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A baked cupcake in a foil patty pan, topped with whipped cream and strawberries
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Tres Leches Cupcakes (Mexican 3 Milk Cake)

These Mexican Tres Leches Cupcakes are the meltiest, tastiest, fluffiest little cupcakes ever. Top these gorgeous little 3 milk cakes with whipped cream and strawberries for an afternoon indulgence or delightful dessert. Just 15 minutes prep time!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 163kcal
Cost $10

Ingredients

For the Cupcake Batter

For the Milk Syrup

For the Topping

Instructions

Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 180˚C / 356˚F.
  • Add your egg yolks and 6 tbsp caster sugar into a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Blend them together for two mins on medium speed until the yolks become pale yellow. Add the milk and vanilla and mix again until combined.
    3 eggs, 1/2 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar, 4 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • Next, add self raising flour and salt in with the egg yolks and mix slowly to combine, gradually increasing speed as the flour incorporates. If using a stand mixer, transfer to a separate large bowl and set aside.
    1/2 cup self raising flour, pinch salt
  • Add the egg whites into your cleaned stand mixer bowl and whisk on medium high speed. Gradually add the remaining 2 tbsp caster sugar and continue to mix until soft peaks form. Increase speed up to high and mix for a few minutes until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.
    3 eggs, 1/2 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar
  • Pour the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and fold in very gently using a wooden spoon until just combined. Your finished cupcake batter should be a nice pale yellow colour. It's okay if there are still streaks of white and yellow colour showing, just avoid over-mixing as much as possible.
  • Now pour the batter into patty pans until they're about half full. Your cupcakes will rise a lot, so it's best not to overfill.
  • Bake them in the oven for 15-20 mins or so, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  • Once cooled, pierce each cupcake with a fork or toothpick a few times (this will allow the milk syrup to soak into your cupcakes!).

Milk syrup:

  • Mix the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and thickened cream together until nicely combined. Ladle a spoonful of the syrup over each cooled cupcake and wait for the mixture to absorb, then repeat once more for each cupcake.
    6 tbsp evaporated milk, 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, 3 tbsp thickened cream / heavy cream

Topping:

  • Add the cream and caster sugar into a clean mixing bowl and blend on medium high until the cream is lusciously thick and spreadable. Scoop generously onto each cupcake, then top with freshly sliced strawberries.
    1/2 cup thickened cream / heavy cream, 1 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar, 12 strawberries

Notes

  • Milks (Tres Leches) - You'll need three types of milk for the tres leches milk syrup - evaporated milk, condensed milk and thickened cream (heavy cream). You'll also need a dash of regular milk in the cake batter as well, plus extra cream for whipping!
  • Sugar - We use caster sugar (aka superfine sugar).
  • Self Raising Flour - This gives structure and lift to the cupcakes without need for extra baking powder. You can substitute with the same amount of all purpose flour and a teaspoon of baking powder if you need.
  • Stand Mixer / Hand Mixer / Wooden Spoon - It's easiest to use a stand mixer or hand mixer for whipping the egg whites and cream. The process is pretty similar to our Australian Pavlova or Eton Mess Dessert recipes - but with a much softer, meltier outcome. However, this cake batter relies on plenty of air to keep its volume and shape while cooking. So - when it comes to folding through the egg whites, ALWAYS do this by hand with a wooden spoon. Fold through gently so you're still seeing streaks of white and golden colour, and you should be fine.
  • Use Patty Pans / Cupcake Liners - Foil or simple paper ones will both work fine. Don't be tempted to use non-stick cupcake or muffin trays, as the non-stick surface can potentially cause the cupcakes to shrink.
  • Don't Overfill the Cupcakes - Allow plenty of space for the cupcakes to rise. They may deflate slightly as they cool down. Don't worry - just like pavlova, they'll look amazing once topped with whipped cream.
  • Don't Skip the Poking! - Don't forget to poke holes in the cupcakes - this helps the three milk syrup to soak in and distribute evenly.
  • Let it Rest - Give the cupcakes plenty of time to absorb all the syrup, at least 30 minutes, before topping. If the mixture is slow to absorb, try poking a few more holes in each cupcake.
  • Make it Easier - Try using a clean squeezy bottle to pour the milk syrup over each cupcake.
  • Check If They're Done - The cupcakes are ready when the top springs back after lightly pressing with your finger.
  • Toppings Ideas
    • Sprinkle cinnamon or 100s & 1000s over the top of the whipped cream.
    • Swap the homemade whipped cream for caramel or chocolate sauce, cupcake frosting or canned whipped cream.
  • Get Fancy - Slice the cupcakes in half and spread the inside with jam, then reassemble and top with whipped cream.
  • Make it into a Tray Bake Cake - Swap the patty pans for a large rectangular baking dish and continue with the rest of the recipe. When it's time to serve, slice the cake into square pieces around 5x5 cm or 2x2 inches.
  • Experiment with Flavour - For an even more festive dessert:
    • Add a dash of rum, brandy or coffee to the three milk syrup.
    • Try swapping the milks for eggnog.
    • Add spices such as cinnamon, ginger and cloves (or pumpkin spice) to the cake batter before cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg