red velvet tres leches cake

a red velvet tres leches cake featuring three milks seeping into tender red velvet sponge until it’s impossibly soft and dreamy, topped with clouds of fresh cream cheese whipped cream and a scatter of cake crumbs. somehow both incredibly rich and light as air at the same time.

why you will love this red velvet tres leches cake recipe

• the perfect blend of two classic desserts! – this red velvet tres leches cake perfectly combines the tangy, chocolatey richness of red velvet with a classic soft and moist tres leches cake.

• looks impressive but still achievable – this delicious red velvet tres leches cake looks impressive and fancy but it’s not as complicated as it seems to make! it might be a bit more complicated than a typical cake due to whipping the yolks and whites separately, but it’s still absolutely achievable, even for beginner bakers.

• perfect for making ahead – this red velvet tres leches cake is the perfect make ahead dessert for an event or a party. it actually requires you to leave it in the fridge overnight, and the longer you leave it, the better the flavour, so this recipe is great for those who like to plan ahead.

learn how to make red velvet tres leches cake

to make this easy red velvet tres leches cake from scratch, we’re going to start off by whipping together egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes a pale yellow colour. then, we’ll add vanilla extract, milk, vinegar and some red food colouring and mix all of this in until combined. then add a mixture of flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and gently mix it in. in another large bowl, we’ll whip together egg whites, some vinegar and some more sugar until they reach stiff peaks. gently fold a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until combined, then add this mixture to the rest of the egg whites and fold it in until combined. pour the mixture into a greased baking pan. bake the sponge cake, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

while the sponge cake cools, we’re going to make the three milks mixture for our red velvet cake. in a big jug or bowl, mix together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and milk along with some unsweetened cocoa powder. whisk all of this together until smooth.

once the cake is cool, gently remove the top layer of the cake, then poke some holes all over the cake. slowly pour the chocolate milk mixture over the cake, a little bit at a time. cover the cake and place it in the fridge overnight, so that it’s able to absorb all of the chocolate milk mixture.

make the cream cheese whipped cream fresh the next day by beating cream cheese until soft. then, add icing sugar or powdered sugar, some vanilla extract and cold heavy cream. whip all of this together until the cream reaches medium peaks, then spread it out over your red velvet tres leches cake. finish decorating your red velvet tres leches cake with extra cake crumbs from the top layer that you removed, and we’re done!

red velvet tres leches cake ingredients

the ingredients for red velvet tres leches cake are listed below:

• eggs – use large, room temperature eggs. we’re going to be separating the yolks and whites and whipping them separately with sugar.

• sugar – this red velvet tres leches cake recipe uses granulated sugar in the cake batter.

• vanilla extract – to make our red velvet tres leches cake, i like to add a small amount of vanilla extract to the cake batter as well as to the cream cheese whipped cream topping for a subtle vanilla flavour. this is optional.

• milk – we’re going to need milk to add to our cake mixture, as well as to make the chocolate milk for our three milks mixture.

• vinegar – i like to add some vinegar to the milk before adding it to the cake batter. this will help give that classic red velvet tang. you can also use buttermilk instead of the vinegar and milk mixture. i also add some vinegar to the egg whites when whipping them, as this helps stabilise them.

• food colouring – i’m using a red food colouring paste for this red velvet tres leches cake recipe. i would recommend using a food colouring paste or gel for this recipe, as it tends to have a stronger colour than liquid. you can adjust the amount depending on your desired colour for the cake.

• flour – in this recipe for red velvet tres leches cake, we’re going to need some plain flour or all purpose flour for the cake mixture.

• cocoa powder – we’re going to need some unsweetened cocoa powder for the cake and the chocolate milk mixture.

• baking powder – a small amount of baking powder in the cake mixture will help increase the rise of the cake.

• salt – just a small amount of salt in the cake batter BALANCES OUT THE SWEETNESS of this red velvet tres leches cake.

• evaporated milk – one of the three milks that the cake is going to be soaked in to ensure that it’s moist and fluffy.

• sweetened condensed milk – i make this red velvet tres leches cake with condensed milk as part of the three milk mixture.

• cream cheese – we’re going to beat cream cheese on its own first for the cream cheese whipped cream. make sure it’s at room temperature. you can use the block type cream cheese or the soft, spreadable type.

• HEAVY CREAM – we’re just going to pour cold heavy cream or double cream in with the softened cream cheese and whip until the mixture is soft and fluffy before adding it to the top of our red velvet tres leches cake.

