Strawberry Tres Leches Cake

Name: Strawberry Milk Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix; 4 large eggs; ½ cup melted butter; 2 cups milk, (divided); 12 ounces evaporated milk; 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk; 3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, (divided); 1 cup strawberry jam; 8 ounces Cool Whip

This strawberry tres leches cake has three types of milk soaked into all the nooks and crannies before being layered with a sweet jam and whipped cream topping.

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Table of Contents

Ingredients For Strawberry Tres Leches
Strawberry Milk Cake Substitutions And Additions
How To Make Strawberry Tres Leches Cake With Cake Mix
How To Serve Strawberry Tres Leches
Tres Leches Strawberry Cake Storage
You Will Love This Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake FAQs
More Recipes You’ll Love
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More Easy Dessert Recipes

This strawberry tres leches cake is ridiculously moist and delicious. With layers of fluffy cake soaked in a decadent mixture of three types of milk, or tres leches, and topped with sweet strawberry jam, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries, this cake is sure to become a new favorite.

a close up shot of a slice of Strawberry Tres Leches Cake on a plate

Ingredients For Strawberry Tres Leches

Strawberry Tres Leches Cake raw ingredients that are labeled

One bite of this strawberry tres leches cake, and you’ll be spellbound!

This moist, delicate sponge cake is saturated in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk.

Subtle notes of sliced strawberries add a delightful dimension to this dessert that will tantalize your taste buds.

To make this yummy cake, you’ll need:

1 (15.25-ounce) package of yellow cake mix
4 large eggs
½ cup of melted butter
2 cups of milk, divided in half
12-ounce can of evaporated milk
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
3 cups of fresh sliced strawberries, divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
1 cup of strawberry jam
8-ounce tub of Cool Whip

Strawberry Milk Cake Substitutions And Additions

STRAWBERRIES: You can experiment with other berries like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

These berries will provide different flavor notes, but they will still complement the creamy sweetness of the tres leches cake.

You can even try a combination of berries for a burst of various fruity tastes.

Just keep in mind that some berries may be tarter or sweeter than strawberries.

You can also adjust the amount of sugar in the tres leches mixture to your liking.

JAM: Store-bought or homemade strawberry jam would both be delicious in this poke cake recipe.

STRAWBERRY: For even more strawberry flavor, make this recipe with a strawberry cake mix.

You can also add a teaspoon of strawberry extract to the yellow cake batter to amplify the strawberry flavor in this tres leches cake with strawberries.

How To Make Strawberry Tres Leches Cake With Cake Mix

Once you bake the cake, allow it to cool before poking holes all over the cake. A fork or a skewer works great for this.

Next, drizzle the milk mixture over top of the cake before allowing it to soak into all the nooks and crannies of the cake.

Finally, top the cake with layers of whipped cream and strawberries.

Follow our step-by-step directions below.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix, four eggs, melted butter, and one cup of milk.

cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and milk mixed in a bowl

STEP THREE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.

STEP FOUR: While the cake is baking, combine the remaining one cup of milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl.

Place it in the refrigerator until needed.

STEP FIVE: Mix the strawberry jam and one cup of sliced strawberries in a small bowl. Set aside.

strawberry jam and sliced strawberries mixed together in a bowl

STEP SIX: Let the cake cool completely before you poke holes in the cake all over with a fork.

Pour the milk mixture over the cooled cake, then spread the cake with the jam mixture, then the Cool Whip.

PRO TIP:

When pouring the cream into the holes of the cake, tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and ensure the milk fills the holes completely.

milk mixture poured over the cooled cake, then spread jam mixture then cool whip

STEP SEVEN: Top the cake with the remaining sliced fresh strawberries, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

PRO TIP:

This cake recipe is best when it has had plenty of time to allow the cake to absorb the mixture to make it a very moist cake.

STEP EIGHT: Slice into 12 squares and serve immediately. Any leftover cake should be stored in the refrigerator.

How To Serve Strawberry Tres Leches

This sweet cake is such a simple dessert to make, and anyone you serve it to will love how moist and delicious it is.

Serve it with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and homemade hot chocolate to drink.

You could also enjoy it with a fragrant cup of chai tea, or a tall glass of creamy eggnog. These options will take your experience to the next level and bring out the full flavors in the cake.

Poke cakes take a regular boxed cake mix to the next level by infusing it with a heavenly variety of fillings. You cannot go wrong with our decadent turtle poke cake or Oreo poke cake.

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Tres Leches Strawberry Cake Storage

Let’s talk about how to store this scrumptious cake properly to keep it fresh and delicious.

IN THE FRIDGE: Since this cake has milk, it needs to be refrigerated. The cake should last for about three days in the fridge.

IN THE FREEZER: This cake is best served when it’s fresh or within two to three days of making it.

We would not recommend freezing it because the strawberries won’t be as nice once thawed.

overhead shot of Strawberry Tres Leches Cake in a baking dish

You Will Love This Strawberry Tres Leches Cake

The combination of three types of milk soaked into the cake makes it insanely creamy and rich. The strawberry jam and whipped cream add another layer of indulgence that makes this strawberry tres leches cake the perfect dessert for a special occasion.

Strawberry Tres Leches Cake FAQs

How does this strawberry and cream cake taste?

This strawberry tres leches cake is moist and fluffy. The different types of milk add to the richness of the flavor.

Can I eat this cake warm or cold?

The tres leches dessert should be eaten cold.

Do I have to use a boxed cake mix, or can I make my own?

If you have a yellow cake mix recipe you love, feel free to use that in this recipe.

What is a poke cake?

Poke cake recipes create an easy cake that you poke small holes into while it’s still hot after baking.

The holes are then filled with a liquid or filling — like condensed milk, pureed fruit, chocolate cream, or pudding.

It makes a moist and delicious cake.

What do you use to poke holes in poke cake?

The end of a wooden spoon, a fork, or a wooden skewer is the best size to poke holes in the top of the cake.

Why is my tres leches cake soggy?

If your tres leches cake is not absorbing the milk, it is likely that the batter has been over-mixed.

Over-mixing can cause the batter to lose its airy, spongy texture, meaning it won’t absorb liquids very well.

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Strawberry Milk Cake

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This strawberry tres leches cake has three types of milk soaked into all the nooks and crannies before being layered with a sweet jam and whipped cream topping.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

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Ingredients

15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
4 large eggs
½ cup melted butter
2 cups milk, divided
12 ounces evaporated milk
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, divided
1 cup strawberry jam
8 ounces Cool Whip

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix, 4 eggs, melted butter, and one cup of milk.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl. Place it in the refrigerator until needed.
In a small bowl, mix together the strawberry jam and 1 cup of the sliced strawberries. Set aside.
Let the cake cool completely before poking the cake all over with a fork. Pour the milk mixture over the cooled cake, then spread the cake with the jam mixture, then the Cool Whip.
Top the cake with the remaining sliced strawberries, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Slice into 12 squares and serve immediately. Any leftover cake should be stored in the refrigerator.

Notes

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.
When pouring the cream into the holes of the cake, tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and ensure the milk fills the holes completely.
This cake recipe is best when it has had plenty of time to allow the cake to absorb the mixture to make it a very moist cake.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Layne Kangas Marketing
Rhadonda Sedgwick Creative Director
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Strawberry Tres Leches