Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Vegan Tres Leches Cake is a delicious take on a classic Mexican dessert. Find out how to make it below.
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Mexican inspired cake
I find my inspiration for recipes in a wide range of different places: from travels abroad to fine dining restaurants and everything in between. But for this particular recipe I was inspired by the TV show the Great British Bake Off. I love to see the challenges the bakers are set and then I try to make vegan versions suitable for anyone following a plant based diet or who need to avoid eggs and dairy for health reasons.
This week I’ve been inspired to bake tres leches cake.
What is tres leches cake?
Tres leches cake is a traditional Mexican dessert. The name “tres leches” translates to “three milks”. It’s a dense vanilla sponge soaked in a three milk mixture then topped with whipped sweetened cream.
How do you make tres leches cake with vegan ingredients?
A cake that relies so heavily on different types of milk may sound as though it’s very difficult to make with vegan ingredients. But, you’d be wrong.
The sponge cake itself uses soy milk in place of cows milk. It’s an oil based sponge too so no butter is needed.
The three milk soaking liquid is traditionally made from evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream or milk. Soy milk can replace the cows milk or cream and vegan condensed milks are now available in supermarkets (I use Nestle). So, all that’s left to replace is the evaporated milk.
Evaporated milk is made from milk that has had up to 60% of the moisture removed making it much thicker. It’s simillar to condensed milk but condensed milk is sweetened. To replace the evaporated milk I use a vegan cream instead and up the amount of condensed milk you’d otherwise use. This gives the richness the recipe requires and the right consistency.
Last but not least the cake is topped with whipped, sweetened cream. I use Elmlea plant based cream which can be whipped just like regular cream.
With so many substitutes easily available in supermarkets it easier to make a vegan tres leches cake than you might think.
How do you make tres leches cake? (Step by step)
Step 1 – weigh out all of your ingredients
It is important you weigh out your ingredients precisely. Baking is a science and your cake will not turn out right if you fail to weigh them out exactly.
Step 2 – mix your apple cider vinegar and soy milk
By mixing the milk and vinegar together you get a curdled, thicker milk that resembles buttermilk.
Step 3 – pour your “buttermilk” mixture and oil into your dry ingredients and mix.
Mix the batter together quickly as the liquids will activate the raising agents in the flour. Be careful not to over mix as this will make the cake tough.
Step 4 – pour the cake batter into a lined pan
I use a rectangle tin 10 inches x 7 inches. You can use a cake pan of a similar volume. You can find out how to calculate this here.
Step 5 – bake!
Bake your cake in the centre of the oven at 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4 for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. It will be quite pale in colour so don’t worry if it’s not golden brown.
Step 6 – make the soaking liquid
While the cake is cooling mix together the milk, cream and condensed milk.
Step 7 – soak the cake
Poke holes into the cake then pour over a third of the soaking liquid. Let this soak into the cake for 5 – 10 minutes before repeating with the next third, leaving that to soak, then finally pouring over the rest.
Step 8 – let the cake rest
Give the cake time to soak up all of the liquid by wrapping in clingfilm and placing in the fridge overnight.
Step 9 – top with whipped cream
Whip your cream with a little icing sugar and vanilla paste until it is stiff but spreadable. Spread over the cake evenly.
Step 10 – serve!
You can enjoy this cake as it is, with a sprinkling of cinnamon or with fresh fruit.
The recipe
Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- 1 10 inch x 7 inch cake pan or similar sized pan
Ingredients
For the cake
- 350 ml soy milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 400 g self raising flour
- 100 g caster sugar
- 125 ml vegetable oil or other unflavoured oil
- 0.5 tsp vanilla paste
For the soaking liquid
- 200 ml vegan double cream
- 370 g vegan condensed milk
- 100 ml soy milk
For the whipped cream topping
- 250 ml vegan whipping cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- strawberries optional
- cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Mix together the apple cider vinegar and soy milk and leave to curdle.
- Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl then pour over the milk/ vinegar mix, oil and vanilla paste.
- Mix well until a batter has formed.
- Pour the batter into your lined tin then place into the oven at 180 C / 35 F / gas mark 4 for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven once a skewer comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooling mix together the milk, cream and condensed milk for the soaking liquid.
- Poke holes into the cake then pour over a third of the soaking liquid. Let this soak into the cake for 5 – 10 minutes before repeating with the next third, leaving that to soak, then finally pouring over the rest.
- Leave the cake to soak up all of the liquid by wrapping it in clingfilm and placing it in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, whip your cream with a little icing sugar and vanilla paste until it is stiff but spreadable.
- Spread over the whipped cream.
- Serve as it is, with a sprinkling of cinnamon or with fresh fruit.
Nutrition
More vegan cake and dessert recipes
For the full range of recipes inspired by the Great British Bake Off view the collection here.