Go Back
Layered Thai Tea Tres Leches cake

Layered Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling and Chilling Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Latin American, Thai
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer Essential for beating egg whites and whipping cream to stiff peaks.
  • Mixing bowls Several for separating eggs, whipping, and mixing.
  • 9x13-inch cake pan or two 8-inch round cake pans Depends on whether you want a single-layer tray or a multi-layer round cake.
  • saucepan To steep the Thai tea.
  • Strainer or cheesecloth For straining Thai tea leaves if you're using loose tea.
  • Offset spatula For smooth frosting and layering.
  • Wire Rack For cooling the sponge completely before soaking.

Ingredients
  

For the Sponge Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 large eggs separated
  • 1 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Thai Tea Milk Soak

  • 2 Thai tea bags or 2 tablespoons Thai tea leaves look for a brand like Pantai
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar optional, adjust to taste

For the Whipped Cream Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Garnishes

  • Crushed Thai tea cookies or tea cake cookies
  • Toasted coconut flakes
  • Mini dollops of Thai tea whipped cream or condensed milk drizzle

Instructions
 

Make the Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour your baking pan(s). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar (1/2 cup) until pale and thick. Stir in milk and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture gently.
  3. In a separate clean bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk batter in three parts, careful not to deflate the airiness.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the Thai Tea Milk Soak

  1. While the cake bakes, steep your Thai tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5–10 minutes. Strain out the tea leaves or remove the bags. Combine the steeped tea with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. Stir until fully blended and chill until ready to use.

Soak the Cake

  1. Once the sponge cake is fully cooled, use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the surface. Slowly pour the Thai tea milk mixture over the cake, letting it absorb a bit at a time. It will look overly saturated at first—don’t worry, that’s the point.
  2. If you're doing a layer cake, split the cake horizontally and soak both layers individually before stacking.

Whip the Cream Topping

  1. In a cold bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Chill if not using immediately.

Assemble the Cake

  1. If you’re going with a layered version, place one soaked layer down, spread a generous amount of whipped cream on top, then add the second layer and repeat. Finish by coating the entire cake with whipped cream and smoothing it with an offset spatula.

Garnish and Chill

  1. Top with crushed cookies, toasted coconut, or a swirl of condensed milk. Let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (ideally 2+) before serving.