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Home » Desserts » Vegan Tres Leches Cake

Vegan Tres Leches Cake

May 2, 2017 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 128 Comments

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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.

Two slices of tres leches cake arranged on a gray plate on a gray wooden table, drizzled with vegan macadamia nut syrup and topped with a layer of sliced strawberries and raspberries.

 

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.

Overhead view of vegan tres leches cake while still in the baking dish, with holes poked in it before pouring the condensed syrup onto it. The cake is slightly browned at the edges.

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.

Sweetened condensed coconut-macadamia milk is poured over a baked vegan sponge cake with holes poked in it.

Overhead view of the baked vegan sponge cake after the dairy-free condensed milk syrup has been poured over and absorbed. The cake appears moist on the surface but still golden brown from baking.

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!

Close-up shot of the interior of a slice of vegan tres leches cake, topped with a raspberry and a strawberry. The inside appears moist.

SO MOIST. Sorry, I know a lot of people hate that word.

Slice of dairy-free tres leches cake on a gray plate, with coconut cream spread on top of the slice of cake, and one bite of the cake slice missing.

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!

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4.96 from 46 votes

Vegan Tres Leches Cake

Decadent vegan tres leches cake, made up of a vanilla sponge cake soaked in sweet caramel syrup.
Course cake, Dessert
Cuisine dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword dairy-free tres leches, vegan tres leches cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 9 slices
Calories 221kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

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

NON-DAIRY MILK: I heartily recommend using soy milk for this cake batter. The higher protein content in soy versus other options leads to better flavor, texture and browning. But you can substitute for it if you need to.
NUTRITION: Nutrition facts exclude sweetened condensed milk and any other toppings such as coconut cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Iron: 0.2mg

Adapted from: AllRecipes and The Witchy Kitchen

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: baking, berries, Mexican-inspired

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Comments

  1. Grace says

    May 6, 2021 at 19:55

    5 stars
    My family loved this recipe, and they’re not even vegan!

    Quick question, why do I need to separate the coconut cream from the liquid coconut milk?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      May 7, 2021 at 06:42

      I’m glad you loved it! If you don’t separate out the liquid, the mixture will be too thin and watery.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 21, 2021 at 11:52

        I think I might be confused. It sounds like the instructions say to remove the thick cream from the can and use that elsewhere and to use the liquid that’s left behind for the syrup. But in your comment above you say if you don’t separate out the liquid it will be too thin and watery. Do you use the thick cream for the syrup or the remaining liquid?

      • Tammy O’Brien says

        July 5, 2021 at 04:58

        Do you use the coconut fat from the can? Or the liquid? You say it will be too watery if you don’t separate it, but that makes zero sense. Not separating it would make it thicker. Im confused.

  2. Terri S says

    April 26, 2021 at 21:55

    5 stars
    My husband and I loved this cake! It was delicious and moist. We topped it with coco whip and strawberries for a perfect dessert.

    Reply
  3. Sandra Grohovaz says

    January 31, 2021 at 14:39

    5 stars
    What a hit this was. I should have made 2 (lesson learnt lol). Great job on this recipe and thank you. I made it with Gluten Free flour blend (which contains all the binders: arrowroot powder, potato starch, tapioca starch, guar gum) and it turned out fantastic. It was well raised and fluffy and puffy and moist. Perfection. Wanted to let you know in case anyone else who is Gluten Free is wanting to know. Thanks for a great addition to my cakes recipes.

    Reply
    • Joanne says

      February 9, 2021 at 08:50

      Which gluten free flour blend do you use? Is it store bought or homemade?

      Reply
      • Sandra says

        February 11, 2021 at 21:14

        I used Pamela’s All Purpose.

      • Sandra Grohovaz says

        February 12, 2021 at 08:48

        Pamela’s All Purpose flour.

    • Patty says

      February 15, 2021 at 09:32

      I made this last night with Arrowhead All Purpose GF flour and it was not good at all – we ended up throwing it out. The milk also did not soak through. It just tasted like flour, so I’m guessing it was the Arrowhead. I made it just like the recipe asked for with no other subs but the flour. Did you skip the baking powder and baking soda?

      Reply
      • Ann says

        July 9, 2021 at 19:47

        Try using Aldi’s Gluten Free Vanilla cake mix. It’s quite honestly the best. I do t even attempt to make cakes from GF flour any more.

  4. Daniel says

    January 30, 2021 at 17:42

    5 stars
    Batter was delicious so I know the cake will be yummy on it’s own. Refrigerated to full fat coconut milk overnight. It became ALL cream. Heating it up hoping it will have some sort or liquidyness to soak into the cake. This normal?

