Servings
Prep Time
Cooking Time
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box of Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Box
- 1 stick (4 oz) of butter at room tempeature
- 3/4 cup of warm milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup powdered almonds
TIP:
Buy unsalted almonds from a store and powder them using a coffee grinder - 1 tablespoon of almond extract
- 1/2 tablespoon of cardamom powder
TRES LECHES INGREDIENTS - 1 cup of regular full fat milk
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 1/4 cup of condensed milk
TIP:
For a more caramel flavor, you can warm up the condensed milk in the microwave for 15-30 seconds - 1/2 tablespoon of rose water
- 1 tabespoon of yellow food color
- 6-7 threads of saffron bloomed in 2 tablespoons of warm milk
TOPPING INGREDIENTS - 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon of almond extract
- 1/2 tablespoon of rose water
Almond Tres Leches cake was born when I first had a bite of Tres Leches cake in Mexico. It was love at first sight for me, as I felt like I was eating a cake version of Rasmalai! It was soft, spongy, soaked in what felt like liquid gold, and packed with so much flavor. I simply could not stop myself from eating it. I knew from that moment that I had to recreate it infusing it with Indian flavors.
What is a Tres Leches Cake?
Tres Leches is an easy one-pan crowd-pleaser cake! It is a perfect cake to bring to a potluck or to serve at a dinner party. It beats a store-bought cake any day.
Tres Leches cake is a soft and spongy cake soaked in 3 kinds of milk, evaporated milk, regular milk, and condensed milk and heavy cream. It originates from Mexico and you will find lots of variations of this cake. You can make it in tons of flavors and can even add pear or orange liquor to it.
How do I make the Almond Tres Leches cake?
I make this cake by baking a boxed cake and upgrading it. If you are a baker, you can certainly make it from scratch but I love shortcuts that are time savers in the kitchen. I am a big fan of Duncan Hines’s classic yellow cake mix. I add powdered almonds, almond extract, and cardamom powder to the cake mix and bake it.
The cake is then soaked in tres leches liquid which I make using regular plain milk, heavy cream, condensed milk, saffron, rose water, and almond extract. I choose not to use evaporated milk as I prefer the taste of the cake without it. I then layer the cake with an easy frosting made with heavy cream and powdered sugar.
What if I don’t like almonds?
If you are not a fan of almonds, you can completely skip them and still infuse it with Indian flavors like cardamom, rose water and saffron. You can also use pistachios instead of almonds.
How long does the Almond Tres Leches cake last for?
If you make this cake, I promise you that it will be gone in 24 hours; however, it should be eaten within 4-5 days of making it as long as it is refrigerated.
If you like this recipe then you must try some of my other dessert recipes:
- In a bowl, mix the cake mix with almond powder, cardamom powder, and almond extract. Add in eggs, butter, and warm milk and mix using an electric mix for 2-4 minutes
- Preheat the oven at 325 degrees
- Grease a baking dish and bake the cake for 20-25 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clear
TIP:
Bake the cake in the same baking dish that you plan on serving the cake in - While the cake bakes, make the tres leches liquid by combining all ingredients listed under the Tres Leches ingredients. Make sure to mix well and set aside
- Once the cake is baked, pierce the cake all over using a tooth pick or a fork
- Pour 3/4 of the tres leches liquid all over the cake
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate overnight or for at least six hours minimum (the longer it sits in the fridge, the more it will absorb the liquid)
- Prepare the topping by whisking the heavy cream, powdered sugar, almond extract, and rose water till it forms a soft peak
- Spread it over the cake and enjoy by dunking a piece of cake in the reserved tres leches liquid
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