Someone asked me the other day for a Christmas cake recipe and I realized that I don’t have too many. I have this red velvet cake, this eggnog pound cake, and this who pudding (that’s kind of like a cake), but that’s really it. So I thought it was time for another one! This gingerbread tres leches has all of the flavors of gingerbread with the moist sweetness of a tres leches cake. And if you’ve never had a tres leches cake before, don’t worry, it’s delicious. The name tres leches means three milks in Spanish and the addition of cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk in this recipe means it’s ridiculously moist and creamy. It’s also SO easy to make (easier even than this pumpkin crunch cake) and pretty much fool-proof, which means it’s a great recipe whether you’re a pro baker or not! Whip up this cake for your next holiday party and serve it alongside some holiday punch for a festive treat! And if you’re really into gingerbread, you could serve it up with these gingerbread cupcakes to give people options!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Six-ingredients – you just need six ingredients (not counting water) to make this simple cake and they’re all things you likely have at home other than possibly the cake mix!So easy – if you can make a box cake mix, you can make this cake. That’s pretty much it plus dumping and poking the cake! Keeps well – this cake is actually even better the day after once all of the liquids have had a chance to soak into the cake!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Gingerbread cake mix – if you can’t find gingerbread cake mix (it can be hard to find some years), you can also make this with spice cake mix with good results.
How to Make Gingerbread Tres Leches
This cake is pretty simple from start to finish but make sure to pay attention to the details because like with any cake recipes, you do have to follow the instructions!
Preheat the oven to 350*F and spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Unlike with these Grinch brownies or this Swiss Roll cake, I do not recommend lining with parchment paper as you want the moisture to soak into and through the cake.
Once your pan is ready, mix the gingerbread cake mix, water and egg in a large mixing bowl until well mixed.
Next, pour batter into the baking dish, making sure it’s spread out in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and use a fork or round handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake, just like if you were making a strawberry poke cake.
Once your cake is full of holes, set it aside and make your filling and topping.
To make the tres leches filling, mix together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and 1/3 cup heavy cream. Just whisk them together to combine, no need to whip or turn them into something other than just a liquid!
Once well mixed, pour the milk mixture over the cake until it is slightly saturated, but not soggy. You likely won’t need all the mixture – stop when it’s saturated instead of just continuing to pour the milk on the cake.
Place the cake in the refrigerator to allow it to cool for a few minutes.
While cake is cooling, add 2 TBS sugar to the remaining heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.
Remove cake from the refrigerator and spread whipped cream over the top of the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
Return the cake to the fridge and chill for at least four hours before serving, even better if stored overnight.
Cut into squares and serve directly from the pan. This doesn’t transfer to another dish or platter well because of the liquid soaked in and under the cake.
Expert Tips
Store in the fridge covered for up to three days then throw any leftovers away. Serve with sugared cranberries or other fresh fruit topping like this homemade raspberry sauce.
More Easy Cakes
If you like this gingerbread tres leches recipe, you’ll love these other delicious cakes and cupcakes!
Santa cupcakes – red velvet cupcakes topped with the cutest Santa hats, super easy to make and adorable!Grinch cupcakes – cupcakes inspired by the Grinch movie with little Santa hats on top! Chocolate Dr. Pepper cake – another moist cake kept moist with the addition of Dr. Pepper to the batter!Hot chocolate cupcakes – the ultimate winter treat! Cupcakes inspired by a big mug full of hot chocolate. Mini Oreo cheesecakes – these yummy treats are mini and magical, great for adding to Christmas treat plates!
