Apologies in advance for the overload of pictures in this post, but I just adore this vegan tres leches cake and had a tough time choosing my favorite shots! This is my dairy-free spin on the classic cake.
I’ll address the elephant in the room first: vegan tres leches cake is a pretty ridiculous sounding name considering that the crucial component of standard tres leches cakes is a mixture of 3 different forms of dairy. But then again, I think it’s also ridiculous to ask me to name this Vegan Sponge Cake With A Sweetened Non-Dairy Beverage Mixture Poured Over The Top. So we’re going with vegan tres leches.
Phew. Now that I’ve preemptively addressed the haters who will urge me to choose a different name for the recipe, I can tell you all about this glorious cake. Traditional tres leches was undoubtedly one of my favorite sweets before I went dairy-free. So I’ve eaten a fair number of these in my day, and I will honestly tell you that I think this vegan version is just as good, if not better.
It starts with a basic vegan vanilla sponge cake. I merged a couple of different recipes that I found online, and then reduced the sugar and liquid to arrive at my final version. That’s because after the cake cools, we poke a bunch of little holes in it and pour a mixture of vegan sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk over the top and let the cake soak up all of that goodness.
You can also whip up the rest of the coconut cream as additional topping if you like. I just like my cake served with some fresh berries. (Or a tiny bit of rice whip, pictured). It’s already super sweet and moist even without frosting or cream on top. Up to you!
SO MOIST. Sorry, I know a lot of people hate that word.
Enjoy this vegan tres leches cake for Cinco de Mayo, or anytime! Personally I’m gonna have to make yet another one, because this entire thing was gone in 36 hours. No clue where it went. I definitely did not skip all of my regular meals that day. Also, this is my official acknowledgement that the amount of sugary cake recipes in general lately has been too damn high. More fresh veggies coming to you very soon 🙂
If you make this vegan tres leches cake, let me know! Leave a comment, or tag me on Instagram with #yupitsvegan and @yupitsvegan. Happy baking!
Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge cake:
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar)
- 170 g all-purpose flour (1 and 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (coconut oil is not recommended)
- 2/3 cup cane sugar (or use coconut sugar, cake will have a darker color)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
For the soaking syrup:
- 1 cup vegan sweetened condensed milk
- 1 14- oz . can full-fat coconut milk , refrigerated overnight
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly grease an 8-by-8 or 7-by-11 inch baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- To the bowl with the soy milk, add the oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Whisk well to combine. Stir in the dry mixture and mix until no lumps remain.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Wait until at least 20 minutes have passed before opening the oven door at all). The 7-by-11 cake size takes around 30 minutes to bake, and the 8-by-8 size takes around 35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for at least an hour. (You could potentially prepare the sweetened condensed milk while the cake bakes and cools). Using a chopstick, skewer, or a toothpick in a pinch, poke holes throughout the cake, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. The distance isn't very important, just make to poke lots of holes all over.
- Retrieve the coconut milk from the refrigerator and gently scoop out the cream on top. Either turn this into coconut whip to top the cake if you like, or reserve it for another use (curry, etc.). Take the rest of the liquid from the can and mix it together with the sweetened condensed milk. Pour this milk mixture over the top of the cake. You'll need to do it in several stages, waiting in between for the cake to soak up the milk. When the cake is pretty much saturated with the milk, you're done - you may or may not need all of it.
- This cake is best served cold, so if you have time, refrigerate it. However, it still tastes pretty darn good if you eat it right away 🙂 leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from: AllRecipes and The Witchy Kitchen
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Jeanette says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are my heroine and my go-to for vegan recipes and inspiration, and I have never once been disappointed. I’m an omnivore but have one vegetarian and one vegan kid, and you’ve made it incredibly easy to prepare meals I know will please and satisfy everyone, including the carnivore – food snob in me! I don’t miss animal products at all, really, thanks to you! And with this recipe, I can now happily prepare my daughter’s fave for her birthday and not put her in the position of deciding whether it’s worth the “cheat” – that’s how much she loves tres leches! <3
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
That’s so wonderful to hear! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment, it makes my day to know that my recipes are helping people!
Nadine Coffin says
Delicious. Only thing I changed was I purchased the Let’s Do Organic Vegan Condensed Milk- 195ml. I mixed it with the liquid in the coconut milk. Despite being less than the recipe’s condensed milk amount, it was still so much for the cake to soak in! Only used about half. So I’m going to make another cake to use the rest because it’s THAT GOOD! Next time will only use some coconut milk liquid with the condensed milk. Crowd pleasing. Amazing.
Maggie says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I used Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream to make the whipped topping. I refrigerated overnight as directed, draining off the non-solid liquid. I whipped the remaining solids with some powdered sugar to taste and was able to pipe the whipped cream. I made small squares, topped with the piped cream and a single raspberry. These were set out and held their shape for 4 hours during a summer wedding reception. Temperature of the day was about 73 degrees. A vegan dessert that anyone would enjoy. Flavorful and attractive to serve.
