Every bite is beyond delicious in this Vegan Tres Leches Cake! A tasty cake is soaked in a sweet plant-milk syrup and then topped with fluffy dairy-free whipped cream and fresh berries. This popular Mexican dessert comes together in just a few easy steps and is loved by all!
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This irresistible dessert strikes the perfect balance of sweetness. It’s so creamy and comforting while also tasting fresh and light!
Tres leches cake is formally called “pastel de tres leches” in Spanish, which means “three milk cake.”
Traditionally, a three-milk mixture soaks into an egg-based sponge cake with many holes poked into it. Of course, my recipe is a delicious eggless and dairy-free version!
This vegan tres leches is so great for celebrations, birthdays, parties, or just because. It’s such a unique creation that everyone will love!
Tres leches is another one of those recipes that takes me back to my childhood. I absolutely love it when the cake is finished and all that’s left is getting a spoon to eat up any of the remaining milk syrup and cake crumbs at the bottom of the dish. Yum!!
For more delicious vegan cake recipes, be sure to check out my Strawberry Shortcake Cake, Vegan Loaf Cake, Apple Crumble Cake, Tiramisu, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes!
Reasons To Love This Cake
- So easy to make
- Moist and delicious
- Tastes light and airy
- Dairy-free and eggless
- Perfect balance of sweetness
This Vegan Dessert Is So Easy!
This cake is actually incredibly easy to whip up! Literally just a few steps and nothing too crazy as far as the ingredients go. You’ll find that the process is very similar to a poke cake.
It should soak for at least an hour but in my experience, it’s best to prepare the cake the night before to allow an ample amount of time for it to absorb the milk mixture.
Then when you’re ready to enjoy it, simply spread vegan whipped cream over the top, add a dusting of cinnamon, and a few fresh berries.
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Ingredient Notes
See the full list of ingredients below in the recipe card with exact measurements.
- Plant Milk – Use any full-fat plant-based milk such as soy, almond, or oat milk. It doesn’t matter if it’s sweetened and flavored or not.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV curdles when mixed into plant milk to form “buttermilk.” The same amount of lemon juice or white vinegar can be used instead.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour, but a 1-to-1 gluten-free option would work as well.
- Cane Sugar – Check that the packaging is labeled as “vegan” or “organic” to ensure that it wasn’t processed with animal char.
- Leaveners – Baking soda and baking powder give rise to the cake as it bakes.
- Salt – Just a bit to enhance all of the marvelous flavors.
- Cornstarch – This softens the cake texture. Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch can be used instead.
- Vanilla Extract – Almond extract would be a fun alternative in place of vanilla, if you want.
- Oil – Choose a neutral oil such as light-tasting olive oil or canola.
- Canned Milks – Canned dairy-free alternatives for evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk will be in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Any plant-based variety works such as soy, oat, or coconut.
- Whipped Topping – It’s so easy to whip up your own with whipping cream or you can buy a tub of frozen vegan whipped topping.
- Toppings – Add a touch of cinnamon and your favorite fresh berries to the top.
How To Make A Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Make the vegan buttermilk by stirring the apple cider vinegar into the plant milk.
Whisk together the dry cake ingredients, then gently combine them with the wet ingredients.
Bake the cake until a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean.
While the cake is cooling down, combine the three milks to make a syrup.
Next, poke a bunch of holes into the cake once it has cooled down completely.
Slowly pour most of the milk syrup over the cake. Give it a few minutes to absorb some and then pour the rest of the mixture on top.
Cover the dish and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
After the cake has absorbed all or most of the milk syrup, take it out of the refrigerator to top it with whip cream.
You can easily whip up your own topping with a can of coconut cream, or buy a tub from the freezer section of your grocery store.
Add a light dusting of cinnamon, fresh berries, and enjoy!
Tips For Success
- Use a full-fat plant-based milk for the best buttermilk curdling, which creates a softer crumb.
- Use a glass or ceramic dish rather than metal or nonstick since you’ll be pouring vegan milk into it and serving from it later.
- Make sure the cake has completely cooled down before poking holes into it.
- When poking holes, press all the way down until you are stopped by the bottom of the dish.
- Pour most of the three-milk mixture onto the cake, give it time to soak, and then pour the rest over it.
- Wait to add the cinnamon and strawberries until just before serving.
