TRES LECHES CHEESECAKE
This Tres Leches Cheesecake is a delicious fusion of two iconic desserts: the classic Latin American Tres Leches Cake and a super simple no-bake cheesecake.
Think ultra-moist, rich, smooth and creamy, with a decadent melt in your mouth consistency! A beautiful balance of tang and sweetness makes this a truly unique dessert!
Looking for more indulgent desserts? Try my Vanilla & Cardamom Creme Brulee, this delicious Mango Mousse Cake or my Aish El Saraya recipe!
Tres Leches Cheesecake! The best of both worlds, ya know?
Delicious, unique and indulgent! Let’s Make It!
From Prep to Plate – A Simple Guide
This dessert might look fancy, but it’s fairly easy to make once you break it down.
All you need are three simple components: the tres leches soak, the cake, and the no-bake cheesecake layer.
You begin by making the milk soak mixture, a simple trio of regular milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. And while it may seem basic, this mix is what transforms the cake from simple – to truly extraordinary! It soaks into the sponge, transforming it into the most silky, soft and moist dessert, that bursts with so much flavor!
The next step is making the sponge cake, which is essentially a basic vanilla chiffon cake. The egg whites and yolks are whipped separately to ensure the cake is light and fluffy, creating plenty of air pockets to soak up the tres leches mixture beautifully. There’s no added fat (other than the egg yolks) in the batter, which helps achieve that perfect texture for absorbing all that delicious milk mixture.
Finally, whip up a no-bake cheesecake topping – a smooth, creamy blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla, lightened with whipped heavy cream for a fluffy, decadent layer. It’s quick, easy, and the perfect rich yet airy finish to your cake.
If you’re into the tangy richness of cheesecake paired with the sweet, milky goodness of a tres leches base, this cake will hit all the right notes!
Not into cheesecake on top? No worries! Go classic – with a basic, sweet vanilla whipped cream topping instead!
Full details of both versions are in the recipe card below.
Let’s walk through it together, step by step.
Recipe Ingredients
What you’ll need, to make this delicious Cheesecake Tres Leches:
Ingredient Notes by Layer
For the Tres Leches – 3 Milk Soak:
- Tres Leches translates to “three milks,” and that’s exactly what this cake is soaked in;
- Whole milk adds a light, neutral base; evaporated milk, a reduced form of regular milk, brings creaminess and a hint of caramelized depth; and sweetened condensed milk delivers the signature sweetness and rich, syrupy flavor;
- Some recipes include heavy cream, but I find it makes the soak a bit too rich, so I skip it;
- For a dairy-free version, almond or oat milk, evaporated coconut milk, and sweetened condensed coconut milk are great alternatives.
For the Cake:
- use free-range large eggs (55-60g) at room temperature. To bring fridge cold eggs to room temp, place them in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for 3 minutes. Remove them right away, or they’ll cool down as the water does;
- For sugar, I prefer caster sugar since it’s finer and blends easily;
- I like using vanilla bean paste, but extract works just as well, I avoid imitation vanilla;
- you’ll need plain (all-purpose) flour;
- although whipped egg whites give the cake its lift, baking powder acts as extra insurance. Just double-check it’s fresh, because expired baking powder can affect the rise;
- and don’t forget the salt – it helps balance the flavors!
For the Cheesecake Topping:
- Philadelphia cream cheese blocks are best. In Australia, we get them as 250g blocks and this recipe calls for 2. In the US, they typically come in 8oz (226g) blocks. If you’re in the US, use two 226g blocks, the recipe will still work perfectly. Bring to room temperature by placing the unopened foil packet in hot (not boiling) water, if it’s fridge-cold!;
- I prefer beating powdered/icing sugar into the room-temperature cream cheese for sweetness, as it blends more easily and smoothly;
- Use heavy cream with at least 35% fat content (aka thickened cream in Australia). Whipped and incorporated into the cream cheese, it lightens the cheesecake while adding richness and air, helping the no-bake cheesecake hold its structure without the need for baking.
How To Make TRES LECHES CHEESECAKE Step-By-Step:
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions with the exact ingredients and process are printable in the recipe card below!
For the TRES LECHES MILK SOAK MIXTURE:
Step 1: In a large mug or bowl, combine whole milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk, and stir until well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator.
For the CAKE LAYER:
Step 2: Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F and line the base only of a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper. Beat egg whites till foamy on low-med speed, then gradually sprinkle in the caster sugar. Whip until soft peaks. No need to wash the beaters. Set aside and work on egg yolks.
Step 3: Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 3-5 minutes; this helps dissolve the sugar and incorporate air for a tender crumb.
Step 4: Add the milk and vanilla, mixing until combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the salt, and gently mix with a spatula or whisk until just combined and no flour clumps remain.
Step 5: Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in 3 batches using a spatula. The first batch can be folded in a bit more vigorously to loosen the mixture, but fold the remaining batches more gently to avoid deflating the batter. Fold until no white streaks remain.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the springform bake pan. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Use conventional (top and bottom heat) baking, i.e. no fan.
Step 7: Remove the baking paper and flip the cake upside down, then return it to the baking pan. Wrap aluminum foil around the outside of the pan to catch any milk soak mixture that may leak. Pour the milk soak mixture over the cake and allow to soak.
