Pastel de Tres Leches con Cerezas (Tres Leches Cake with Cherries)
The classic soaked milk cake topped with soft whipped cream and cherries, easy to feed a crowd.
Made with Tres leches sponge and soak. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time20 min plus chilling
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.66 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make the tres leches sponge and soak the day before and chill it for at least 4 hours (see the base recipe), so it is cold and fully soaked.
- 2
Whip the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft, spreadable peaks. Do not overwhip or it turns grainy.
- 3
Run a knife around the edge of the tin. Spread the cream over the chilled tres leches cake in thick, swooping waves.
- 4
Dust lightly with cinnamon and arrange the cherries on top, one per portion.
- 5
Chill for 30 minutes more, then cut into 12 squares and serve cold straight from the tin.
Tips
- Serve it from the tin; a well-soaked tres leches is too soft to turn out in one piece.
- Cold cream whips better, so chill the bowl and whisk for 10 minutes first.
- Glace cherries or maraschino cherries are traditional; fresh ones give a lighter finish.
Storing and freezing
Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge; the topping softens after day 2. Do not freeze once cream-topped.
Questions
Why is my cake soggy at the bottom?
Tres leches should be very moist. If it is swimming in milk, the sponge was not pricked enough or the soak was poured too fast. Wait 5 minutes between additions as the base recipe says.
Is it nut free?
Yes, nothing in the cake or topping contains nuts. Always check packaged cherries and vanilla for traces.
How long should it chill?
At least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the milk soaks right through before you add the cream.
More made with tres leches sponge and soak
Pastel de Tres Leches con Churro Crujiente (Churro Tres Leches Cake)
NFVNOGPastel de Tres Leches de Chocolate (Chocolate Tres Leches Cake)
NFVNOGVasitos de Tres Leches con Frutos Rojos (Tres Leches Cups with Berries)
NFVNOGTres Leches con Piña Asada (Grilled Pineapple Tres Leches)
NFVNOGDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.