tres leches cake
noun
tres le·ches cake
ˈtrās-ˈlā-chās- 
variants
or tres leches
: a sponge cake soaked in a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream
At its most basic, tres leches cake is just a big, luscious sponge. Once you bake the dense cake, you soak it in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream.—
Emily Nunn
Emily NunnThe tres leches is as marvelous and moist as ever beneath its soft meringue topping, thanks to enough salt content to balance the sweetness.—Alison Cook
Alison CookExamples of tres leches cake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This year, it was elevated with the flavors synonymous with tres leches cake.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
When a dessert of tres leches cake arrived, swimming in frozen cherries, Etta’s contained a candle to mark the start of her teens.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
The menu includes nachos, queso and tacos, but also a fried chicken Diablo sandwich, a chipotle Caesar salad and desserts such as Biscoff tres leches cake or RumChata liqueur cheesecake.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
The dessert highlighted cream puffs and tres leches cake.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Raised partly in the Dominican Republic, Velez’s recipes for treats like tres leches cake and guava and cheese pastelitos are nods to the country’s traditional desserts.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2024
As a child, the Thanksgiving meal would have turkey and cranberry sauce, but also white rice and black beans, tres leches cake or arroz con leche pudding, and plenty of festive Spanish-language music.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2024
Sheila’s Bakery: Section 149 Horchata and tres leches cake at the Miller Lite Market.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2024
To finish, look for chamomile tres leches cake, a panna cotta take on fresas en crema, mangonadas and more.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2024
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Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
When a dessert of tres leches cake arrived, swimming in frozen cherries, Etta’s contained a candle to mark the start of her teens.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
The menu includes nachos, queso and tacos, but also a fried chicken Diablo sandwich, a chipotle Caesar salad and desserts such as Biscoff tres leches cake or RumChata liqueur cheesecake.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
The dessert highlighted cream puffs and tres leches cake.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Raised partly in the Dominican Republic, Velez’s recipes for treats like tres leches cake and guava and cheese pastelitos are nods to the country’s traditional desserts.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2024
As a child, the Thanksgiving meal would have turkey and cranberry sauce, but also white rice and black beans, tres leches cake or arroz con leche pudding, and plenty of festive Spanish-language music.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2024
Sheila’s Bakery: Section 149 Horchata and tres leches cake at the Miller Lite Market.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2024
To finish, look for chamomile tres leches cake, a panna cotta take on fresas en crema, mangonadas and more.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Tres leches cake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tres%20leches%20cake. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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