• icing sugar or powdered sugar – this will be whipped with the cream to add sweetness.

tools:

• large bowls – you’ll need three large bowls – for the egg whites, the yolks and for whipping the cream.

• hand mixer or stand mixer – you will need this to whip the egg yolks, the egg whites and the cream.

• silicone spoon or spatula – this will make it easier to fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

• jug – something like a jug will make it easy for you to pour the chocolate milk mixture over the tres leches cake in small amounts at a time.

• 9×13 inch baking pan – i like to bake this red velvet tres leches cake in a 9×13 inch baking pan.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat oven and grease a baking pan with butter or cooking spray for your red velvet tres leches cake. i decided not to line the pan, but you can do this if you like.

step two: in a small bowl or jug, add milk and vinegar, mix it together and then set this aside.

step three: separate the eggs. add the egg yolks to a large bowl and add the egg whites to another large bowl.

step four: in the bowl with the egg yolks, add about half of the granulated sugar. use a hand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes a pale yellow colour and increases in volume.

step five: add the vanilla extract to the bowl with the egg yolks, as well as the red food colouring and the milk and vinegar mixture, and use a spoon or silicone spatula to mix it into the egg yolk mixture until combined.

step six: sift a mixture of flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in until combined. set this aside.

step seven: add a small amount of white vinegar to the large bowl with the egg whites and use a mixer to beat the egg whites until they start to look bubbly and frothy.

step eight: add the granulated sugar to the egg whites in small amounts at at time, whipping in between. continue to whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks – they should hold their shape and not fall when you turn the bowl upside down.

step nine: add about a quarter of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold them into the mixture until combined.

step ten: then add this mixture to the rest of the egg whites and gently fold it in until combined. do not over mix at this stage. the mixture should be quite thick and airy.

step eleven: add the red velvet tres leches cake mixture into your prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. a toothpick in the center of the cake should come out clean, or just with a few crumbs attached to it.

step twelve: set the cake aside to cool while you make the milk mixture. in a large jug, add evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, milk and unsweetened cocoa powder. use a whisk to to mix all of this together until smooth.

step thirteen: once the cake is cool, gently remove a very thin layer off the top of the cake – you can crumble this up and use as cake crumbs for the topping. then, use a fork to poke holes all over the cooled cake, and pour the chocolate milk mixture over the cake in small amounts at a time. don’t worry if it starts to pool on top of the cake – the cake will absorb all of the milk after some time.

step fourteen: cover the cake, then leave this in the fridge overnight so that it can soak up all of the chocolate milk.

step fifteen: the next day, once the red velvet tres leches cake has soaked up all of the milk, start making the cream cheese whipped cream topping. in a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese. use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the cream cheese on its own until soft and creamy.

step sixteen: add cold heavy cream, some vanilla extract and icing sugar or powdered sugar to the cream cheese. whip all of this together until the cream reaches medium peaks – it should be soft and fluffy and should hold its shape, but the tip will curl over when you lift the beaters out of the cream.

step seventeen: top cake with the cream cheese whipped cream and spread it all over the cake in a thick layer (or pipe the cream on top).

step eighteen: top with the cake crumbs, then leave this in the fridge to set slightly, or just slice up immediately and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• use room temperature eggs. leave your eggs out at least 30 minutes before you start making this red velvet tres leches cake.

• when separating the eggs, make sure there is no yolk mixed in the bowl with the egg whites. even a small amount of egg yolk can prevent egg whites from whipping properly, so make sure to separate the eggs carefully.

• fold the whipped egg whites gently into the egg yolk mixture with a spoon or silicone spatula until just combined. you want to keep the batter airy and light, so try not to over mix at this stage.

• for the best colour, use gel or paste food colouring as you won’t need as much as when using liquid colouring. feel free to increase the amount of food colouring gradually depending on what kind of shade you’d like your red velvet tres leches cake to have.

• you can swap the milk and vinegar mixture in the cake for buttermilk if you have it on hand.

• if you plan to remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to another dish, i would recommend lining your pan with baking paper or parchment paper so that removing the cake is easier.

• make sure you preheat the oven so that it’s already hot by the time you place your red velvet tres leches cake in the oven. this will ensure that the cake bakes evenly and that it won’t take longer to bake.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your red velvet tres leches cake as you don’t want it to be underbaked or over baked. you’ll know it’s done when the cake is set and if you stick a toothpick in the center of the cake, it should come out clean or have a few crumbs attached to it. for me, this took about 30 minutes.

