Pumpkin Tres Leches – Pumpkin cake is soaked in a mixture of tres leches (three milks), and covered with cinnamon whipped cream

Happy October! The weather is finally cooler and the leaves are changing and it’s really putting me in a great mood. With my anniversary also this month (and a baby boy due this month, as well), October is shaping up to be my favorite month of the year!

To welcome in the new month, it just makes sense to share a new pumpkin recipe – the first pumpkin recipe of the season, actually! This one is also great for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which is also going on right now through October 15. The recipe is for Pumpkin Tres Leches, which is a fun take on the classic Hispanic dessert made by soaking cake with three different kids of milks:

• Heavy Cream
• Evaporated Milk
• Sweetened Condensed Milk

What is tres leches?

Tres leches is a traditional Hispanic dessert that is made by soaking a sponge cake in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream.

The milks typically get all the attention but it’s so important to have the right type of cake so that it doesn’t get soggy as it absorbs the milks. That’s why a sponge cake is used. A sponge cake has no added fat and gets much of it’s texture from eggs. This ensures it’s perfectly light but also sturdy.

How is this pumpkin tres leches made?

To turn this traditional dessert into a festive fall one, I made a couple changes:

1. Pumpkin puree and spices are added to the cake batter
2. Ground cinnamon is added to the whipped cream
3. Topped the cake with pumpkin candy garnish instead of a traditional maraschino cherry

Aside from those minor changes, the process of making pumpkin tres leches is almost exactly the same as the traditional version. Let’s quickly break it down.

First, the eggs yolks are separated from the whites. The yolks are whipped with sugar and then added to the dry ingredients. We then whip the egg whites separately to make them super fluffy. This will give the sponge cake its light texture.

Once the egg whites are whipped, they’re folded into the cake batter and then the batter is spread into a 9×13 cake pan. The cake is baked until golden brown and then cooled before flipping onto a serving plate. The cooled cake is then poked with a fork to make it easier to absorb the milk mixture. Then, we slowly pour the milk over the cake. This needs to be done slowly so the cake has time to absorb the milk and it doesn’t spill over the plate.

The cake is then soaked for a few hours before we finish it off with fresh cinnamon whipped cream.

Tips & Tricks

1. As I mention 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.
3. The cake tastes best when it’s had enough time to absorb the milk, about 4 hours. 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 properly 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 using the pumpkin candies to decorate the top of the tres leches, add them just before serving. The color in the candies will run a few hours after it hits the whipped cream and make the cake look sloppy.

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More recipes you’ll love:

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding

Irish Cream Tres Leches

Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins