Vegan Tres Leches Cake

This vegan tres leches cake is made with a layer of fluffy vanilla sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three dairy-free milks and topped with a layer of luscious whipped coconut cream.

Have you ever had tres leches cake before? It’s so good! I served this type of cake at a restaurant where I waited tables during college, and it was everyone’s favorite!

The name “tres leches” means “three milks.” The cake is soaked in three types of milk! In conventional tres leches cake those milks are sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and regular old whole milk — all dairy-based. For our vegan tres leches cake we’ll be making a vegan cake, adapted from my vegan vanilla cake recipe, then we’ll be pouring a mix of vegan sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and another non-dairy milk of your choosing (like almond or soy milk) over it.

But it gets better! We’re topping our vegan tres leches with whipped coconut cream. Would that be considered another type of milk? I say yes, and that makes this vegan tres leches actually a quattro leches cake, which fits, because it’s actually better than non-vegan tres leches.

This dessert is so delicious and super decadent. It’s a great one for impressing dinner guests!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Non-dairy milk. You can use any drinkable variety of unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk. I used almond milk, but soy milk, oat milk, and cashew milk will all work, among others. Read my guide to dairy-free milk if you need help choosing one.
Ground flaxseed. You’ll be mixing these with some of the milk to create a flax egg, which is our vegan egg substitute for the cake.
Flour. Use all-purpose wheat flour, also known as white flour. I haven’t tested the recipe with any other varieties.
Baking powder.
Baking soda.
Salt.
Sugar. Use organic granulated sugar. Conventional sugar is often bleached using animal bone char, so it may not be vegan.
Vegan butter. Butter isn’t a typical ingredient in tres leches cake, but we’re using it on our vegan version to replace some of the fat that would normally be supplied by egg yolks. You can buy vegan butter near the regular butter, in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.
Vanilla extract.
Apple cider vinegar.
Vegan sweetened condensed milk. You can buy vegan sweetened condensed milk at places like Whole Foods, or online. I’ve included a link in the recipe card for the product that I use, which is a coconut-based vegan sweetened condensed milk made by Nature’s Charm.
Full-fat coconut milk. This is the type of coconut milk found in cans. Don’t use the stuff in cartons, which is heavily diluted.
Coconut cream. This is also found in cans, usually right next to the coconut milk at the store.
Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar needs to be organic, for the same reason as the granulated sugar.
Cinnamon. This is optional, but makes a beautiful topping and adds a wonderful flavor.
Strawberries. Also optional, but so pretty and just heavenly when paired with the creamy whipped coconut topping. You can use other types of fresh berries as well.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Flax egg in a mixing bowl with wire whisk.

Start by making your flax egg. Whisk some non-dairy milk together with ground flaxseeds. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to gel.

Dry ingredients for cake batter in a mixing bowl with wire whisk.

In the meantime, whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whipped mixture of flax egg, vegan butter, and sugar in a bowl with electric mixer and spatula.

Return to the bowl with the flax egg. Grab an electric mixer and beat in the butter (room temperature, please!), sugar, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.

Partially mixed cake batter in a bowl with electric mixer, wet and dry ingredients on the side in bowls.

Add the dry ingredients and some more non-dairy milk to the flax egg. Add a bit of each at a time, alternating, and beating each in with the mixer at low speed.

Vanilla cake batter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer and spatula.

Continue until all of the milk and dry ingredients have been added. Stop mixing the cake batter once the ingredients are fully combined.

Once the batter is ready, pour it into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then let it cool on a wire rack.

Mixture of coconut milk, vegan sweetened condensed milk, and almond milk in a liquid measuring cup with a spoon.

Once the cake is cool, combine your three milks: vegan sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and another non-dairy milk.

Milk mixture being poured over a vanilla cake in a pan.

Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. This will help the milk mixture to penetrate. Pour the milk all over the cake, then pop it in the fridge to chill.

Whipped coconut cream in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer and spatula.

To make the topping, crack open two chilled cans of coconut cream. Place the solid portion only into a large mixing bowl and beat it with a mixer. Once it’s fluffy you can beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla.

Spatula spreading coconut whipped cream over a vegan tres leches cake in a pan.

Finally, spread the coconut whipped cream all over your cake. It’s now ready to enjoy! Optionally you can top it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some fresh sliced strawberries. Slice it up now, or chill it for later.

Tip: You can serve this cake immediately, but it’s best when it’s been in the fridge for a day or so, as this gives the milks plenty of time to soak into the cake.

White wooden surface set with a slice of Vegan Tres Leches Cake on a dish and fresh strawberries.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Vegan tres leches cake will keep in the refrigerator for about three days, as long as it’s covered tightly. I like to bake mine in a cake pan with an airtight lid, but plastic wrap will do the job too.

More Vegan Cake Recipes

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This vegan tres leches cake is made with a layer of fluffy vanilla sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three dairy-free milks and topped with a layer of luscious whipped coconut cream.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 55

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 ⅓ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, divided
¼ cup ground flaxseed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups organic granulated sugar
⅓ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the Whipped Topping

2 (13.5 ounce/398 ml) cans coconut cream, chilled overnight
½ cup organic powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Toppings

Ground cinnamon
Fresh strawberries

Instructions

To make the cake, first, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Stir or whisk ⅔ cup of the milk together with the ground flaxseeds. Let the mixture sit for at least five minutes to gel.
While the flax mixture sits, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Once the flax mixture has sat for a few minutes, add the sugar, butter, vanilla, and cider vinegar to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture at high-speed until combined and slightly frothy, about one minute.
Begin alternating adding the flour mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup of milk to the bowl with the flax mixture, adding about a third of each at a time and beating each addition in at low speed.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the cake for 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place the cake on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled, stir the milk mixture ingredients together in a medium bowl or container.
Use a fork to gently poke holes about a half inch apart all over the cake, then pour the milk mixture over the cake.
Cover the cake and chill it for at least one hour.
To make the whipped topping, first open the cans of coconut cream. They should have separated into a solid portion and a watery liquid. Pour off the liquid, then transfer the solids to a large mixing bowl.
Use an electric mixer at high-speed to beat the coconut cream until fluffy, about one minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating the ingredients until combined.
Spread the whipped coconut cream over the cake. Optionally, top it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some fresh strawberries. Slice and serve the cake immediately or chill until ready to serve (Note 1).

Notes

This cake is best served on the second day, after the milks have had a while to penetrate the cake.

Nutrition

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