For the CHEESECAKE LAYER & FINAL ASSEMBLY:
Step 8: In a large bowl, pour the cold heavy cream and whip until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Do not over whip as it will turn into butter. Set aside.
Step 9: In a separate bowl, whip the softened cream cheese until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping until well combined.
Step 10: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in batches until fully combined – your cheesecake batter is ready!
Step 11: Spread the cheesecake layer over the soaked cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Cover and chill for at least 6–8 hours or up to 2 days – overnight (12 hours) is best for a nicely set cheesecake and well soaked sponge cake. Release the cake from the pan then decorate.
Optional: set aside some of the cheesecake mixture to pipe decorations on top later.
Additional Recipe Tips
TIP 1: ENSURE HEAVY CREAM IS COLD prior to whipping, as it holds its shape better, creating a light, stable cheesecake layer;
TIP 2: INVERT AND SOAK THE CAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER BAKING as it will absorb the milk mixture more easily and evenly. This will not make the cake mushy, provided you add the required quantity of milk mixture soaking. Inverting the cake means you will not have to poke holes into it to help the milk mixture soak in;
TIP 3: WHIP EGG WHITES TO SOFT PEAKS for a light and airy sponge. Beat the on low-med speed until foamy, then gradually sprinkle in the sugar (rather than pouring it all in at once) – adding it slowly helps the sugar dissolve properly into the meringue, giving the cake structure and stability. Overwhipping can cause the cake to rise too quickly and collapse during baking, leading to a dense, dry texture.
Storage
Storage: Keep the cake in the baking pan and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to 3–4 days.
Because of the milk soak and creamy topping, it must be kept chilled at all times.
If you’ve reserved some of the cheesecake mixture for piping, store it in a prepared piping bag in the fridge and decorate the cake just before serving for the best presentation.
Freezing: You can freeze tres leches cheesecake if needed – tightly wrap it and freeze for up to 1 month. However, keep in mind the milk soak and creamy topping can cause the texture to turn softer or slightly watery once thawed, so it is not recommended. For best results, enjoy it fresh or refrigerated for up to 3–4 days.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
I hope you enjoyed this delicious Tres Leches Cheesecake! If you gave it a try, please be sure to leave a comment and rating! I’d love to hear your thoughts! Happy Baking!
TRES LECHES CHEESECAKE
Equipment
- 1 Springform Bake Pan
Ingredients
For The MILK SOAK MIXTURE
- 300 ml evaporated milk
- 200 ml condensed milk
- 200 ml milk
For The SPONGE CAKE BASE
- 3 eggs separated room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar (divided in half) 50g each for egg whites & yolks
- 40 ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
- 80 g all purpose plain flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
For The NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE TOPPING
- 360 ml heavy cream / whipping cream aka thickened cream in Australia (COLD)
- 500 g cream cheese Philadelphia block cheese softened to room temperature
- 70 g powdered/icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
For the WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING (NO CHEESECAKE)
- 300 ml heavy cream / whipping cream aka thickened cream in Australia (COLD)
- 15 g powdered/icing sugar OR 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make The MILK SOAK MIXTURE
- In a large mug or bowl, combine whole milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk, and stir until well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator.
For Make The SPONGE CAKE BASE
- Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F and line the base only of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper.
- Separate three eggs. Then using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites on low-med speed until foamy. Gradually sprinkle in caster sugar (50g) and continue whipping, slowly increasing the speed until soft peaks form. Soft peaks look light and glossy; when you lift the beaters, the peaks should gently fold over and not stand straight. There’s no need to wash the beaters – simply set the whipped egg whites aside and move on to the yolks.
- Add caster sugar (50g), to the egg yolks and beat on high until thick and pale yellow. Add the milk and vanilla, then whisk or beat on low until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder, add salt, and gently mix with a spatula or whisk until just combined and no flour clumps remain.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in 3 batches using a spatula, until no white streaks remain. The first batch can be folded in a bit more vigorously to loosen the mixture, but fold the remaining batches more gently to avoid deflating the batter.
- Pour the batter into a 9″ springform pan, lined with parchment paper on the base only. Tap on the bench top a couple of times to break any large air bubbles.
- Bake at 175°C/350°F for 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Use conventional baking (top and bottom heat), NOT fan-forced.
- While the cake is still warm/hot, carefully release it from the springform pan, remove the parchment paper, and flip it upside down back into the pan. Work gently to avoid burns. It's important to do this while the cake is hot, as pouring the cold milk soak over a hot cake helps it absorb better.
- Pour the milk soak mixture over the cake and allow to soak. Set aside in the refrigerator.
For Make The CHEESECAKE LAYER
- In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until it’s thick and spreadable. Be careful not to overwhip, or it may turn into butter. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whip softened cream cheese until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping until well combined.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in batches until smooth and fully combined — your cheesecake layer is ready!
To Make The VANILLA WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING (NO CHEESECAKE)
- For a classic tres leches topping (instead of cheesecake) whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until thick and spreadable.
ASSEMBLY
- Spread the cheesecake layer over the soaked cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Cover and chill for at least 6–8 hours or up to 2 days. Overnight (12 hours) is best for a nicely set cheesecake and well soaked sponge cake. Optional: set aside some of the cheesecake mixture to pipe decorations on top later.Going Classic? Spread the whipped cream layer over the cake using an offset spatula to smooth it out.
Notes
Nutrition
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