Pastel de Tres Leches con Churro Crujiente (Churro Tres Leches Cake)
Soaked milk cake under cinnamon cream and crunchy baked churro pieces, two Mexican favourites in one dessert.
Made with Churro dough and Tres leches sponge and soak. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min plus chilling
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.48 a head
- Oven220°C (200°C fan)
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 (see the base recipe). Cut the chilled cake in half and use one half.
- 2
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Spoon your ready made churro dough (see the base recipe) into a piping bag and pipe thin 8 cm sticks onto an oiled tray. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until crisp and golden.
17 min - 3
Mix the sugar and half the cinnamon. Roll the hot sticks in it, cool, then break roughly.
- 4
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and remaining cinnamon. Spread over the cake.
- 5
Scatter the churro pieces on top just before serving and cut into 6 squares.
Tips
- Add the churro pieces at the last moment so they stay crunchy.
- Bake the sticks thin; fat ones stay soft in the middle.
- Make the churro crunch ahead and keep airtight for 2 days.
Storing and freezing
Cake keeps 3 days covered in the fridge without the churro. Keep the churro crunch in a tin for 2 days.
Questions
Why add churros to tres leches?
The crisp, cinnamony topping contrasts with the soft, milky cake, a bit like dunking churros in milk.
Can I fry the churros instead?
Yes, fry thin sticks for 2 minutes at 180 degrees C, but baking avoids a pan of hot oil and works well.
Is this dairy free?
No. The tres leches cake, soak and cream all contain milk, so it is not dairy free.
More made with churro dough
Churros con Natilla de Vainilla (Churros with Vanilla Custard)
NFVNOGChurros Rellenos de Guayaba y Queso Crema (Guava and Cream Cheese Churros)
EFNFVChurros Rellenos de Cajeta (Cajeta-Filled Churros)
EFNFVChurros con Salsa de Café de Olla (Churros with Spiced Coffee Dip)
DFEFNFDouble 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.