Tres Leches Cupcakes are a moist and delicious. They are a perfect dessert for casual parties and celebrations.
Tres Leches Cupcakes
If you’ve never had a Tres Leches cake before, don’t expect a light, fluffy cake; it is cake soaked in a sweetened milk mixture, and the texture is somewhere between cake and pudding.
Since serving attractive portions of a moist cake can be challenging, individual Tres Leches Cupcakes are the perfect answer for a festive presentation. The cupcakes may be removed from the wrapper and eaten like a regular cupcake, or scooped out with a spoon if preferred.
Many Tres Leches recipes include brandy or rum in the soaking sauce. If you want to use liquor, simply add two or three tablespoons to the milk mixture before spooning it over the cupcakes.
How to Make Tres Leches Cupcakes
Make the vanilla and three milks (Tres Leches) mixture.
Prepare whites and yolks separately, then fold together.
Mix the tres leches cupcake batter together.
Spoon the batter into foil wrappers & bake.
Poke holes in the baked cupcakes.
Spoon the milk sauce over the cupcakes shortly before serving.
Top the Tres Leches Cupcakes with whipped cream and a cherry.
Tres Leches Cupcakes are a moist and delicious cupcake that your guests will go crazy over!
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Liquor brandy, rum, or tequila if desired
- Foil cupcake liners
- Maraschino cherries
- 1 pint 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla seeds. Set the seeds aside for later.
- Break the vanilla bean pod into 1-inch pieces.
- In a small pan over low heat, combine the vanilla pod pieces, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whipping cream. Heat just until warm, and then remove from heat to cool.
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a medium bowl and the yolks into a large bowl.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Beat the yolks until thick and lighter in color – about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk and mix well.
- Put the egg whites on top of the yolks. Add the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds and fold all together gently until there are only small lumps of egg white in the mixture.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the egg mixture in three increments, folding the dry ingredients in gently and completely each time. Batter will be thick.
- Place foil cupcake liners in cupcake pans. Fill each half-full.
- Place in oven and immediately turn heat down to 350 F.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to turn golden.
- Cool on cake racks.
- Strain the three-milk mixture. Remove and discard the vanilla pod pieces.
- Poke shallow holes in each cupcake using a fork or wooden skewer – no more than 1/4-inch deep. If your cupcakes rose over the top of the liner, cut off the top with a sharp knife. You won’t need to poke holes in this case.
- If you are using liquor, add it to the milk mixture now.
- Holding each cupcake over a bowl, slowly pour about 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk mixture over each cupcake. Wipe any spilled milk from the outside of the foil liner and place the cupcake on a tray or baking sheet. Repeat until all cupcakes are soaked.
- For best results, chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight. Add topping up to an hour before serving, and keep refrigerated.
- Whip cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe onto cupcakes using a star tip. Top with a maraschino cherry.
Enjoy these Tres Leches Cupcakes on Cinco de Mayo, or anytime you want a fun moist cupcake for your guests.
HilLesha says
05/03/2014 atThose cupcakes look so delectable!
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
05/04/2014 atThe portion size of a cupcake is perfect for Tres Leches. Usually, I tend to get too much but the sweetness gets overwhelming. Plus, the smaller cakes are much cuter 🙂
Ty says
05/04/2014 atI’m currently dieting but if I wasn’t I’d probably eat them all lol.
vanessa:thequeenofswag says
05/04/2014 atThose look absolutely amazing. I love Tres Leches cake!
Anne says
05/04/2014 atI’ve never tried Tres Leches anything before. It looks wonderful though!
Sheri says
05/04/2014 atThese look delicious.
Colleen says
05/04/2014 atOh yum I don’t usually do cake/cupcakes but these look delicious especially with that cherry on top!
Raijean says
05/04/2014 atThese cupcakes look delicious! I’m going to try this recipe!
Kathleen B says
05/05/2014 atOh my goodness, those are literally soaked in goodness. How incredible, I have to try them!
Liz Mays says
05/05/2014 atI just want to bury my face inside one. Those look fantastic!
Angela says
05/06/2014 atI love Tres Leches anything! I will have to try these cupcakes for sure.
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
05/08/2014 atWe LOVE Tres Leches cake in our house. Never knew that people put liquor in it sometimes
ctrochelman says
05/09/2014 atI have NEVER tried tres leches but I’m absolutely convinced I need to try these cupcakes! Thanks so much for sharing at Saturday Night Fever!
Kelly Stilwell says
05/28/2014 atOh my word. These look so amazing!!
Carolyn Kizer says
01/23/2015 atI have never tasted Trestle Leche , but I can’t wait to. Does anyone have any history behind these.I assume they are French.I like to add origin and little statements on my recipe cards.Yes I am old-fashioned and keep hand written cards.
Robin Gagnon says
01/23/2015 atThey are a traditional Latino treat.
SillyFunMomma says
05/07/2016 atYou are a life saver!!!! I have had some serious pregnancy cravings for tres leches! There isn’t anywhere to buy these where we moved to. Happy Mother’s day to me lol. I’m making them tomorrow!