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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Irish Cream Tres Leches

cake· dessert
March 13, 2017

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Irish Cream Tres Leches – A traditional tres leches cakes soaked with three milks (cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk) but now with an added kick from Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur. This cake is perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations!

Irish Cream Tres Leches on a plate with a forkLet the countdown to St. Patrick’s Day begin! Do you have plans for it this year? What kinds of ways do you celebrate? We never really celebrate it. It’s just too crazy for me to go out and pay crazy amounts of money to be surrounded by obnoxious drunks. I rather just stay in and make Irish coffees and eat Irish foods. Is this what growing up feels like???

This year, however, we have slightly different plans: we booked a trip to Boston! We planned to go to Boston last fall but couldn’t make it work. So we decided to go this spring. The only time we could make it work was this weekend and we just so happen to arrive on St. Patrick’s Day. Boston in a known for being rich in Irish Catholic culture so there are TONS of Irish pubs around us so we’ll have plenty to do on Friday evening. I even bought us Irish head-gear (a hat for my husband and a headband for me) and necklaces to show our pride. Who’s obnoxious now?!

Since I won’t be able to enjoy my own homemade Irish fare on St. Patrick’s Day, I made some ahead of time. I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to make so I took a look at my baking bucket list. Yup, that’s a thing. I’ve been keeping a running list of things I need to bake for years. Other things on the list: every kind of bread, the perfect shortbread cookies, and cannolis.

While looking through the list, I saw exactly what I was gonna make: tres leches cake! I am OBSESSED with tres leches- how could you not be?! It’s a fluffy cake soaked in three (tres) milks (leches) – heavy cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. But I’ve never made it at home before. Why not use this opportunity to make my first tres leches cake, but with an Irish flair?!

And so the Irish cream tres leches cake was born!

Two plates of Irish Cream Tres Leches cutting Irish Cream Tres Leches with a fork Cutting the Irish Cream Tres Leches into pieces Irish Cream Tres Leches with four pieces cut

When I first took a bite of the finished product, I seriously melted from pure delight. Holy moly! The flavor was on point, the texture was perfectly moist, and the Irish cream stood out without being overwhelming. It was utter perfection. I was honestly shocked that my first tres leches came out this great!

Tres leches can be tricky because you want the cake to soak up all the milk but don’t want it to get soggy and grainy. I’ve had some at restaurants that were soaked in milk but still tasted dry. Sometimes soaking a dry, bland cake in milk just isn’t enough to save it.

In my research of the perfect tres leches cake, I learned that you want to make a light and airy cake that has air pockets all throughout which can soak up as much milk as possible. But! You also need to have a cake that’s strong enough to hold all the milk without falling apart and getting mushy. This cake accomplishes both, mostly thanks to the whipped egg whites that you gently mix into the cake batter.

Mixing the batter in a large bowl

See how fluffy the batter is?!

After you make the cake and it cools completely, you turn the cake over onto a serving platter. Then, poke even more holes into the cake to help it absorb as much milk as possible. Now it’s time to pour the milk all over and let it soak into the cake. It will probably pool on top and n the sides, but don’t worry it will soon get absorbed by the cake.

To top the cake, the traditional topping is whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. But since this is an Irish cream tres leches, we’re topping with Irish whipped cream, made with heavy cream, sugar, and, of course, Irish cream. And instead of a maraschino cherry, I decided to top with a chocolate-covered espresso bean. There’s just something about Irish cream that reminds me of coffee so I liked this garnish better than a cherry.

Pouring milk over the cake Adding the Irish whipped cream to the cakeHolding a piece of Irish Cream Tres Leches on a spatula

Before you get going on this Irish cream tres leches, here are some more tips and tricks that I learned:

  1. As I said above, the key to an amazing tres leches in a light and airy cake that can absorb all of the milk. We achieve this by mixing in the whipped egg whites separately. Make sure you gently stir the egg whites into the cake batter so they don’t deflate.
  2. Make sure you make the cake until its deep golden brown. I know this goes against your instinct to bake the cake until it’s just a light golden brown on the edges. But trust me – if the cake is too fluffy, it will get soggy when soaked in the milk. Check out the picture above to see how dark the cake should be once it’s done.
  3. The cake tastes best when it’s had enough time to absorb the milk, about 1 hour. But I will say…the cake tasted even better the next day. So if you can wait, let it sit overnight before serving.
  4. Since we’re flipping the cake onto a serving platter, it is so important that you probably grease the pan so that the cake won’t stick. I always butter my dish and then sprinkle with a little flour. This has not failed me yet!
  5. If you don’t have a serving dish that can fit the cake, you can leave the cake in the cake pan. But just be careful when adding the milk mixture – it may overflow a little if you add it too quickly before it’s had time to get absorbed by the cake.

