Strawberry Tres Leches Cake features a rich strawberry cake soaked in three different kinds of strawberry-flavored milk and covered with whipped cream and crunchy, tangy freeze-dried strawberries.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a really simple shortcut to make a cake that seems like it took all day. This is as simple as making a boxed cake and pouring a sweet strawberry milk mixture over it!
- It's like spring in a cake. You're going to get that rich strawberry flavor throughout, from the cake to the strawberry milk mixture it's soaked in.
- This cake has a great texture combo from the soft spongey cake, the rich milk mixture, and the crunchy, tangy freeze-dried strawberries on top.
Ingredients for Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
(See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
For Strawberry Cake
- strawberry cake mix
- butter
- whole milk
- eggs
For 3-Milk Mixture
- heavy cream
- evaporated milk
- sweetened condensed milk
- strawberry syrup
For Cake Topping
- heavy cream
- powdered sugar
- freeze-dried strawberries
Variations & Additions
- This cake can be made in any flavor you'd like by simply changing the cake mix flavor, the syrup flavor, and the topping. It would be delicious as a lemon tres leches cake, pumpkin tres leches cake, or a chocolate tres leches cake. (Of course, you can make it as a traditional tres leches cake too!)
- If you'd like, you can also top the cake with fresh strawberries. I choose not to do this because the strawberries tend to go bad quickly once they're on the cake. If you decide to top with sliced strawberries, make sure to do it just before serving!
How to Make Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
Step 1: Make the Strawberry Cake.
In a large mixing bowl, blend strawberry cake mix, butter, whole milk, and eggs. Pour batter into a 9x13" glass baking dish. Bake strawberry cake in the oven according to package directions.
Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes. Then, use a fork or wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
Step 2: Top with Tres Leches Mixture.
While the cake is cooling, whisk together 8oz heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and strawberry syrup.
Tip: do this in a 4-cup measuring cup to make pouring easier!
Pour the strawberry milk mixture all over the cake in 1-cup increments, allowing the mixture to soak into the cake before adding more.
Refrigerate the covered cake for at least an hour (preferably overnight).
Step 3: Add whipped cream and freeze-dried strawberries.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium-high speed to combine 1 cup heavy cream and ½ cup powdered sugar. Mix until stiff peaks begin to form.
Cover the soaked cake in this whipped cream. After lightly crushing freeze-dried strawberries, sprinkle over the top of the whipped cream.
Leftovers & Storage Tips
This tres leches cake needs to be stored in the fridge after serving. Please enjoy it within 3-4 days of making it.
I recommend covering this cake when you store it - the flavors from other foods can seep in pretty easily, ruining that bright strawberry flavor in your cake.
More Expert Tips & Tricks
- Wait until just before serving to add the freeze-dried strawberries. They can sometimes get soggy if they sit in the whipped cream for too long...we don't want to lose that crunch!
- If you'd rather have a fresher element, you can skip the freeze-dried strawberries and use fresh strawberries for the topping.
- The longer you let the cake soak in the refrigerator, the creamier the finish of the cake will be. I recommend letting it soak overnight if you have the time.
I can't wait to see what you think of this bright, summery dessert! 🍓 Leave a rating ⭐️ or review in the comments.
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
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Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cake
- 15.25 oz strawberry cake mix
- 1 stick butter room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
For The Tres Leches Mixture
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoon strawberry syrup
For the Toppings
- 8 oz heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 oz freeze-dried strawberries lightly crushed
Instructions
Strawberry Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, blend strawberry cake mix, butter, whole milk, and eggs. Pour batter into a 9x13" glass baking dish. Bake strawberry cake in the oven according to package directions.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes. Then, use a fork or wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
Tres Leches Mixture
- While cake is cooling, mix together 8oz heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and strawberry syrup.
- Pour three milk mixture all over the cake in 1 cup increments, allowing the mixture to soak into the cake before adding more.
- Refrigerate the covered cake for at least an hour (preferably overnight).
Finishing Touches
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine 1 cup of heavy cream and ½ cup powdered sugar. Mix until stiff peaks begin to form.
- Cover the soaked cake in this whipped cream. After lightly crushing freeze-dried strawberries, sprinkle over the top of the whipped cream.
Notes
- Wait until just before serving to add the freeze-dried strawberries. They can sometimes get soggy if they sit in the whipped cream for too long...we don't want to lose that crunch!
- If you'd rather have a fresher element, you can skip the freeze-dried strawberries and use fresh strawberries for the topping.
- The longer you let the cake soak in the refrigerator, the creamier the finish of the cake will be. I recommend letting it soak overnight if you have the time.
