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Churro Tres Leches Cake

Churro tres leches cake is a fluffy Mexican-style sponge soaked with three milks, then topped with cinnamon whipped cream. Crispy churro pieces add crunch over the creamy, sliceable layers.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican/Spanish
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.33 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Milk mixture
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp sugar
Topping
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 5 churro pieces, crushed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Position it so it bakes evenly.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Make sure the dry ingredients look evenly combined.
  3. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until pale. Continue mixing until the texture looks lighter and smoother.
  4. Add the milk and vanilla to the egg yolk mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl if needed to keep the batter consistent.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the cake tender.
  6. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. You should be able to turn the bowl without the peaks collapsing.
  7. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Use slow motions so the batter stays airy.
  8. Pour the batter into the greased 9x13 baking dish. Spread it into an even layer.
  9. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Look for the top to spring back lightly.
Soak with three milks
  1. While the cake bakes, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, cinnamon, and sugar together. Mix until the cinnamon is evenly distributed.
  2. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pierce it all over with a fork. Create many holes so the soak goes throughout.
  3. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the warm cake. Pour evenly so it saturates without pooling in one spot.
  4. Cool the cake completely before chilling. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the layers set.
Finish and serve
  1. Before serving, beat the heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. The cream should hold strong ridges.
  2. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake. Cover the surface evenly so each slice gets topping.
  3. Garnish with crushed churro pieces. Add them right before serving for best crunch.

Notes

For the best soak, pour the milk mixture over the cake while it is still warm and immediately after piercing. Refrigerate uncovered at first, then cover once chilled, and keep leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the soaked cake texture softens. If you want a lighter option, use part-skim milk in the cake and choose reduced-fat heavy cream in the milk mixture, noting the flavor and richness may be slightly less.