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Tres Leche Cake with Key lime topping decorated with sliced limes.

Tres Leche with Key Lime

By Edamama Bean
Indulge your taste buds in a luscious symphony of flavors with our heavenly Key Lime Tres Leches Cake. This Latin American classic has been transformed into a tropical masterpiece that will transport you to a sunny paradise with each forkful.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Bowl
  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 Mixer
  • 1 Plastic Water Bottle
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • 1 9" x 11" Glass Dish
  • 1 Piping Bag

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 5 eggs divided
  • ½ cup butter softened (1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

For the Milk

  • 1 14-oz can heavy cream
  • 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 12-oz can evaporated milk

For the Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the Key Lime

  • 2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup key lime juice

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan with nonstick spray or rub with butter.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 5 egg whites. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Beat the egg whites for about 2-4 minutes, until stiff peaks form. See photos.
  • Scrape the egg whites into a medium bowl and store in the fridge.
  • In the same bowl that you beat the egg whites, add 1/2 cup butter and beat until smooth, scraping edges. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping sides halfway through. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well.
  • Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
  • Get the beaten egg whites out of the fridge. Now you are going to add the flour mixture and the beaten egg whites into the butter/sugar mixture in alternating batches. (Add about half the flour to the butter mixture, and stir. Then add half the beaten egg whites to the butter mixture, and stir, until it’s all added.) Do not over-mix. Once it is combined, stop.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread out with a spatula.
  • Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are pulling away from the sides of the cake pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no batter on it.

For the Milk

  • While the cake is baking, make it in a very large glass measuring cup or bowl, and add 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 can of evaporated milk. Then in the empty 14 oz can pour heavy whipping cream to the top of the can and then pour in the mixture. Stir together until combined.
  • When the cake is baked, remove it from the oven, turn off the oven, and set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, use a chopstick to poke holes in the cake.
  • Once you have holes all over the cake, take 3-5 minutes to SLOWLY pour the milk mixture all over the cake. If you pour too quickly, the top of your cake will not absorb the liquid. Yes, pour all of the liquid on the cake. It seems like too much. It’s not!
  • Once all the milk has been added, put the cake back in the oven that has been turned OFF and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the counter. Cover well, transfer to the fridge to cool completely, and let the liquid absorb into the cake. This will take at least 4-6 hours.

For the Key Lime

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and sour cream. Once smooth, add the lime juice. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

For the Whipped Cream

  • Make the whipped cream once the cake is completely chilled and ready to serve. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 2 cups of cream on high for 2-4 minutes until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat well, scraping sides and bottom.

Putting it all together

  • Spread the key lime filling over the cake.
  • Put the whipped cream in a piping bag and decorate the cake as you please.
  • Garnish with limes!
  • Enjoy!
Keyword Cake, Dessert, Key Lime, Tres Leche, Tropical