Easy No Bake Tres leches Cake – lady fingers are soaked in 3 kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream, pistachio and raspberry. This easy version replaces sponge cake with lady fingers.
For an Indian touch I also added saffron milk and cardamom. Both these spices blend so well with the sweet milk mixture. It tastes like Ras Malai Tres Leches.
If you looking for a traditional Tres Leches, try my Eggless Tres Leches Cake and for tropical flavor try my Easy No Bake Mango Tres Leches Cake.
What is Tres leches Cake?
Tres Leches Cake translates to Three Milk Cake. Light and fluffy sponge cake is poked with wholes and soaked with three different kinds of milk (evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream). This Irresistibly moist cake is a specialty of Mexico and many Latin American Countries.
What is No Bake Tres Leches Cake?
In this easy no bake version Sponge cake is replaced with lady fingers. The light and mildly sweet lady fingers soak up all the milk and taste just like original Tres Leches. With no cooking and barely few minutes to put together, this No Bake Tres Leches will surely become your go to dessert.
Ingredients needed:
- Lady Fingers: They are Italian sponge cookies often used in making Tiramsiu. You can buy them in grocery store or online.
- Evaporated milk and Sweetened condensed milk can be found in the bakery isle.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Pistachio for crunch
- Saffron milk (optional)
- Cardamom ( can be replaced with cinnamon)
- powdered sugar ( or granulated sugar)
- Vanilla extract ( for whipped cream)
How to make No Bake Tres Leches Cake:
Soak a generous pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot milk. Let it steep through for 30 minutes. If you don’t have saffron you can skip this step.
Combine ⅓ cup heavy cream, 1 ¼ cup evaporated milk and ¾ to 1 cup sweetened condensed milk. Add the saffron milk and crushed cardamom. Start with ¾th cup of condensed milk, taste and add more to your preference. Mix it well.
To a 8 by 8 inch pan arrange one layer of lady fingers ( about 12). Slowly pour some of the milk on each of the lady fingers. After 10 minutes pour some more milk evenly.
Sprinkle some crushed pistachios and arrange another layer of lady fingers.
Slowly pour some of the milk on each of the lady fingers ( don’t forget the edges) and let it rest on the counter top for 15 minutes. At this point save about ¾th cup of the sweetened milk to pour after sometime.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. After 3 hours, pour rest of the milk or save some to pour while serving.
To make Whipping Cream
To a medium bowl add 1 cup of whipping cream, 2 teaspoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip ( for 5-6 minutes) till stiff and spreadable.
Spread the whipped cream on the lady fingers and smoothen the top. Sprinkle crushed pistachios and arrange few raspberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the cake 10 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Pour the 3 milks slowly in few batches so they soak up evenly.
- If you are new to cardamom flavor add just half the amount.
- If you have saffron at home definitely use, if not you can skip it.
- No cardamom? Replace with cinnamon or vanilla extract.
- The cake tastes best when soaked over night or atleast 12 hours.
- Make the cake just 1 to 1 ½ day in advance, not more than that.
- Best to consume with in 1-2 days.
Our favorite Fusion Desserts:
No Bake Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (7 oz) lady fingers pack ( has 24)
- 1 ¼ cup (little less than 1 can of 12.5 oz evaporated milk)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¾ – 1 cup sweetened condensed milk ( about 80 % of the 14 oz can)
- ¼ cup pistachio, crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Saffron milk
- two pinches of saffron
- 2 tabelspoons whole milk
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon powdered sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Soak a generous pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot milk. Let it steep through for 30 minutes. If you don’t have saffron you can skip this step.
- Combine ⅓ cup heavy cream, 1 ¼ cup evaporated milk and ¾ to 1 cup sweetened condensed milk. Add the saffron milk and crushed cardamom. Start with ¾th cup of condensed milk, taste and add more to your preference. Mix it well.
- To a 8 by 8 inch pan arrange one layer of lady fingers ( about 12). Slowly pour some of the milk on each of the lady fingers. After 10 minutes pour some more milk evenly.
- Sprinkle some crushed pistachios and arrange another layer of lady fingers.
- Slowly pour some of the milk on each of the lady fingers ( don’t forget the edges) and let it rest on the counter top for 15 minutes. At this point save about ¾th cup of the sweetened milk to pour after sometime.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. After 3 hours, pour rest of the milk or save some to pour while serving.
- To a medium bowl add 1 cup of whipping cream, 2 teaspoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip ( for 5-6 minutes) till stiff and spreadable.
- Spread the whipped cream on the lady fingers and smoothen the top. Sprinkle crushed pistachios and arrange few raspberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the cake 10 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Pour the 3 milks slowly in few batches so they soak up evenly.
- If you are new to cardamom flavor add just half the amount.
- If you have saffron at home definitely use, if not you can skip it.
- No cardamom? Replace with cinnamon or vanilla extract.
- The cake tastes best when soaked over night or atleast 12 hours.
- Make the cake just 1 to 1 ½ day in advance, not more than that.
- Best to consume with in 1-2 days.
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