    Reply
  5. Genevie says

    January 8, 2021 at 11:57

    4 stars
    I love this cake! The issue I’m having is that I can’t seem to get it to absorb the milk, it’s like it s too thick? Any idea of what I could be doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Sandra Grohovaz says

      January 31, 2021 at 16:48

      Is it overcooked and thus too dense? Are the holes big enough….(mine soaked up the milk, but next time I’m going to use a chopstick so the holes are a bit bigger)?

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    December 19, 2020 at 12:20

    Sounds delicious! Can I substitute apple sauce for the oil?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      December 19, 2020 at 13:00

      Nope, that will not work

      Reply
  7. Agata says

    November 22, 2020 at 12:13

    5 stars
    I’ve made this cake a few times now and I’m absolutely addicted to it!

    Reply
  8. Bria G says

    November 7, 2020 at 23:04

    I want to make this for Thanksgiving, so I’d love to add pumpkin puree to the cake for an autumnal twist. Any suggestion on how much puree to add/which existing ingredients to replace with it? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 10, 2020 at 09:01

      Sorry, I have no idea about that. I think it would affect the cake a lot to add pumpkin puree. My honest suggestion would be to make some kind of pumpkin flavored frosting or whipped cream for the top instead.

      Reply
  9. Yasmine says

    October 26, 2020 at 04:00

    Hi! I\d like to make the recipe, but I am not sure what you mean with 1 14- oz . can full-fat coconut milk. Do you mean 1.14oz or 114oz? I am in Europe, therefore I’d be happy to know what it is in grams/ml 🙂

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      November 6, 2020 at 15:59

      Hi! They mean 1 can that is typically 14 oz. 😊

      Reply
  10. Mariel Montiel says

    October 18, 2020 at 20:33

    Has anyone used AP gluten free flour for this recipe?

    Reply
    • D says

      November 19, 2020 at 01:42

      5 stars
      Do not use flax seed flour for this. Does not give the cake the texture for soaking.

      Reply
  11. Melina says

    September 16, 2020 at 18:48

    Hi, Is there something I can use instead of the full fat coconut milk? I’m not the biggest fan of coconut flavored foods. Or will it not really taste like coconut?

    Reply
    • Hadassah says

      September 26, 2020 at 14:08

      5 stars
      10/10!! I didn’t have vanilla extract but it still turned out phenomenal!

      Reply
  12. Brenda says

    August 6, 2020 at 17:10

    5 stars
    I made this cake and it’s delicious. It tastes like a milk tres leches cake. The only thing that I need to improve is getting a more spongy cake, so the milk can be absorbed easily. I follow the recipe to make the tres leches mix but it came out very thick, so I had to add some almond milk to make it thinner. Then, the milk penetrated better, but next time I would modify a little bit the tres leches mix, so the cake is wetter. However, I still loved it and the taste was great.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      August 7, 2020 at 08:53

      Hi Brenda, just so you know, the cake is purposefully thick, it’s on purpose so that it bakes up on the dry side and can absorb more liquid. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  13. Novata Baker says

    July 6, 2020 at 17:31

    5 stars
    This cake was so delicious and a hit with my girls. I dont know what I did wrong though because it did not absorb the milk… maybe I didn’t let it sit long enough before refrigerating? Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciates as I would love to make this again with my girls.

    Reply
  14. Rachel Engelsman says

    June 29, 2020 at 19:49

    5 stars
    Does replacing all purpose flour with almond flour make this gluten free?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 29, 2020 at 20:36

      It would be gluten-free but I don’t think that would be very good. You would need to use a blend of gluten-free flours and starches to replace the AP flour in this cake, or just use a gluten-free AP flour blend

      Reply
  15. Gabby says

    June 17, 2020 at 00:47

    Hi! This recipe sounds delicious! I had a question about the sugar. I’m not quite the baker, so I was wondering what you meant by “cane sugar.” Do you mean white granulated sugar or brown sugar?

    Thank you in advance for answering my newbie question! 🙂

    Gabby

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 24, 2020 at 07:24

      Granulated sugar would be the equivalent 🙂

      Reply
  16. Mary says

    June 14, 2020 at 16:14

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe!! My fiance and I loved it and I’ll be making it again for my mom’s birthday.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Michele says

    June 13, 2020 at 04:54

    If I’m making this the day before is it best to only add the milk sauce the day of or do everything the day before and let it have the extra time to soak in?

    Reply
  18. G2 says

    May 17, 2020 at 16:55

    5 stars
    Substituted rose Essence and added cardamom to condensed milk and decorated cake with pink coconut cream and rose petals and it came out beautiful and delicious!

    Reply
  19. Jeanell says

    May 15, 2020 at 13:49

    5 stars
    I made the cake and turned out delicious, but the syrup sat on top and didn’t penetrate the sponge. I let the cake cool completely before poking the holes. How can I fix this for next time? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      May 23, 2020 at 07:58

      Sounds like you may need to bake the cake for longer, or perhaps the flour in the cake was under measured? Just some ideas, if the cake is too moist on its own it won’t absorb as much liquid. You could also poke more, but smaller, holes and be sure to poke them deep into the cake. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

      Reply
  20. Trishna says

    May 11, 2020 at 20:11

    Hi!

