VEGAN TRES LECHES CAKE

Notes:

This recipe proves that you can make a vegan tres leches cake that is just as delicious as a dairy based one. The vegan sponge is unbelievably flavorful and tender, while holding up beautifully to the milk soak. By replacing traditional dairy with a curated, multi-dimensional plant fat profile (cashew cream, coconut cream, and barista-grade oat milk), this recipe produces exactly what you want in a tres leches cake, richness, creaminess, and comfort.

Time:

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Bake Time: 33 minutes

• Rest/In-Pan Cool: 15 minutes

• Soak Absorption Room Temp: 30–60 minutes

• Refrigerate: 4 hours minimum or overnight

Special Equipment:

• High-speed blender (for preparing the cashew cream)

• 9 inch premium aluminum cake pan

• Stand mixer or hand mixer (for whipping the chantilly topping)

Ingredients:

Stable but Tender Sponge:

• All-purpose flour: 2 cups | 240g

• Castor or Granulated sugar: ~1 cup | 198g

• Baking powder: 1.5 tsp | 6g

• Baking soda: 1/2 tsp | 3g

• Fine sea salt: 1/2 tsp | 3g

• Unsweetened Barista Oat Milk (Room Temp): 1 cup | 240g (Minor Figures Organic Barista Oat Milk highly recommended)

• Neutral oil (Room Temp): 1/3 cup | 75g

• Vanilla bean paste: 1 tbsp | 18g

"Three Milks" Soak:

• Homemade Cashew Cream: Approx. 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp | 145g (Yielded from Step 2 below)

• Canned Coconut Cream: Approx. 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp | 135g

• Barista Edition Oat Milk: Approx. 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp | 135g (I recommend Minor Figures Organic)

• Melted Vegan Butter: 1.25 tbsp | 18g

• Fine sea salt: 1/8 tsp

Stabilized Coconut Chantilly Topping:

• Full-fat coconut cream: 1 standard can (13.5 oz / 400 mL) | Chilled overnight, and use only hardened white solids

  I highly recommend using Cha's Organics Coconut Whipping Cream; it has tapioca starch added with stabilizes the whipped cream very well.

• Powdered sugar: 2 tbsp

• Fine sea salt: 1/4 tsp

• Vanilla bean paste: 1/2 tsp

• Garnish (Optional): Freshly sliced strawberries brushed with simple syrup

Directions:

Phase 1: Sponge Cake

1. Preheat and Prep: Position your oven rack to the center and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9”aluminum cake pan then line with a parchment paper ring at the bottom, and grease the top of the parchment too.

2. Standardize Wet Ingredients: Ensure your barista oat milk and neutral oil are at true room temperature.

3. Sift and Fold: In a primary bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. In a separate container, combine the oat milk, oil, and vanilla bean paste. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, gently folding until just combined. Do not over-mix.

4. Bake: Pour evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 mins.

Phase 2: Prepare “Three Milks” and Soak

5. Prepare cashews: Soak 100g (approx. 2/3 cup) of raw cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes (or overnight in cool water). Drain and rinse thoroughly with fresh, filtered water.

6. Blend to smoothness: Transfer the rinsed cashews to a high-speed blender along with 85g of fresh filtered water. Blend on maximum speed until the mixture transforms into a completely uniform, glossy liquid resembling cream and with no granularity.

7. Build the Liquid: Measure 145g of this fresh cashew cream. In a mixing bowl, combine it with the coconut cream and barista oat milk. While whisking, slowly stream in the melted vegan butter. Stir in the salt last.

Phase 3: Plate Soak and Set

8. Release: Flip the cake out of the baking pan; it should have cooled enough that it is slightly retracted and will slip out easily. Carefully peel away the parchment paper and flip back over. Place the cake onto a serving plate or dish that has a rim. This plate or dish will be the one the cake stays on for service.

9. Perforate: While the sponge is still a little warm, use a skewer or chop stick to poke holes uniformly across the entire surface, spacing them roughly 1/2 inch apart.

10. Saturate: Slowly pour your prepared three-milks soak over the surface, working systematically from the perimeter inward. Let the cake rest openly at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to pull the liquid in via capillary action.

11. Refrigerate: Transfer the uncovered plate to the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. This helps set the structure and texture of the cake.

Phase 4: Chantilly and Presentation

12. Isolate the Solids: Open your thoroughly chilled can of coconut cream without shaking it. Carefully scoop out the top layer of hardened white coconut solids into a mixing bowl, discarding the residual liquid water at the bottom (or saving it for a smoothie). Let the hard solids rest on the counter for 5–10 minutes to soften slightly if unworkable.

13. Whip and Stabilize: Add powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and sea salt to the coconut solids. Whip on medium-high speed until structural peaks form.

14. Final Cut: Evenly spread the stabilized chantilly over your set, chilled cake. Dress with strawberries if desired. Slice immediately while cold, cleaning and heating your knife blade between cuts for immaculate slices.