Caitlyn says
HI Maggie,
So I have been struggling well over a year with this vegan whipped cream…every time I have used different brands including the one you listed, and it just doesn’t whip! How to you get it to whip? What do you use – a hand mixer, electric stand mixer, or hand whisk and what speed and for how long?? I am so desperate for a recipe to work once for me 🙁 please share your genius-ness!! Thank you much 🙂
Juliette Delforge says
My whole birthday party loved it! No one was really hungry for cake but it was still demolished. I made two changes: using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking mix (my favorite GF flour) and switching the amounts of almond and vanilla essence (an accident.) Like another reviewer said, it was moist but not soggy. It definitely tastes like coconut, as I expected, and it was wonderful!
Hannah says
A friend just made this recipe for a potluck and it was AMAZING! So moist, but not at all soggy, perfectly rich and well-balanced with a hint of vanilla, coconut, and almond flavor. I even went back for a second piece.
Stacy says
Is there anything I can use in place of the vegan condensed milk that will still be dairy free? Can this be made into cupcakes?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I’m not quite sure of a good substitute for vegan condensed milk, but if you click the link in the recipe there is a homemade version you can make and use! Or really just slowly cook down any non-dairy milk together with some sugar.
Cheryl says
Can I purchase vegan condensed milk at a store? Also, would it be okay to substitute almond milk for the coconut milk? Not a big fan of coconut flavor
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes to the condensed milk. Not sure I would recommend almond milk instead of coconut. The thing is, coconut is a strong flavor but you need to use something flavorful because it’s a lot of what people will taste when eating the cake. Almond milk is too thin, not enough flavor or richness. I haven’t tried it so I don’t know for sure, but that is just my hunch!
Deb says
Does this freeze well?
Frances Franco says
Have been wanting to make this for long. Three questions:
– can you use unsweetened cashew milk instead of soy?
– can you use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose?
– can you use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil?
Thank you.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Cashew milk and avocado oil should work fine. Whole wheat flour is a dangerous substitution.. It could affect the texture of the cake quite a lot. It will be more dense and tough. I would recommend starting by using 1/2 all purpose flour, 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour (it’s a bit softer than regular whole wheat flour) and increase the amount in future trials if it works with this quantity.
Frances Franco says
Thank you SO much! I am a great cook not so much a great baker. And boy does this looks delicious! Much love from Boulder, CO.
Marcela says
This 3 leches is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing it ❤️❤️❤️
Marcela says
This 3 leches was fabulous! I was craving 3 leches so bad and I have tried other vegan 3 leches and they weren’t so good. But this one went above and beyond! Thank you so much!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Bailey Smith says
I make this every time I want a fun dessert that isn’t very hard! I’ve made it about four times this summer. It’s super simple ingredients, easy to follow, and people LOVE the cake!
Tanzeela says
Amazing! I’m not usually a successful baker, but I’m in love. The cake portion was perfect in sweetness and fluffiness. I made cashew condensed milk for the tres leches portion. The cashew-flavor (which I wasn’t a huge fan of) was diluted in the finished creamy and delicious product.
Jill Reinstadler says
I made this last Christmas and it was a great hit …even with non vegans. I followed the instructions as is and it was soooo yummy I hate to try any of the short cut adaptations. Have you tried making cupcakes out of this??? I’m going to a Mexican themed Christmas party potluck tomorrow and would think cupcakes may be easier to serve.
Summer says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I always make tres leches for my birthday in the summer & my friends look fwd to it. Since going vegan, they like this recipe better then the full dairy one. You rock! Thank you!
Denise A Diener says
If I double the recipe, how long should I keep a 13 x 9 cake in the oven?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I’m not sure. I haven’t tried doing this. You may need to just check it every 5min or so until the toothpick comes out clean.
Raji says
I was super excited when my daughter found this recipe to bake my daughters birthday cake! It turned out amazing. I used whole grain spelt flour, turbinado sugar rest followed the recipe… It was a fool proof recipe, worked as a charm. I bake regularly our yeast breads but somehow making cake has always been a struggle for me.. Sometimes it will be great by luck but this recipe is a keeper.
Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe! It made my daughter’s birthday so special and we all enjoyed the cake
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Glad you loved it – thank you for sharing your edits!!
Stacy says
has anyone tried anything other than soy milk for the cake? I’d prefer not to use soy milk, so I’d LOVE to know if any of the other non dairy milks have been successful for you!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I have gotten some commenters on Instagram saying they used almond milk and liked the result. Hope this helps.
