Yes it’s true, the Tres Leches cake has been veganized!
How can this be possible you ask?
Easy! Plant Milk!
Three milks and the best vanilla cake recipe laced with a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon too!
This simple little cake is full of complex flavors you won’t believe just how easy it is!
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 loves (loved) cake dunked in milk, this Vegan Tres Leches Cake is for you!
You can have your cake and drink it too!
Tres leches is typically served casserole style, so I just serve it right out of the cake pan.
For a nicer presentation you may want to opt for a glass baking dish instead.
Of course many people will make this cake into cake layers for layering into a fully iced cake so it is your option what you want to bake it into.
Just be sure not to use parchment paper in the bottom of your pans (or if you do, remove it before pouring the milk mixture!)
Vegan Tres Leches Cake
I go in depth about this sponge cake in my course Vegan Baking Mastery but basically you must note:
Due to the added baking powder in the homemade egg replacer I made out of cornstarch, oil, water and baking powder in combination with using canned aquafaba will impart a considerable amount of salt into the recipe. Which is why there is no added salt in the cake recipe below, and I also recommend boiling dry chickpeas to get your aquafaba rather than using canned to eliminate added salt.
Additionally I will recommend to use Sodium Free Baking Powderfor the best results
I also prefer to use coconut oil instead of Vegan Butter (which can be salty) or find a vegan butter that is low is salt
Due to the added baking powder in the homemade egg replacer I made out of cornstarch, oil, water and baking powder in combination with using canned aquafaba will impart a considerable amount of salt into the recipe. Which is why there is no added salt in the cake recipe below, and I also recommend boiling dry chickpeas to get your aquafaba rather than using canned to eliminate added salt.
Additionally I will recommend to use Sodium Free Baking Powderfor the best results
I also prefer to use coconut oil instead of Vegan Butter (which can be salty) or find a vegan butter that is low is salt
Serves: 9-12 servings
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- Aquafaba 1 cup (237ml)
- Granulated Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Confectioner’s Sugar 12 Tablespoons (90g)
- Cream of Tartar 1 teaspoon
- All Purpose Flour 1 cup (125g)
- Cake Flour 1¼ cup (150g)
- Sodium Free Baking powder 4 teaspoons (20g)
- Vanilla Extract 4 teaspoons (20ml)
- Coconut oil or vegan butter melted 6 Tablespoons (84g)
- Cornstarch 2 Tbs + ¼ cup water + sodium free baking powder 1 teaspoon
- For the Milk Mixture:
- Canned Coconut Milk (I used full fat but you can use light) 1- 14oz can
- Unsweetened Almond Milk 1 cup
- Granulated Sugar ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons
- Preferably Fresh Grated Nutmeg ¼ teaspoons
- Coconut Whipped Cream:
- 1 Can Full fat Coconut Milk refrigerated overnight
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the aquafaba with the granulated sugar and heat it gently to
- dissolve the sugar (no need to boil, just enough to dissolve) then refrigerate
- it to cool quickly while you gather your other ingredients
- Sift both flours with the baking powder
- Combine the cream of tartar with 2 Tbs of the sifted confectioners’ sugar and
- then start whipping the cold aquafaba on high speed preferably with a
- balloon whip attachment on your stand mixer. (Hand help beaters with a
- whip attachment can be used but will take considerably longer to whip to
- firm glossy peaks)
- One the AF is to stiff, white peaks, add the cream of tartar confectioners’
- sugar mixture and continue whipping on high speed, you can now gradually
- add the remaining confectioners’ sugar a spoonful at a time until it is all
- incorporated and you have a stiff peaked glossy meringue.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cornstarch mixture (which is the homemade egg replacer made of cornstarch, water and baking powder listed above) with the melted coconut
- oil (or melted vegan butter) and vanilla extract, whisk smooth, reserve.
- Fold in half of the whipped aquafaba and whisk smooth, then fold in the
- remaining aquafaba and fold gently
- Fold in the sifted flour gently
- Pour batter into a well greased (NO PARCHMENT!) 8" square pan and bake immediately in
- a preheated 375°F (190°c) oven for approximately 20 minutes or springy to
- the touch when you gently press the center or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool for about 15 minutes then poke holes into the cake and pour the milk mixture over the entire cake to soak in.
- For the Milk Mixture:
- Combine the can of coconut milk with the almond milk, nutmeg and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Once it boils reduce the heat and let it simmer stirring often for about 20 minutes or until it is thicker and makes a slight glaze covering the back of your spoon.
- Remove from the heat and cool to warm, them pour over the warm cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight (I prefer overnight) then ice with coconut whipped cream.
- For the Coconut Whipped Cream:
- 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
Notes
Store tres leches cake in the refrigerator at all times and serve cold.
Can be stored for up to 1 week, covered lightly
Can be stored for up to 1 week, covered lightly
Note about Cream of Tartar– while it is not 100% necessary to use
cream of tartar here since many cannot get it; cream of tartar is an
acid that has been proven to strengthen meringues (both egg white
meringues and aquafaba meringues) Click here for more about Aquafaba
Note about Cake Flour– I know some people cannot get cake flour
so you can use 100% all purpose flour (plain flour) with a total
weight of 275g Click here for more
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
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