This vegan tres leches cake is so heavenly! A tasty vanilla cake is soaked in a sweet plant-milk syrup and then topped with dairy-free whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This popular Mexican dessert comes together in just a few easy steps and with the simplest of ingredients.
Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease an 8x8 dish.
Make the Cake
Shake the plant milk before pouring it into a glass. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir it to create a vegan buttermilk. You should see some curdling after a few minutes.
Whisk the dry cake ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour in the wet cake ingredients, including the buttermilk. Gently stir the batter until it’s combined. It’s ready to go into the dish and then the oven when you don’t see any lumps. Small air bubbles are expected.
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until it's a light golden-brown color and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
Make the Three Milk Syrup
Warm the vegan sweetened condensed milk in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add it to a lidded glass jar along with the vegan evaporated milk and plant-based milk. Close the lid and shake it vigorously for a few seconds.
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 the milk syrup mixture over the cake. Cover the dish and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It's best if the cake is able to absorb the milk syrup overnight, if you can.
After the cake has absorbed all or most of the milk syrup, take it out of the refrigerator and top it with whip cream. Add a light dusting of cinnamon, fresh berries, and enjoy!
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Notes
Suggestion: 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 to store the cake in the refrigerator anytime you are not eating it because of the vegan milks and to keep the whipped topping firm-ish.
Make-Ahead
Fully make the tres leches cake, but wait on adding the fruit on top. Store it in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 4 days. Add the fresh berries right before you plan to serve it.