• once you remove your red velvet tres leches cake from the oven, let it cool at room temperature before pouring your three milks mixture on top.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• once the cake is cool, i like to remove a very very thin layer off the top of the red velvet tres leches cake. you can save this to use as cake crumbs for the topping, and removing the top layer will also allow the cake to absorb the milk better.

• once the cake is cool, poke holes with a fork or a skewer all over the cake so that the milk mixture can easily soak into the cake.

• pour the milk mixture in stages, allowing it to soak into the cake before you add more. this will prevent overflowing and ensures even distribution. don’t worry if it does overflow – it’ll just take some time for the cake to absorb the milk.

• make sure your pour the mixture around the edges of the cake as well as the center so that all of the cake has even coverage.

• cover the cake and let it chill in the fridge overnight so that it has enough time to full absorb all of the milk mixture.

• feel free to adjust the amount of cocoa powder in the chocolate milk mixture and add sugar if you would prefer something with a sweeter or less intense chocolate flavour.

• if you like, you can also add a little bit of the red food colouring to the chocolate milk mixture to ensure that the red velvet tres leches cake has a nice red colour.

• store any leftover red velvet tres leches cake, covered, in the fridge for up to three days.

frequently asked questions

1. what is tres leches cake ?

   – tres leches cake is a sponge cake soaked in three types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk and usually heavy cream or whole milk. it’s popular in lots of latin american countries.

2. what is a red velvet tres leches cake ?

   – a red velvet tres leches cake is a variation of the traditional tres leches cake that incorporates a chocolate flavour into the milk mixture, as well as the actual cake and swaps the classic whipped cream topping for a cream cheese whipped cream.

3. is tres leches cake good ?

   – yes! tres leches cake is incredibly moist and luxurious. it’s a really soft cake soaked in a three milk mixture, and then topped with a fluffy whipped cream. this red velvet version adds cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavour and vinegar for a slight tanginess.

4. do i have to use vanilla extract to make this red velvet tres leches cake ?

   – the vanilla in this red velvet tres leches cake recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cake and the cream, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

5. do i have to use vinegar to make this red velvet tres leches cake ?

   – adding vinegar to the milk for the cake batter will help give us that classic red velvet tanginess, so i would really recommend it. you can also swap the vinegar and milk for buttermilk instead.

6. how long should i let the tres leches cake soak?

   – you should let the cake soak in the milk mixture for at least 4 hours, but i would highly recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight for the best flavour and texture.

7. can i make different types of tres leches cake instead of red velvet ?

   – absolutely! you can experiment with fruit tres leches cakes, such as peaches or strawberries. you could also make a coconut tres leches cake or a mango one! there are so many different types of tres leches cake flavours you could experiment with.

8. is tres leches cake moist ? is it normal for tres leches cake to be very wet ?

   – yes, tres leches cake is generally meant to be very moist and soft, not necessarily soggy, but much wetter than a typical cake.

9. my cake won’t soak up the milk mixture. what do i do?

   – make sure you’ve poked enough holes into the cake using a fork, a wooden skewer or a chopstick, and make sure that you pour the milk mixture into the sides as well as on the top. try to pour the mixture in small amounts at a time, letting it soak into the cake before adding more. if the milk mixture overflows, just cover the cake and let it chill in the fridge – it will soak up the milk overnight.

   – i also like to remove a very very thin layer off of the top of the cake – i find that this helps the milks soak into the cake better.

10. why did my cake turn out dry ?

    – if you cake is dry or dense, it could be due to over mixing when folding in the egg whites or due to over baking. make sure to gently fold the egg whites in so as to keep the batter light and airy, and keep an eye on your cake once it’s in the oven to ensure that it doesn’t over bake. when you add the milk mixture to your red velvet tres leches cake, make sure you allow it enough time to absorb the milk to ensure that it’s soft and moist throughout.

11. how many days is tres leches cake good to eat for?

    – as long as you keep your tres leches cake covered and in the fridge, it should keep well for up to 3 days.

12. can i make this red velvet tres leches cake ahead of time ?

    – absolutely! this red velvet tres leches cake recipe actually recommends you to chill the milk-soaked cake in the fridge overnight so you can definitely do this in advance and then make the cream cheese whipped cream the next day before serving.

13. can i make this red velvet tres leches cake with cake mix ?

    – yes, you can absolute make this red velvet tres leches cake with cake mix instead of making a cake from scratch if you want to keep this red velvet tres leches cake easy and quick.

14. is tres leches cake healthy ?

    – this red velvet tres leches cake is quite rich and high in calories due to the milk mixture, which has sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in it. it’s best enjoyed as an occasional treat rather than an everyday thing.

recipe