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–+ servings

Tres Leches Cups

Experience a spoonful of pure heaven with Tres Leches Cups. Every bite delivers the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth luxury, blending an ultra-moist, three-milk-soaked sponge cake with a cloud of velvety, sweet cream. It is rich, perfectly sweet, and spectacularly decadent—packaged beautifully for a premium, single-serve escape.
I used to make these as traditional cupcakes, but transitioning to dessert cups was a game changer! Not only did they eliminate the messy, sticky overflow of the milk mixtures, but the cups offer a cleaner, more premium presentation for both the baker and the consumer and the added pipette gives guests a fun, interactive way to infuse their dessert with a little flavor shot.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert, holiday
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking powder
Leches
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup whole milk or half and half
Whipped Cream Topping
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 1/2 oz White Chocolate Pudding mix approximately 1/2 a 3.3 oz box
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish (Optional)
  • Strawberry Slices
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 12 Decorative Dessert Pipettes
  • 12 Dessert Spoons
  • 12 Dessert Cups

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Grease a 9x13 pan.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
  7. Let cool in pan while preparing the other layers.
  8. Mix together the three milks in a bowl and set aside.
  9. In a cold mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, pudding mix, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff and put into a piping bag with a decorative tip.
  10. In 12 dessert cups, fill the bottom half with cake.
  11. Pipe the whip cream over top as the middle layer.
  12. Fill the top half with cake.
  13. Pour 1/4 cup of the milk mixture into the dessert cup.
  14. Top with a dollop of whip cream.
  15. Optional Garnish: Sprinkle with a dash of cinammon and a strawberry slice.
  16. Optional: Use dessert pipettes to soak up the remaining leches and place in the dessert cups along with a small dessert spoon.
  17. Place covered in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Notes

Overnight resting time is essential for creating the perfect, melt-in-your-mouth texture. 
 
Why the 24-Hour Soak Matters:
  • Deep Saturation: Gives the dense sponge cake enough time to pull the three-milk mixture all the way to its core.
  • Texture Transformation: Changes a standard, dry cake crumb into an incredibly moist, velvety, and cohesive dessert.
  • Flavor Fusion: Allows the rich condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream to meld completely with the vanilla notes.
  • Zero Sogginess: Ensures the liquid binds properly with the starches so the cake holds its shape without leaking.

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