Easy Puerto Rican Coquito Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Love Tres Leches cake and want to give it a twist? Never tried it? Either way, this easy Puerto Rican Coquito Tres Leches Cake recipe has a beautiful flavor that will simply melt in your mouth.
Jump to RecipeTres Leches cake means “three milks cake” and that is exactly what makes this cake different from the rest. While it has the signature texture of a sponge cake, it is also soaked in three types of milk for ultimate flavor and moisture.
Tres leches has Latin American origins and while there is much controversy over where it originated, it is beloved throughout Hispanic culture. Nowadays it is not hard to find in the United States either so you could say it has made its way around the world. 😊For this recipe however, we will focus on our Puerto Rican twist.
One of Puerto Rico’s signature flavors is coconut. If you are not familiar with Coquito, it is a coconut-flavored drink made of different kinds of milk, coconut cream, cinnamon and light rum. Typically, a holiday drink, our Puerto Rican-nog is irresistible so why not make it into cake, too? That is exactly what we did here.
A few notes.
If you want to make the cake even simpler, you can use a boxed cake, yellow or white. It will not be a sponge but it will still soak in all the liquids for ultimate deliciousness. Also, if you do not want to make fresh whipped cream, you can use store-bought whipped topping. I recommend adding ground cinnamon for the last touch to the coquito flavor but it is up to you.
If for aaaany reason, you would rather make a non-coconut version, simply replace the coconut milk with heavy cream. You can also omit the ground cinnamon from the mixture and topping. Use 1 ½ cup of heavy cream and add a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar instead of coconut cream.
Lastly, as far as toppings go, I like to use toasted coconut to add a slight crunch. However, feel free to use whatever fruits you like. You can slice some berries, use cherries, or simply stick to the whipped topping. Also, the rum adds great flavor to the cake but if there are kids consuming it or you do not like it, you may skip it altogether.
Serving and storage.
Usually, Tres Leches is cut and served in squares. The size is discretionary, though. 😉 Also, this cake lasts about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Its components do not necessarily go bad right after but the whipped topping sinks and runs, and it is not as enjoyable to eat at that point.
I hope you enjoy this Puerto Rican twist on Tres Leches. If you want to check out more Puerto Rican recipes, feel free to look through my site. You will find sweet, savory, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and even coffee and hot chocolate! I focus on simple recipes for ultimate deliciousness and less time in the kitchen. 😊
¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Easy Puerto Rican Coquito Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer or hand mixer
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 9x13 inch baking pan
- 1 Wire rack for cooling
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup multipurpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/8 cup light Puerto Rican rum optional
Milk Syrup
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Coconut whipped cream
- 16 oz store-bought whipped topping OR
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp light puerto rican rum optional
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes or fruit of preference optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites into two different large mixing bowls.
- In a large bowl, whip the whites for a minute or two, until soft peaks form. Then add 1/3 cup of sugar and continue mixing at high speed until it has stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whip the yolks and 2/3 cup of sugar until it looks pale yellow. Add vanilla extract, whole milk, and rum (if using)then mix for another minute.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into the egg yolk mixture and fold the dry ingredients with a spatula until well blended. Do not overmix(mix too long) but ensure there are no lumps.
- Carefully add egg yolk mixture to the whites and fold them (instead of mixing) to preserve the fluff you already achieved. That will create a perfectly sponge-y texture in your cake!
- Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by greasing it lightly.
- Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish and place it in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick or skewer.
- Once the sponge cake is done, allow it to cool for about an hour on a wire rack.
- When the cake is almost cooled, make the milk mixture to soak your cake in. Mix evaporated milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, ground cinnamon, and rum (if using). Set aside.
- Poke holes on the cake with a fork or toothpicks and pour mixture over cooled cake.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for about 4-6 hours (or overnight) so the cake absorbs the moisture and flavor.
- When you are almost ready to serve, make the whipped topping. With a mixer, blend the heavy cream, coconut cream and cinnamon until peaks form. If you are using store-bought topping, you can simply add cinnamon or use as-is.
- Toast the coconut flakes in a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Flip them constantly so they do not burn. Once they turn golden brown, remove them from the heat. Otherwise, you can slice the fruit you chose to top your cake with.
- Spread the whipped topping across the top of the cake, then sprinkle coconut flakes or place fruit on top of it.
- Cut in squares and serve.
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
