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Tres Leches Cake Jars are made up of a light and fluffy sponge cake baked into a jar and soaked with a sweet blend of 3 milks, topped with the perfect homemade whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.

A light and fluffy cake that literally melts in your mouth, Tres Leches Cake Jars are the perfect individual dessert for spring, summer and Cinco de Mayo! This is a Mexican inspired dessert that is made with a sponge cake and soaked in a three sweet milk blend made of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.

Tres Leches Cake Jars are an alternative to the traditional sheet pan and makes a beautiful presentation for each individual to have their own cake! Same delicious sponge cake baked into eight ounce jars and the sweet milk mixture soaks perfectly into the cake.

If you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo with this favorite cake jar, pair it with The Perfect Paloma Cocktail or Skinny Blood Orange Margarita.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake
Flour-Cake flour is the best to use when baking a sponge cake. It is a finer texture and will help create a light and fluffy texture. I would not recommend substituting it for any other flour.
Baking Powder- Acts as a leavening agent for the sponge cake
Salt- Just a dash enhances the flavor of the cake
Eggs- Eggs are the structure of the sponge cake. They going to be separated and used in different ways. When baking a sponge cake the eggs yolks will be whisked together first to create the base of the cake and then the egg whites are whisked to make a meringue and then folded into the batter.
Oil-Vegetable oil is the only type of oil I would use for this recipe!
Milk- Whole milk will add moisture to the cake, I would not replace this with any other type of milk

Three Milks
The three milks that are used to soak the sponge cake, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk! Whole milk is another milk option that can be used to replace the heavy cream.

Step-by-Step Directions

Prepare the Sponge Cake

• In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside

• Combine the egg yolks and ½ of the granulated sugar and whisk until the yolks are light in color and fluffy
• Slowly add in the milk and vegetable oil and continue whisking to create a bubbly fluffy batter
• Add in the cake flour to the egg yolk mixture and mix just until combined
• Pour the batter into large bowl and set aside while making the meringue

Whisk The Egg Whites

• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites until stiff peak; Slowly add in the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar to the egg whites

• Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until fully combined

Bake The Cake Jars

• Divide the batter into the 8 glass jars and bake for 20 minutes or until the sponge cake is light golden brown and baked through

• Once the cakes are removed from the oven, poke several holes in the top of the cakes; set aside and allow to cool

Three Milks

• In a small bowl combine the heavy cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract and whisk together 
• Evenly divide the milk mixture and pour over each sponge cake in a jar (you will need to allow a little bit of time for the milk to soak into the cake before continuing to pour the remainder of the milk)

Tips and FAQS To Make The Best Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake Garnish
The simple flavors of this cake is what makes it the best, but I love adding a few extra flavors!

• Ground Cinnamon
• Caramel Sauce
• Fresh Fruit
• Toasted Coconut

Jar Size
When baking in a jar, make sure that you are using a glass jar that can handle hight heat! I used this 8 ounce jar that worked perfect! If you are serving a larger crowd, you can make the size smaller to a 4 ounce jar and make 16 tres leches cakes.

Make It A Cake
If you want to make the Tres Leches Cake, but don't want to bake them in jars you can use this exact recipe and make the sponge cake in a 9x13 cake pan. Once the cake is baked you will soak the cake the same way and garnish with whipped cream! It is equally as good as the individual cake jars.

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Tres Leches Cake Jars

Tres Leches Cake Jars are made up of a light and fluffy sponge cake baked into a jar and soaked with a sweet blend of 3 milks, topped with the perfect homemade whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Jars

Calories 573kcal

Author Kristen Massad

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

• 5 Eggs Separated
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ Cup Whole Milk
• ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup Cake Flour
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

Milks

• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup Condensed Milk
• 1 Cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon Garnish

Instructions

Prepare The Sponge Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place 8 (8 ounce) glass jars on a baking sheet
• Seperate the egg yolk and egg whites, place the egg yolks in the mixing bowl and set the egg whites aside
• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, combine egg yolks and ½ cup granulated sugar; whisk until combined pale yellow color and fluffy
• Slowly add milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until foamy
• On low speed, add in flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the egg yolk mixture into another bowl and set aside
• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites until stiff peak; Slowly add in the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar to the egg whites
• Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until fully combined
• Divide the batter into the 8 glass jars and bake for 20 minutes or until the sponge cake is light golden brown and baked through
• Once the cakes are removed from the oven, poke several holes in the top of the cakes; set aside and allow to cool

Combine the milk mixture

• In a small bowl combine the heavy cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract and whisk together
• Evenly divide the milk mixture and pour over each sponge cake in a jar (you will need to allow a little bit of time for the milk to soak into the cake before continuing to pour the remainder of the milk)

Prepare the Whipped Cream Topping

• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar and whisk until the cream forms soft peaks
• Spoon the whipped cream on top of each Tres Leches Cake Jar and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Notes

Tres Leches Cake Garnis

• Ground Cinnamon
• Caramel Sauce
• Fresh Fruit
• Toasted Coconut

Make It A Cake

If you want to make the Tres Leches Cake, but don't want to bake them in jars you can use this exact recipe and make the sponge cake in a 9x13 cake pan. Once the cake is baked you will soak the cake the same way and garnish with whipped cream! It is equally as good as the individual cake jars. 

Jar Size

When baking in a jar, make sure that you are using a glass jar that can handle hight heat! I used this 8 ounce jar that worked perfect! If you are serving a larger crowd, you can make the size smaller to a 4 ounce jar and make 16 tres leches cakes.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Jar | Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 1203IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 1mg