Strawberry Vanilla Bean Tres Leches Cake
This strawberry vanilla bean tres leches cake is a summery take on the milk-soaked classic treat. Perfect as a make-ahead dessert, the light and airy vanilla bean sponge is soaked in a strawberry-flavored milk mixture for several hours. Finished with a layer of vanilla bean whipped cream and juicy macerated strawberries, this moist and delightful cake is perfect for any spring and summer gathering!
Hey there, and welcome back, friends.
You are in for a summery treat!
If you love a classic tres leches cake, this strawberry tres leches cake version is such a lovely twist for the warmer months.
The base of this cake is a soft vanilla bean sponge that’s designed to soak up all that delicious strawberry flavor. This sponge cake is allowed to slowly soak up the homemade strawberry-infused milk mixture, which transforms it into that signature tres leches texture!
It does take a few hours of preparation to make this cake, but it is worth all of the waiting time. Since the magic is in allowing this sponge cake to absorb the strawberry milk, it makes it a great make-ahead cake. This cake literally gets better the longer it sits!
This is a simple cake recipe to make that involves sponge cake, strawberry milk, whipped cream, and a strawberry topping. The strawberry milk can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries.
Then the sponge cake is topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries that are macerated. When the berries are macerated, they release their juices and become beautifully glossy and flavorful, adding a bright and juicy contrast to the cake underneath.
This cake is a stunner and would be perfect to serve at summer get-togethers, weeknights, or any occasion you’re craving strawberries.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- sea salt
- baking powder
- a few large eggs
- granulated sugar & powdered sugar
- vanilla bean paste
- whole milk & heavy whipping cream
- fresh strawberries
- evaporated milk
- sweetened condensed milk
- zest from a lemon
How to Make Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries
Preheat the oven and make sure there’s a rack in the center of the oven. Grease a rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, sea salt, and baking powder in a bowl, then set aside.
Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the whisk attachment starting on low, working up to medium-high as the mixture gains volume. Whisk on medium-high for 6-8 minutes until the mixture thickens, turns pale yellow, and has more than doubled in volume.
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add about half of the dry ingredients, mixing until mostly combined, then gradually add the milk. Mix until mostly combined, then gradually add the remaining dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined, and there are no longer any streaks of flour remaining. Make sure not to overmix because you don’t want to knock all of the air out of the batter.
Pour the batter into the greased pan and gently spread it into an even layer. Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven until golden on top, about 25 minutes, and it is pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool fully, about an hour.
When the cake has cooled, make the strawberry milk mixture. Add the strawberries and whole milk to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth. Add the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk and blend until combined.
Use a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Space the rows of holes about half an inch apart.
Pour the strawberry milk mixture over the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight until all of the milk mixture has been absorbed.
Once the cake is in the fridge, make the macerated strawberries. Combine the strawberries with the sugar and lemon zest. Let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until juicy, then stir once more, cover, and place in the fridge with the cake.
When ready to serve, add the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on low, gradually working up to medium-high as the cream gains volume. Whip on medium-high for a few minutes or until medium peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake, then spoon over some of the macerated strawberries.
Slice and serve the cake with the extra macerated strawberries on the side.
How to Store
Cover any leftovers and keep them in the fridge. Make sure to enjoy them within 3-4 days.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Fool with Mascarpone
- Strawberry Tiramisu
- Strawberry Trifle
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
What do you think of this amazing strawberry vanilla bean tres leches cake recipe? What would you serve with a slice of this cake? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy baking, friends!
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Strawberry Vanilla Bean Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
For the strawberry milk:
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
For the macerated strawberries and whipped cream:
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled & quartered
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure there’s a rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, sea salt, and baking powder in a bowl then set aside.
- Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the whisk attachment starting on low, working up to medium high as the mixture gains volume. Whisk on medium high for 6-8 minutes until the mixture thickens, turns pale yellow, and has more than doubled in volume.
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add about half of the dry ingredients, mixing until mostly combined, then gradually add the milk. Mix until mostly combined then gradually add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and there are no longer any streaks of flour remaining. Make sure not to overmix because you don’t want to knock all of the air out of the batter.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and gently spread it into an even layer. Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 22-28 minutes until golden on top, pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool fully, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- When the cake has cooled, make the strawberry milk mixture. Add the strawberries and whole milk to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth. Add the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk and blend until combined.
- Use a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Space the rows of holes about 1/2 -inch apart. Pour the strawberry milk mixture over the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight until all of the milk mixture has been absorbed.
- Once the cake is in the fridge, make the macerated strawberries. Combine the strawberries with the sugar and lemon zest. Let them sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes until juicy, then stir once more, cover, and place in the fridge with the cake.
- When ready to serve, add the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on low, gradually working up to medium high as the cream gains volume. Whip on medium high for about 2-3 minutes or until medium peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake then spoon over some of the macerated strawberries. Slice and serve the cake with the extra macerated strawberries on the side.
- Cover any leftovers and keep them in the fridge. Make sure to enjoy them within 3-4 days.
Notes
- For the most reliable results for the cake, I recommend using a metal baking pan rather than a ceramic baking dish.
- A hand mixer can be used in place of a stand mixer. Use the beaters for both the cake batter and the whipped cream.
- A half pound of strawberries will yield about 1 cup once hulled and diced for the strawberry milk.
Recipe Tips and Testing Notes
- It might look like a long time to beat the eggs and sugar together but it’s necessary in order to build volume! Without this step, the cake will be flat and dense rather than light and spongy.
- I tested the cake by adding all of the strawberry milk mixture at once and gradually adding 1 cup at a time over the course of about 1 hour. Neither made a difference in the final result. The amount of time that you let the milks soak into the cake is more important than how gradually you add the milks to the cake.
- Once you add the strawberry milk mixture, make sure to allow for at least 4 hours for the cake to absorb the milks. I found that in testing, there was still a little left on top and on the sides that hadn’t soaked in at the 4 hour mark, but after resting overnight, all of the milk had been absorbed.
- The eggs and milk must be at room temperature before using them to make the cake batter. Room temperature eggs whip up and gain volume much, much faster than cold eggs. The batter will also have a more even texture when all of the ingredients are at room temperature, which means it will bake evenly.
- The cake and macerated strawberries can be made 1-2 days in advance but I recommend making and adding the whipped cream right before serving as it tends to deflate in the fridge over time.
- For the best vanilla flavor, I recommend using vanilla bean paste in both the cake and the whipped cream.
- Use the heavy whipping cream straight from the fridge as it needs to be cold in order to whip properly.
FAQs
Can I use frozen strawberries? You can use thawed frozen strawberries in the strawberry milk but I recommend using fresh strawberries for the macerated strawberry topping for the best flavor and texture.
Can I make this tres leches cake ahead of time? Absolutely! This cake requires a minimum of 4 hours of chilling time in the fridge in order to allow the strawberry milk mixture to fully absorb. As long as it is covered, it can rest in the fridge for 1-2 days before being served.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 244mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 6g