Kirsten Sevig says
This was sooooooo goooooood! I made two cakes following this recipe, one with a gluten-free flour mix, and both cakes turned out great! Everyone who tried them loved them! They were so decadent and delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe! I bought coconut whip in the frozen section, thawed it in the fridge as I baked the cakes and made the vegan sweetened condensed macadamia nut milk from scratch, and I topped the cooled soaked cakes with the whip before decorating the tops with cut strawberries! It was perfect! I saved the coconut cream from the coconut milk cans for a red curry I’ll make this week sometime. I will definitely be making this again, by popular demand! 🙂
Ally says
What kind of gluten free flour did you use?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Ally, I’m not Kirsten, but I made a gluten-free version of this using the King Arthur Flour all-purpose gf blend and thought it was pretty good. I wasn’t in love with the texture, but my guests liked it more than I did, so I might just be picky :).
michelle LaFayette says
YOU SAVED ME. I’m getting married next year to a Vegan Vato. This was the choice for the wedding cake. Glad I found this, gave it a test run and was a huge hit. THANKS! We have never felt better since making the switch to being vegan.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Wow, that’s so exciting to hear! So glad you liked it and congrats on your upcoming big day!
Breanna says
I made this cake in a 7×11 pan and it came out very thin! Taste delicious though! Any idea what I could have done wrong?:( I thought I followed it precisely 😭
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Breanna, I’m not quite sure what happened! Did it ever rise? I’m wondering if your baking soda or powder might be going off? It doesn’t rise like crazy but it definitely shouldn’t be super thin in a 7×11 pan.
Betty says
I’ve made this for a Mexican-themed dinner party and for my book club: a huge hit with both groups! I used commercial macadamia milk (from my local natural foods store) to save time. I made a vegan raspberry coulis with a bit of creme de cassis to go on top, saving some whole raspberries to decorate the top of each slice. I’m looking forward to trying the Kalua variation mentioned in one of the comments. I also whipped the coconut cream left over from the can, just to keep from wasting it. I love the fact that it keeps well in the fridge and is just as good the second day (though it’s hard to believe I had leftovers…) This is definitely going into my “favorites” notebook — thanks, Shannon!
Daisy says
This was SO good! Thank you for sharing! This was so easy to follow. I’m mexican and this was pretty legit!! A great substitute for us non-dairy folks. The only thing that was a bit tricky was finding the vegan sweetened condensed milk, but luckily the 3rd Whole Foods I went to had it in stock. I was not giving up! 🙂
Christella says
This was a huge hit for my son’s 22nd birthday! He asked for Tres Leches cake, but my daughter and I are trying to be vegan as much as possible so I found your recipe! I doubled the recipe and put it in a 13×9 pan and probably didn’t need to double the “milk” I thought I hadn’t made enough of the macadamia condensed milk so I added some of the coconut condensed milk. They were both delicious so I’m not sure I’d go to the extra effort of making the macadamia condensed milk next time. I also added 1/4 cup of Kahlua since the Tres Leches recipe I used to make called for it. And I topped it off with coconut whip with granulated sugar put through the coffee grinder. Thank you for this recipe! (the batter was super yummy, too 🙂 )
Siobhan says
I made this recipe for my family when my sister (on a vegan diet) visited. It was a hit! I used coconut vegan sweetened condensed milk and it worked perfectly. I did a double batch for the cake and even so, there was plenty of milk leftover after the steeping process. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
deepika singh says
By the way, everyone likes cake, but i like something more. I have eaten a lot of cakes but it look very good and tasty. Today is my fast ,i’ll definitely try this tomorrow
Thank you
Shawna Knox says
Has anyone made these into a cupcake version? I’ve made it as a cake and it was AMAZING!!
Jill R says
I didn’t see where anyone else made this into cupcakes but I am going to try to and will post the results…..I agree with you that the recipe is fabulous!!
I call it tres leches-less cake!🤣
Michelle says
Can you use Granulated sugar in place of the cane sugar?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes, go ahead! I would recommend making the measurement slightly scant since cane sugar tends to have slightly larger granules and be not quite as sweet.
April says
Do we have to used vegan milk or can I just used alomand milk??
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Almond milk is almost always vegan, but yes you can use any milk type you wish. Just be sure to use sweetened condensed milk version where specified.
Question says
Is there a vegan condensed milk alternative for those allergic to coconuts we can use? My little one is super allergic to coconuts but I really wanna make this recipe as well.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey there! The vegan condensed milk recipe I linked in this cake recipe is made from macadamia nuts rather than coconut. For the full-fat coconut milk try substituting another creamy and flavorful vegan milk like homemade almond milk or cashew milk, and a dash of neutral oil to give it more body similar to coconut milk.
Summer says
Made the cake. It was delicious, easy & a big hit. Thank you for the vegan alternative recipe!! This recipe is a keeper!
Hannah Teson says
This looks perfect! And honestly, I think people who hate the word moist make an exception for cake :). At least they should!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Lol I completely agree! Thank you!
Karen says
This cake was out of this world! I used canned sweetened condensed coconut milk to save time. I was planning to make the coconut whip but I thought the cake was so rich and sweet it didn’t need more added. Thanks for the recipe!