Tres Leches Cake

I recently made a Tres Leches Cake for a party my husband and I were going to.  It is a dessert I enjoyed making (and eating) before we learned about Dairy allergy. Then I got to thinking about how my kids would never taste the delight of a Tres Leches Cake. This was the only motivation I needed to conquer the seemingly impossible task.  To top it off, there is very little difference of flavor between a gluten and dairy free Tres Leches Cake and the 'real thing'.  

It may seem fancy, but this is my choice for the gluten and dairy free birthday cake.  Its flavorings take a completely different route than your typical birthday cake, which seems to remove the judgement comparison that gluten free usually endures.  The most important piece of this puzzle is flavor, as is usual in most baking.  


A Tres Leches Cake is built around subtly sweet flavors, which greatly limit your choices in milks.  Almond and soy milks are 2 very common milks and many times prefered in the world of milk allergy or dairy free living.  I strongly advise against using either of these milks in this cake.  Both of them have distinct flavors in them that will be too powerful for the cake, not to mention that they are not used in Latino cultures.  Coconut milk is a very good match to this cake and one that I highly favor; I included it in my recipe even before the elimination of dairy. The milk that I have chosen to preserve the subtle sweetness of the original cake is rice milk.  Rice milk is a similar resemblance to the Mexican drink Horchata (a rice drink flavored with cinnamon), which is very prominent in Mexican living, so in my opinion, it is a perfect replacement for milk.  Of course for the purpose of this recipe, there is no cinnamon.  

Tres Leches Cake

1 cup Coconut Milk or Cream

1 1/3 cups rice milk

1 1/4 cup cold sweetened condensed milk substitute
2 TBSP Melted Butter or Coconut oil

* * * *

Your favorite gluten and dairy free Yellow Cake Recipe baked and cooled and still in its 13 x 9 inch pan.

1 container of dairy free whipped cream

1/2 cup coconut flakes

2 TBSP finely chopped pecans

2-3 large strawberries (or 2 tangerines/mandarines and some marachino cherries)

1) Using a fork poke as many holes as you possibly can in the cake.  You cannot have too many; this will assist with even absorption of the milks, so don't skip this step.

2) In a large bowl mix all the milks together. (Make sure the coconut milk is at room temperature so that it is not separated and there are no clumps of fat.  If not set unopened can of coconut milk in a warmed (but off) oven for a couple hours before starting.)

3)  Pour the milk mixture over the cake (still in its pan) and and let it sit on the counter until most of the liquids are absorbed, then move it to the refrigerator and let it stay there for at least 4 hours.  If your cake is a dense cake (in comparison to a boxed mix) let it sit at least 6 hours.  Overnight would be ideal.

Spread whipped cream over cake like frosting. Sprinkle coconut over top evenly.  Spinkle on chopped pecans.  And decorate with strawberries.  This cake should be kept in the refrigerator.