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Authentic Spanish Milk Cake Recipe

Any time is a good time to try and make delicious Spanish desserts.

In this article, we will show you the recipe for the Spanish milk cake, a big fan favorite in Andalusian recipes.

You can find tres leches cake recipes from all around the world, but we will dedicate this article to the Hispanic dessert.

a slice of tres leches cake with raspberry. On top it's written Delicious Spanish milk cake.

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Background of the Dish

closeup with spanish milk cake on a white plate.

This cake is a vanilla sponge cake soaked in a mix of heavy cream, condensed and evaporated milk, and topped with a perfect meringue. 

It is impossible to know the exact date or place of origin of this dessert, but it is believed that it was developed thanks to a gastronomic and cultural exchange between Mexico and Spain.

Today it is one of the most popular Spanish treats along with Spanish rice pudding, and though you can find it in some bakeries, it is better to make it homemade.

closeup with milk cake on a plate. On top it's written Spanish milk cake.

Things You’ll Need for Spanish Milk Cake

For this Spanish milk cake recipe you will need eggs, flour, sugar, heavy cream, condensed and evaporated milk, and vanilla essence (or extract).

It is easier to make with a hand or stand mixer, but if you have strong arms then you can do it by hand.

cake ingredients for spanish milk cake

Ingredients

  • For the cake
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup (200 gr) sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups (200 gr) flour
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • For the cream
  • 1 can (300ml) condensed milk
  • 1 can (300ml) evaporated milk
  • 1 can (300ml) heavy cream
  • For the meringue
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar

How to Make Spanish Milk Cake – Step by Step Guide

pouring milk cream over the spanish milk cake
  1. To start making this milk cake recipe you have to preheat the oven to 200ºC (390°F) while you do the step-by-step of the recipe.
  1. Now grab a large bowl and beat the eggs until they become foamy, then add the sugar little by little without stopping beating.
  1. After that, beat until the mixture triples its volume. It’s easier if you use a stand or hand mixer, but you can do it by hand and take it as an arm workout.
  1. Then, sift the flour with the baking powder. Add it with folding movements to the bowl.
  1. For the next step in this tres leches recipe put vanilla essence and continue mixing with the same soft movements.
  1. In a greased cake pan, pour the Spanish milk cake batter. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. To make sure that it is cooked, you can prick the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is cooked. Set it aside and let it cool.
  1. Now you have to prepare the cream while the cake cools. Mix the cans of evaporated and condensed milk and heavy cream in a large bowl.
  1. Now is the time to mix everything with a whisk or a hand mixer. Set aside in the fridge.
  1. For the meringue, beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually add the sugar. You must beat until the meringue acquires the right consistency (Thick and firm is the ideal one).
  1. Now it is time to assemble the cake. Make some holes in the cake with a toothpick and pour the milk mix. You can do it in the same cake pan where you cooked it or in a different container.
  1. The Spanish milk cake will take from 30 minutes to 1 hour to completely absorb the milk cream. After that time, you can spread the meringue on top.
  1. You can add as much meringue as you want. Optionally, you can use a butane torch to toast the meringue. You can also optionally dust some powdered cinnamon.
  1. Now you can serve the three milk cake while it is cold.

Substitution of Ingredients

a slice of spanish milk cake on a white plate

Something that we love about this Spanish dessert is that if you follow the recipe then you will feel that all the flavors hit the right note.

This means that even though you can make some changes, we recommend sticking to the Spanish milk cake ingredients as shown in this article.

Still, there are a few small changes that you can make to this easy tres leches cake.

The cake batter and the milk mixture should stay exactly the same, but instead of merengue, you can do a different topping, like buttercream or whipped cream to spread on top of the Spanish cake. 

As well as it happens in other milk recipes, the vanilla essence or extract gives the right flavor, but you could use any other flavoring of your choice.

The easy-to-make Spanish orange cake is a must-try dessert, with a citrusy and refreshing flavor you won’t be able to refuse.

Tips on Serving Spanish Milk Cake

spanish milk cake on a blue surface

This Spanish milk cake is one of the most famous Spanish desserts that you will find out there, but you can have it at any time of the day.

Keep in mind that this one is a pretty sweet cake,  so it is better to lean for more bitter beverages like dark tea or black coffee.

You can also serve it for tea time or make a full table of Hispanic desserts with others like Spanish tortas or Spanish almond cake.

How to Store Spanish Milk Cake

How to Store Spanish Milk Cake. An open fridge with various vegetables and fruits in plastic containers.

Once you finish making this incredibly delicious dessert you can either eat it right away or store it in the fridge.

You can store the Spanish milk cake for up to 3 days in the fridge, and then just take it out of there and serve it.

Unfortunately, you can’t freeze this cake, but if you are looking for a dessert that you can store in the freezer, then the famous Spanish sponge cake is a great choice.

Recipe Card: Spanish Milk Cake

Yield: 8

Spanish Milk Cake Recipe

spanish milk cake on a dessert plate on a wooden table.

Any time is a good time to try and make delicious desserts from Spain.

In this article, we will show you the recipe for the Spanish milk cake, a big fan favorite in Andalusian recipes.

You can find tres leches cake recipes from all around the world, but we will dedicate this article to the Hispanic dessert.

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup (200 gr) sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups (200 gr) flour
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder

For the Cream

  • 1 can (300ml) condensed milk
  • 1 can (300ml) evaporated milk
  • 1 can (300ml) heavy cream

For the meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390°F) while you do the step-by-step of the recipe.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they become foamy, then add the sugar little by little without stopping beating.
  3. Beat until the mixture triples its volume. It's easier if you use a stand or hand mixer, but you can do it by hand.
  4. Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add it with folding movements to the bowl.
  5. Put vanilla essence and continue mixing with the same soft movements.
  6. In a greased cake pan pour the tres leches cake batter. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. To make sure that it is cooked, you can prick the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is cooked. Set it aside and let it cool.
  7. Prepare the cream while the cake cools. Mix the cans of evaporated and condensed milk and heavy cream in a large bowl.
  8. Mix everything with a whisk or a hand mixer. Set aside in the fridge.
  9. For the meringue, beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually add the sugar. You must beat until the meringue acquires the right consistency (Thick and firm).
  10. Now it is time to assemble the cake. Make some holes in the cake with a toothpick and pour the milk mix. You can do it in the same cake pan where you cooked it or in a different container.
  11. The cake will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour to completely absorb the milk cream. After that time, you can spread the meringue on top.
  12. Add as much meringue as you want. Optionally, you can use a butane torch to toast the meringue. You can also optionally dust some powdered cinnamon.
  13. Now you can serve the three milk cake.

Notes

Since this is the classic Spanish milk cake recipe it doesn't call for cinnamon, however, it does add a nice touch and flavor to the dish, so you can use it if you like.

The mix with the canned ingredients is key for this milk cake, but you can switch the amounts a little bit (if you use too little it will be drier).

If you use canned milk that has over 300gr (or less than that) that's fine, just make sure to use the same amount of each.

It might seem like a low amount of flour for a cake, but this Spanish cake with milk is airier than others and it gets its sponge texture thanks to the beaten eggs.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 628Total Fat 24.2gSaturated Fat 13.9gCholesterol 201mgSodium 171mgCarbohydrates 92gFiber 0.5gSugar 75.9gProtein 14.5g

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