Butter Pecan Tres Leches Cake (Printable)

Milk-soaked cake layers topped with toasted buttered pecans and clouds of whipped cream

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ½ cup whole milk

→ Tres Leches Mixture

09 - 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
10 - 12 ounces evaporated milk
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk (optional)

→ Butter Pecan Topping

13 - 1 cup pecans, chopped
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
15 - ½ cup packed brown sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Whipped Cream Topping

17 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
18 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and coconut milk (if using) in a bowl until smooth.
08 - Remove cake from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
09 - Slowly pour tres leches mixture over cake, ensuring it soaks into the holes. Allow cake to absorb milk for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in refrigerator.
10 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped pecans and brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until pecans are toasted and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool slightly.
11 - In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
12 - Once cake has absorbed milk mixture, spread whipped cream evenly over surface.
13 - Drizzle cooled butter pecan topping over whipped cream.
14 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days without ever feeling heavy or overly sweet.
  • Toasted butter pecans add a nutty richness that cuts through the creamy milk soak beautifully.
  • It feeds a crowd and actually tastes better the second day, which means less stress and more time with guests.
  • The whipped cream topping feels light and airy against the dense, milk-drunk crumb below.
02 -
  • Poke the holes while the cake is still slightly warm or it will crumble and tear when you try.
  • Pour the milk mixture slowly and let it absorb in stages, rushing it will cause pooling and uneven soaking.
  • Don't skip the overnight rest, the texture changes completely as the milk settles and the cake softens into itself.
  • Let the pecan topping cool before adding it to the whipped cream or it will melt and deflate.
03 -
  • Use a fork, not a skewer, to poke holes because the tines create wider channels that soak up more milk.
  • Let the butter pecan topping cool completely and thicken before drizzling, or it will sink into the whipped cream and disappear.
  • Whip the cream just before serving if possible, it holds better and tastes fresher than cream whipped hours ahead.
  • If you're making this for a party, assemble everything except the pecan topping the night before, then add it right before serving for maximum crunch.
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