Yes it’s true, the Tres Leches cake has been veganized!
Three milks and the best vanilla cake recipe laced with a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon too!
OMG How Dare you! LOL
This simple little cake is full of complex flavors you won’t believe just how easy it is to make!
For me this cake is best served super cold and a day after it’s been prepared to let all the flavors meld together.
So if you are someone who loved cake dunked in milk; this Vegan Tres Leches Cake is for you!
Typically served casserole style so I just serve it right out of the cake pan!
This recipe was developed several years ago as one of the first vegan recipes I created upon transitioning to vegan back in early 2016!
Using my famous Vegan Vanilla Cake however since then I have developed many more cake recipes, including my Bakery Style Yellow Cake Recipe
Which I recently discovered happens to be a more perfect canvas for this Tres Leches mixture!
The original Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe is super moist & fluffy and by itself is fabulous!
But upon pouring the Tres Leches milk mixture, the cake had a tendency to become soggy and could be gummy~ not this yellow cake version!
Check out the original version versus the new improved cake recipe below!
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THE YELLOW CAKE
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Notes for Success
Using a 9″ x 13″ cake pan is my choice for this Vegan Tres Leches Cake
But many people like to make this recipe into a fully iced round layer cake
Just be sure not to use parchment paper in the bottom of your pans!
For those who cannot find Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk in the grocery store, you can easily make your own! *Recipe below!
Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Grease your cake 9" x 13" cake pan but do not use parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Ingredients
For the Milk Mixture:
- 1 can full fat coconut milk 14oz (414ml)
- 1 can vegan sweetened condensed milk 11.25oz (320g)
- 1 cup plant milk of your choice (237ml)
- Nutmeg ½ teaspoon
Instructions
- Prepare the yellow cake recipe as per the instructions on that page
- Prepare the milk soak by combining all 3 milks together in a small sauce pot with the nutmeg and bring to a boil
- Once it is boiled remove from the heat and let cool to warm
- Once the cake is baked~ cool it slightly in the pan then poke holes all over the top with a skewer
- Pour the warm Tres Leches over the warm cake still in the pan and then refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight
- Preferably overnight to allow all the flavors to meld
- Once the cake is cold prepare the vegan whipped cream and spread over the top of the cake then sprinkle with cinnamon
- Serve Cold or at room temperature if preferred
Notes
Tres Leches cake must be kept refrigerated and I prefer to serve it cold.
It will stay fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator wrapped loosely
FOR THE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK RECIPE
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 1- 14ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk with the sugar in a heavy bottom sauce pan
- bring to a boil over high heat stirring often
- Once it boils reduce heat to a simmer cook for 45 minutes stirring occasionally and watch it closely so it doesn't burn or boil over
- By the time 45 minutes approaches it should have reduced down to close to 1 or 1¼ cup total volume and start to get thick
- It will thicken more as it cools.
- Cool completely then use it in your recipes
Notes
Sweetened condensed milk must be kept refrigerated and will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 2 months
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If I were to make this cake using eggs, how many eggs would I need? My daughter is dairy free, so I am happy I can make this cake for her.
Hi Have a non vegan version here
Is it possible to still get the non vegan version? I made it a couple years ago and loved it. Can’t find any other to top it.
Hi Miriam, Since December my non vegan blog has shut down.I couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymoreThe cost to host such a huge database online
was close to $400 a month with tech support monthly to keep it clean & safe and smooth.
I certainly do not (did not) make that much in adsense revenue through Youtube & Google.
That became a pretty steep price to pay for a website that had been conflicting me financially & emotionally for so many years,
so after 5 years of keeping it free & open to the public I finally decided to shut it down.
I did not keep any of the recipes for myself when I shut down the database
(which was the only place the recipes were stored)
I just did (do) not feel comfortable anymore sharing recipes laden with animal ingredients promoting the very industry I loathe
so it really didn’t make sense for me to keep them nor keep open and available such an expensive website.
I do thank you so much for your support and encouragement through the ages,
I have stunned NON Vegans with my vegan recipes, perhaps you could try to do the same?
If not, I am sure there are tons of great (if not better than mine) recipes out there for you to use!