Well, that’s all there is to it! Hurry and get the ingredients today so you can make it for St. Patrick’s Day this Friday! What else do you have on you menu for Friday?? Let me know in the comments below!

Here are all the kitchen tools and serveware that I used in today’s recipe. For each item sold below, I make a small commission. I only recommend items that I own and love so you can trust that each recommendation is tried and true. Thank you for supporting CPA!

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Print Recipe

Irish Cream Tres Leches Cake

A traditional tres leches cakes soaked with three milks (cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk) but now with an added kick from Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur. This cake is perfect for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time2 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 18 slices

Ingredients

For the cake:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs white and yolks separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the tres leches mixture:
  • 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur (I used Bailey's Original Irish Cream)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
For the topping:
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 18 chocolate-covered espresso beans

Instructions

For the cake:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 casserole dish or baking pan. This is important so the cake doesn't stick! In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 5 egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat with a beater attachment until the yolks turn a very light yellow, about 4-5 minutes. Add milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour yolk mixture over the flour mixture and gently fold together just until combined.
  • Clean the bowl of the stand mixer. Add egg whites and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add beaten egg whites to the rest of the mixture and slowly and gently fold together until it's almost completely combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth out with a spatula. Place in preheated oven to bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. It may be done sooner than 35 minutes but it's important that the cake is golden brown on top so that it soaks up the leches.
  • When the cake is done, remove from oven and let it cool in the pan on top of a wire rack until completely cool (about 1 hour). Once cool, flip cake upside down onto a serving platter.
  • Using a fork, poke hole all over the top of the cake. This will help the leches soak through the cake. Make leches mixture as directed below.
For the tres leches mixture:
  • Mix Irish cream, heavy cream, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together in a large bowl. Slowly pour the mixture all over the cake and make sure to get the edges too. There will be some pooling on top and on the sides but don't worry, that will all get soaked up.
  • Place cake in the fridge to soak for 30 minutes. Then, you will top with whipped cream, as directed below.
For the topping:
  • When the cake has set for at least 30 minutes, it's time to top with Irish whipped cream. Place 2 cups of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/2 cup of Irish cream in the bowl of stand mixer. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.
  • Dump out whipped cream all over the cake and begin spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. I didn't spread along the edges, but you can if you want to.
  • Place 18 chocolate covered espresso beans on top of the cake, evenly spaced. I spaced them so that the bean would sit in the middle of each slice.
  • Let the cake sit for another 30 minutes before serving. The cake tastes even better the next day, so, if you can wait, let it sit overnight before serving. But I don't blame you if you can't 😉

Notes

Recipe adapted from Confessions of  Baking Queen

Pin for later:

Irish Cream Tres Leches photo collage

More sweet treats that you’ll love:

Mint Brownie Truffles

Bowl of Mint Brownie Truffles

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Bowls of Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Ultimate Brownie Sundae Pie

Slice of Ultimate Brownie Sundae Pie

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33 Comments

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Comments

  1. Livecoupons net says

    February 10, 2022 at 10:15 pm

    Oh my god, it looks so delicious yet light

    Reply
  2. Donna says

    May 22, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    Can this be made with two 9″ rounds?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      May 23, 2017 at 4:32 am

      Yes! I haven’t tried using two rounds but I don’t foresee any issues. However, make sure to check the cooking time because it will probably take less time for the cake to bake when split into two rounds rather than making a large rectangle. Let me know how it turns out!!

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    March 18, 2017 at 10:26 pm

    This is completely gorgeous, and those chocolate espresso beans are quite the finishing touch!

    Reply
  4. Joanie @ ZagLeft says

    March 15, 2017 at 7:56 am

    I love a really good Tres Leches cake and yours looks perfect. The cake looks so light and airy and the addition of Bailey’s is brilliant. So festive!

