75g of the sugar and vanilla extract for about 2-3 minutes until pale and thickened. Add the milk and whisk for about 30 seconds to combine.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly and gently fold in the meringue a little at a time - you need the mix to keep in as much air as possible.
- Pour into the lined tin and tap gently on the work surface a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for about 35 minutes - or until the sponge is lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the coffee soak: whisk together the coffee, condensed milk, cream and liqueur, if using. Set aside.
- Use a skewer to make lots of holes across the surface of the still-slightly-warm sponge. Pour over half of the coffee soak. Wait for it to be absorbed before pouring over the remaining mixture. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - ideally overnight.
- When ready to serve, prepare the topping: whisk the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft peaks. Fold in the mascarpone.
- Remove the cake from the tin and set onto a flat plate.
- Using a palette knife or the back of a spoon, spread on top of the chilled cake. Dust liberally with cocoa powder.
- Serve straight away or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
If you want to make this recipe alcohol-free, simply omit the liqueur. It will still taste absolutely delicious.
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