Tres Leches Cake

There is so much to love about this tres leches cake recipe. Moist and luscious, the dessert gets its name from the three milks (or "tres leches" in Spanish) that are poured over top after baking. It can also be served directly from the pan it's cooked in, eliminating the need to invert or transfer to a platter. Our easy recipe includes whipped cream and fruit for serving; use any in-season fruit, one type or a combination. Whether you make it for a special occasion or just because, it's an unbelievably delicious dessert and sure to disappear quickly.

3 Tips for Making This Tres Leches Cake

Use cooled melted butter: Adding hot butter to the cake batter can curdle the eggs, drastically impacting the finished texture of the cake. Before stirring it in, be sure to let it cool until it's just warm to the touch. It's also helpful to pour it down the side of the mixing bowl and gently fold it in to avoid deflating the beaten eggs.

Add the milks to the warm cake: To achieve a custardy—rather than mushy—result, poke and soak the cake while it's still warm. The moist, just-baked cake will absorb the liquid much more gradually and evenly than if it were at room temperature.

Add the milks gradually: Don't pour the milk mixture over the cake all at once. Instead, add it bit by bit, giving the cake a chance to soak it up as you go. (Otherwise, you'll risk over-saturating the cake.) It's normal to see some of the milk mixture build up around the edges—rest assured that it will all get absorbed as it sits.

Topping Tres Leches Cake

Adding more dairy to this cake in the form of whipped cream may seem like overkill, but we find that the lightly sweetened topping helps to temper the intensity of the sweet, rich dessert. To bring even more balance, finish the cake off with some fresh, in-season fruit. Macerated berries, sliced kiwi and mango, or pomegranate seeds and orange supremes would all be equally delicious additions.