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth says

    March 14, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    I have never heard of an Irish tres leches, but I’m loving it! I bet it taste delish.

    xo, Elizabeth // txelizabeth.com

    Reply
  6. Jolleen says

    March 14, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    This looks so delicious and moist! Your photographs are so beautiful..

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      Aw you are so sweet! Thanks so much!

      Reply
  7. anne @onedeterminedlife says

    March 14, 2017 at 4:14 pm

    This looks soooo good!!!!

    Reply
  8. Nicole Parise says

    March 14, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    This looks crazy good! Looks like you really know your cake textures, can’t wait to try!

    xx nicole
    http://www.nicoleparise.com

    Reply
  9. Taylor Mobley says

    March 14, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    YUM! This dessert looks amazing. A delicious twist on one of my all-time favorites!

    Reply
  10. Bella says

    March 14, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    Oh my gosh my mouth is watering!!! this looks so good.

    Reply
  11. Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen says

    March 14, 2017 at 8:51 am

    What a great idea! I’ve never thought about using Irish Cream in a Tres Leches cake. That puts a different spin on things. Sounds delicious. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Allison says

    March 14, 2017 at 12:53 am

    Yum! I looooove Bailey’s. Can’t wait to try out this recipe.

    Reply
  13. Sandra says

    March 14, 2017 at 12:03 am

    This tres leches cake looks so decadent! What a fun Irish twist adding the Irish cream!

    Reply
  14. Jessica Bradshaw says

    March 13, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    Yes! I have recently discovered my love for tres leches cake. 🙂 This one looks and sounds like it would top that list. Irish cream? Yes, please!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 11:47 am

      Omg tres leches is the best! So glad you discovered it!

      Reply
  15. Maggie Unzueta says

    March 13, 2017 at 7:58 pm

    Love the tres leches twist. looks delicious!

    Reply
  16. Dominique says

    March 13, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    That looks really fancy! Love the idea of irish cream topping, yum!!

    Reply
  17. Heather | My Moxietude says

    March 13, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    Tres Leches is one of my favorites and this looks absolutely amazing!! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 11:48 am

      Thanks so much! I was shocked at how easy it is to make considering how delicious it is! Hope you get to try it!

      Reply
  18. Neely Moldovan says

    March 13, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    Well this sounds and looks heavenly!

    Reply
  19. Belle says

    March 13, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Oh my! That looks amazing!

    Belle | One Awesome Momma

    Reply
  20. Liz says

    March 13, 2017 at 11:54 am

    You always make such yummy treats! And I’m pretty sure I have all of them saved on Facebook lol. Happy Monday!

    Liz
    http://Www.lizzieinlace.com

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 11:48 am

      Aw you are too sweet! Thanks so much for being a frequent reader!

      Reply
  21. Lisa says

    March 13, 2017 at 10:57 am

    My mouth literally watered while reading this! I am totally going to try to make this though I am not the best at baking! Wish me luck!
    XO-Lisa
    http://www.thatssodarling.com

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 11:49 am

      You got this!! I give you a list of tips at the end of this (and every!) blog post so read them over before trying this out. And I am usually available immediately via email so reach out if you run into issues!

      Reply
  22. Bonnie says

    March 13, 2017 at 10:36 am

    These looks so pretty! Sounds like it tastes as good as it looks!

    Reply
  23. Alicia says

    March 13, 2017 at 8:39 am

    This looks divine and I can taste it already. Mixing this Latin favorite with a little Irish twist is superb. What a great idea!!!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 14, 2017 at 11:50 am

      I knew you’d love this! And you only get a hint of Irish cream so it’s not too much alcohol in the slightest. I’ll make it for you soon!

      Reply
  24. Victoria Onken says

    March 13, 2017 at 6:42 am

    Wow! This looks divine! How long would you say I can keep it in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 13, 2017 at 6:49 am

      Good question! I kept it in the fridge for 2 days unwrapped and it was still good but I think that’s the max because it was starting to dry out. If you’re able to wrap it, it would last another couple days. Thanks for the question!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tiramisu Frozen Coffee says:
    April 24, 2017 at 5:29 am

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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