Thanks again~ Best, Gretchen
Hi Gretchen! Sorry to ask this here but I couldn’t find where to contact you. I’m looking for a good recipe to make a semi – naked Cake. So it’s better if the sides are caramelised and not crumbly. I have your new book (love it!!!) and was wondering which recipe you would recommend for this purpose. TIA 🙂
HI Thanks! I’m not sure any of the cakes are really “caramelized” but I do understand what you mean. The vanilla cake in the book has been one that many people really like, and there are more cake recipes CLICK HERE
I can confirm that the vanilla cake makes an awesome naked cake ?
https://www.gretchensveganbakery.com/the-best-vegan-vanilla-cake-recipe/
Hi Gretchen, having a problem accessing your other website.I am getting a certification error. Is your site closed down?
HI Lisa, having some techinical errors and it seemed to happen while I was in Florida visiting my mom ( I just got back today) looking into it now thanks!
super!!!
Hey Gretchen, love your site! I was just wondering what you do with all the left over chickpeas? I’m hesitant to really start working with Aquafaba a lot because I am not sure what to do with all those chickpeas! Thank you in advance for your time.
I KNow! I hear you! A person can only eat so much hummus! LOL
I have just gotten some chickpea powder that is just like meringue powder, I have 2 brands. Ill be doing a review video comparing the two against regular AF from chickpea liquid so stay tuned for that video. I have to do the testing first though so it may be about a week or so before I get it all done.
Hi Gretchen, does the cake have to stay in its baking dish after soaking overnight? Will it hold it’s shape if I were to remove it from the dish, layer them and fully ice it?
yes you can unmold it and layer it
Could you make combine this recipe and the non-vegan one? I want to use the sponge cake of the non-vegan recipe but the milk mixture of this one! Let me know if that would work, excited to try it!
Yes you can do it
Is pastry floor the same as cake flour? Does the AF have to be reduced or is straight from the can k? I’m in a rush and can’t cook the chickpeas from scratch this time unfortunately.
AF from the can is fine no reduction needed.
Pastry flour is a good sub for cake flour they are very similar
I was wondering where the coconut cream comes in or if it comes in at all?
Hi Yes, there are 2 cans for the entire recipe, the first is for the milk soaking mixture, then the second – I use it for the whipped cream topping. It is the last instruction in the written recipe instructions:
Open the refrigerated can of coconut milk and skim the fat off the top (reserve the coconut water for another recipe or a smoothie) and place the fat in a mixer bowl with the sifted confectioners sugar.
Whip on high speed to soft peaks then add the vanilla extract
Spread over the cold cake (still in the pan) and then sprinkle with cinnamon *optional
I’ve made this cake a few times now, and every time it tastes delicious, but it always cracks around the edges and the middle sinks in. I typically bake it 5 minutes longer than you suggest because I can’t tell if it’s baked yet. Should I try baking it on a lower temp to prevent the cracking?
This cake is so yummy.
Hi Gretchen
i am able to get condensed soy milk and evaporated coconut milk
how can i use these or i dont need them ? as traditional tres leches uses these
I, yes correct a traditional tres leches will have those (But since those vegan ingredients are very hard to find for most people) I created this recipe leaving those specialty ingredients out, you can of course modify this recipe to use your unique ingredients though!
Thanks for this recipe. I am confused by the mention of plant milk and sugar for the condensed milk and then at the link for condensed milk the recipe ingredient is full fat coconut milk. Which is it? Or am reading this wrong?
Hey there, I am also confused ~ I’m not sure where I said “plant milk” was it in the video?
Also which link? The one where I show where to buy canned vegan condensed milk?
I do see the recipe for homemade condensed milk is listing full fat coconut milk though~ which I would still classify as “plant milk” , so I guess I am asking if you can specifically tell me which part is confusing? Did I say something different in the video? Or did I link to something completely different?
Sorry for confusion, I’d like to fix anything that is incorrect!
Hello! I am making the vegan version of the yellow cake today and I don’t see what size pan I should use. Please advise! Thanks!
Hi There, you can bake all the batter into 1-9″ x 13″
OR 2-8″ OR 3-7″