- It helps to chill the cake in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes for easier slicing.
- Make sure to store any leftover cake in the refrigerator because of the vegan milks and to keep the whipped topping firm-ish.
Variation Ideas
- Add finely chopped nuts to the top and within the cake for some crunch.
- Sprinkle coconut shavings on top of the cake and use all coconut milks for a coconut tres leches.
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla extract for a unique flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Simply make it, top it with vegan whipped cream, and then store it in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 4 days. Add the fresh berries right before you plan to serve it.
Yes! Prepare in or transfer the vegan tres leches cake to a freezer-safe dish. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. Move it to the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it. Some of the milk syrup mixture may pool at the bottom of the cake, but not very much and it will still be just as good!
More Vegan Desserts To Love!
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Vegan Tres Leches Cake
Bonnie – Serene Trail
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup plant-based milk, (237ml)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (180g)
- 3/4 cup cane sugar, (150g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup oil, light-tasting olive oil, canola, etc., (80ml)
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Three-Milk Mixture
- 11-12 oz vegan sweetened condensed milk, oat, coconut, etc., (320g)
- 2/3 cup vegan evaporated milk, coconut, oat, etc. (158ml)
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk, (120ml)
Whipped Topping (Or Use Store-Bought)
- 13 ounces can of whipping cream, oat, coconut, etc. (400ml)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, (30g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- dusting of cinnamon and fresh berries
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease an 8×8 dish. Shake the plant milk before pouring it into a glass. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir it to create a vegan buttermilk.
- Whisk the dry cake ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour in the wet cake ingredients, including the buttermilk. Gently stir the batter together until it’s combined.
- Pour the batter into the dish and bake it for 30-35 minutes. It's done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool down completely.
Make the Three Milk Syrup
- Warm the vegan sweetened condensed milk in the microwave for 15 seconds and mix it together with the vegan evaporated milk and plant-based milk.
Assemble
- Use a fork or toothpick to poke a bunch of holes into the cake. Press all the way down until you are stopped by the bottom of the dish.
- Slowly pour most of the milk syrup mixture over the cake. Give it a few minutes to absorb and then pour the rest over it. Cover the dish and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
- Use a mixer to beat the whipping cream until it's light and fluffy. Then, mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- After the cake has absorbed all or most of the milk syrup, take it out of the refrigerator and top it with whipped cream. Add a light dusting of cinnamon, fresh berries, and enjoy! Tip: Chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes before serving for easier slicing into 6-9 slices.
Video
Notes
- Use a full-fat plant milk for the best buttermilk curdling for a softer crumb.
- Use a glass or ceramic dish since you’ll be pouring vegan milk into it and serving from it later.
- Make sure the cake has completely cooled down before poking holes into it.
- When poking holes, press all the way down until you are stopped by the bottom of the dish.
- Pour most of the milk mixture onto the cake, give it time to soak, and then pour the rest over it.
- Wait to add the cinnamon and berries until just before serving.
- Tip: chill the cake in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes for easier slicing.
- Make sure to store any leftover cake in the refrigerator because of the vegan milks and to keep the whipped topping firm.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.
Updated 8-30-2026 with new images.
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Can you use G F as well and make it gluten free?
Yes! Just make sure your gluten-free flour is a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour. I like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 the best.
I followed your recipe exactly to the T and for some reason my cake came out too dense. The amount of milk seemed to be too much and was pooled at the top of the cake even after 3 hours of soaking. When I went to cut into it, it fell apart. But it was tasty. Not sure where I went wrong though!
Hi Sam! Did you poke a bunch of holes in the cake that reached all the way to the bottom? Other than that, tres leches cakes tend to be very moist, delicate, and slightly dense due to the extra milk. Some liquid will pool at the top and some at the bottom because the cake will become slightly oversaturated.
First time making this type of cake and it was delicious! I never had the dairy Tres Leche since I been a vegan for over 35 years. I had some of my Latino friends try it and they loved it. Just said to cut the sugar down.
We have to make enough to feed 50 people next month.
If I make this in a 9×13 baking dish do I double the recipe?
Thank you for this yummy refreshing light cake.
Hi Lisa, I’m so happy to hear that they loved it!! Yes, you would double the recipe ingredients for a 9×13 dish.