Tres Leche Cupcakes are light, airy, and fluffy and are lightly soaked in three milks. The cupcakes are topped with a whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon and slice strawberries.
Tres Leche Cupcakes Recipe:
You may be familiar with a Tres Leche Cake that is a light, sponge cake that is soaked in three milks. That is why I wanted to make cupcakes for an individual serving of this popular cake.
Tres Leche is a Mexican-Inspired dessert that is light but decadent but is easy to make. There is no oil or butter ingredients, just eggs that make this cake mix so light and airy.
The key to this cupcake recipe and where the cupcakes gets its name is from the three milks that the cupcakes are soaked in. The combination of these ingredients makes for the best dessert anytime of the week.
What are Tres Leche Cupcakes?
It is a dense moist cake that is soaked in three milks then topped with a whipped topping frosting. The Tres Leche name comes from the three milks that the cupcake is soaked in after they have been baked.
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
- Yellow Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
For the Milk Mixture:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
- Heavy Whipping Cream
For the Topping:
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon (Optional for Topping)
- Fresh Sliced Strawberries (Optional for Topping)
How to Make Tres Leche Cupcakes:
- Prepare the oven and cupcake pan – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 muffin tins with foil cupcakes liners (do not use the paper liners as the milk mixture will soak through).
- Mix together Cake Mix Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs with the egg yolks, milk and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well combined.
- Pour into Muffin Pan – Pour the cake batter into the muffin tins, filling them up approximately 2/3 full.
- Bake Cupcakes – Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes – Move the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Combine the Three Milks:
- Combine three milks – Then in a large mixing bowl combine the three milk mixture ingredients.
- Poke Holes in Cupcakes – Use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cupcakes, being careful not to poke to the bottom of the cupcakes or poke holes in the cupcake liners.
- Spoon Milks over the Cupcakes – Whisk together the milk mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon approximately 2-3 Tablespoons of the milk mixture over each cupcake.
- Refrigerate Cupcakes – Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least 4 hours but overnight is preferred to soak up the milk mixture.
- Make the Whipped Topping – To make the topping, beat together the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with a hand held mixer or a stand alone mixer. Beat until stiff peaks or soft peaks form in the mixture.
- Top the Cupcakes – Right before serving, pipe the topping mixture over the top of each of the cupcakes and top with a dusting of the ground cinnamon and the sliced strawberries (optional).
- Serve and then Store – Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What does Tres Leche Cupcakes taste like?
It reminds me of a sponge cake that is light and soaked with lots of delicious milk mixture. This cake is so moist thanks to the three milks that are spooned over each cupcake.
The whipped cream mixture on top is the perfect compliment on each cupcake. We like to add strawberries on top but this is optional.
The perfect bite for me would be a little cake, some whipped cream topping and a bite of strawberry. It does not get any better.
Can I make Tres Leche into a Cake?
Yes, traditional that is how Tres Leche is made is into a cake. Tres Leche Cake is just as easy to make with the three milks. Each bite is creamy and delicious and topped with whipped topping.
What Milks go into Tres Leche Cupcakes?
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
- Heavy Whipping Cream.
These ingredients can easily be found at the grocery store.
How to make ahead:
To make the cupcakes days in advance, you will simply prepare the cupcakes as indicated. Do not poke holes into the cupcakes until you are ready to spoon the three milks over the cupcakes.
Then top the cupcakes with the whipped topping and serve. This cake is almost better the next day after the milk has soaked more into the cake.
How to Store:
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to cover and store them in a air tight container to keep them fresh.
How to Freeze:
Tres Leche Cupcakes are easy to freeze. Simply prepare the cupcakes as indicated. Make sure to let them cool completely.
Store them in a freezer safe bag. They will stay fresh up to 2 to 3 months if stored properly.
Once you are ready to serve, thaw cupcakes in the refrigerator. Then you can poke holes in the cake and then spoon the milk mixture over the cupcakes.
Top with whipped topping, cinnamon and slice strawberries.
Tres Leche Cupcakes is the perfect dessert:
My kids love just about anything with sweetened condensed milk and so do I. It gives these cupcakes such a rich flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
The entire recipe is so easy that anyone can make this easily without any baking experience. I have made it for just about every occasion you can think of and it is always the first dessert to do.
I love that it tastes so amazing but is very inexpensive to make and not complicated at all. These cupcakes are definitely a crowd pleaser.
Print Recipe here for Tres Leche Cupcakes:
Tres Leche Cupcakes
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2/3 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- For the Milk Mixture:
- 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- For the Topping:
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon Optional for Topping
- Fresh Sliced Strawberries Optional for Topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 muffin tins with foil cupcakes liners (do not use the paper liners as the milk mixture will soak through).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well combined. Pour the cake batter into the muffin tins, filling them up approximately 2/3 full.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Then in a large mixing bowl. Combine the three milk mixture ingredients.
- Use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cupcakes, being careful not to poke to the bottom of the cupcakes or poke holes in the cupcake liners.
- Whisk together the milk mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon approximately 2-3 Tablespoons of the milk mixture over each cupcake.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least 4 hours but overnight is preferred to soak up the milk mixture.
- To make the topping, beat together the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with a hand held mixer or a stand alone mixer. Beat until soft peaks form in the mixture.
- Right before serving, pipe the topping mixture over the top of each of the cupcakes and top with a dusting of the ground cinnamon and the sliced strawberries (optional).
- Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
More Cupcakes Recipes:
- The Best Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
- Margarita Cupcakes Recipe
- Easy Homemade Vanilla Cupcake Recipes
- The Best Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