    I am so so excited to try this out for my boyfriend’s birthday soon as he previously had wanted a tres leches cake (as a one-time cheat!) but we have recently doubled down on our commitment to veganism.

    Do you have any tips to making this a layered cake – either 2 or 3 layers? I’ve never made any kind of tres leches cake so I’m not sure if that’s even possible with the need to soak each layer.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Jessica says

    May 10, 2020 at 00:54

    5 stars
    Awesome! Just made it tonight, and I’m having difficulty not having more than at taste! I made a very simple vegan condensed milk using one can full-fat coconut milk and 1/3 cup sugar, simmered down for 45 minutes, and it was DELICIOUS – a great alternative if you don’t want to mess with the macadamia nuts. I also added generous sprinkles of cinnamon on top of the cake and between layers of the poured milk mixture. I think next time I might mix the cinnamon right in with the condensed/evaporated milks. Will definitely be making it again.

    Reply
  22. Adriana says

    May 9, 2020 at 10:14

    Hiii I love all your savory recipes I’m always looking to make different ones.
    I’m trying to make this for my mom but she needs it to be gluten free, how would you substitute all purpose flour for almond flour or coconut flour???
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Kari says

      August 15, 2020 at 12:25

      The chef posted earlier to use gluten free flour.

      Reply
  23. Jennifer says

    May 6, 2020 at 01:11

    Hi there! I am wanting to make this tomorrow and hoping to have number 5 on the instructions clarified:

    “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.”

    By waiting 20min to open the oven door after baking till done, does this mean the cake is really baking for 50-55min? OR does this mean to keep the oven door closed for at least 20min before putting the cake in the oven to make sure the corn temperature is consistent? OR does this mean to not check the cake for at least 20mins once it is in so as not to disturb the rising?

    Thank you so much for your help :).

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      May 6, 2020 at 10:57

      Hi Jennifer, it’s the very last thing you mentioned. Do not disturb the rising of the cake by opening the oven door for the first 20min of baking. Hope you enjoy the cake!

      Reply
  24. Rose says

    April 29, 2020 at 18:57

    Making this tomorrow I can’t wait!!!!!

    Reply
    • Rose says

      April 30, 2020 at 13:51

      This cake was absolutely perfect!!!! I topped it with strawberries nothing else!!!! Will definitely make again! Thank you!!

      Reply
    • Janeth says

      December 9, 2020 at 22:55

      Hi, just made mine followed all the instruction but seems too small of a cake 😩 can I double the ingredients next time ??? And still use the same size pan and time ?

      Reply
  25. Rosario muga says

    April 15, 2020 at 12:24

    Hi! You didn’t specify when to add sugar, but I’m just going to add it on the dry mix.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Rosario muga says

      April 15, 2020 at 12:26

      Never mind, I just saw it! Sorry

      Reply
  26. Mai-Li says

    January 30, 2020 at 23:22

    5 stars
    Hi there! I was able to find vegan evaporated milk. Do you think I can use that instead of the coconut milk in the soaking syrup?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 31, 2020 at 15:02

      Sure if you would like!

      Reply
  27. Sharon says

    January 28, 2020 at 22:02

    What can I use instead of coconut milk? I can’t use coconut products.

    Reply
    • Hadassah says

      September 26, 2020 at 15:55

      You might have to make your own sweetened condensed milk using soy milk! You should be able to replace the coconut milk with unsweetened soy milk as well.

      Reply
  28. Lauren Bridgman-Fralin says

    December 13, 2019 at 16:11

    Can I replace the condensed milk with a can of condensed coconut milk?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      December 14, 2019 at 18:06

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  29. Sabrina says

    November 25, 2019 at 19:09

    The soy milk I found was unsweetened, but still had flavor (vanilla). Do you think this will work or should I try to find the unflavored stuff?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 26, 2019 at 06:52

      That should be fine!

      Reply
  30. Jennifer says

    November 10, 2019 at 07:33

    I’m allergic to almonds. Do you think skipping the almond extract will change the taste a ton or is there a substitute that I should do? I wasn’t sure since I’m not too sure on what almonds taste like haha!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 15, 2019 at 09:34

      You can definitely just skip the almond extract! Not a big deal.

      Reply
      • Liz says

        April 16, 2020 at 19:27

        5 stars
        I baked this and topped it with coconut cream frosting and fruit and it was so freaking delicious! Even my family members said it might even be better than the local bakery that has been making tres leches cakes for our birthdays for at least 10 years now! So amazing, most definitely my favorite cake and I highly recommend you make it for any tres leches lover!!!

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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