Tres Leches Cake is a staple throughout Latin America, and for good reason… it’s absolutely delicious. A light and airy cake is soaked in three types of milk until all that creamy goodness has been absorbed. It’s then topped off with a layer of whipped cream for an irresistible treat, yum! It’s one of my absolute favorites, but there’s just one problem: many of my loved ones are lactose intolerant. That predicament led me to researching dairy-free versions of this beloved cake and I was pretty intrigued by what I found.
Most alternative recipes used coconut as the main milk source and that is an idea I could definitely get behind. I love the rich and nutty flavor of coconut milk and discovered that you can even purchase sweetened condensed coconut milk! Wow, was this stuff delicious. I used the brand Nature’s Charm which I found at my local health food store. From my research it looks like many national grocery chains carry it as well, but you may want to call around to see what stores in your area stock it.
While this cake recipe is dairy free it is not vegan, as there are eggs in the cake batter. I do think subbing in egg alternatives could work if you’re aiming for a fully plant-based recipe, though the cake may be slightly more dense. This version came out absolutely beautifully with so much rich and creamy flavor. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dairy free treat!
Dairy-Free Tres Leches Cake
Diet: Low-Lactose
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 (11 oz) can sweetened condensed coconut milk
- Cinnamon for garnish (optional)
Coconut Whipped Topping
- 2 (13 oz) cans coconut cream
- ¾-1 cup powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat until smooth, then add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, slowly add dry ingredients to the wet until just combined.
- Pour batter to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-34 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- As cake bakes, combine unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk, and sweetened condensed coconut milk in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Remove cake from oven. Using a fork, pierce the top of the cake all over.
- Pour milk mixture over warm cake and allow it to fully cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Place canned coconut cream is fridge at this time as well!
- Frosting: Do not shake cans of coconut cream! Carefully open cans and spoon the solid cream from the top of the can into a large bowl. Set liquid at the bottom of the cans aside for another use.
- Whisk coconut solids until smooth, then add powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Frost cake and dust with cinnamon if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from 24bite.com