Have you had an experience that you ate tres leches cake and was way too sweet to your taste? I have the perfect recipe for you, matcha tres leches cake! Matcha is famous for its health benefit but infamous for its strong bitterness which unfortunately keep people away drinking or eating matcha products. Therefore I came up with the way to mash up the biiterness of the matcha and sweetness of tres leches cake. This cake consists of matcha sponge, matcha milk mixture, and matcha cream, so it’s not too sweet but still has enough sweetness from lots of condensed milk. If you want matcha benefit and dessert at the same time, this cake is for you!

What Is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres leches are simply translated to “three milk” which are whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. The cake is made by soaking a sponge cake in a mixture of three types of milk. The cake is dry and airy, so it absorbs all the milk and keeps moisture without becoming soggy and slimy. This cake is so popular in Latin America including Mexico and Nicaragua. Most recipes of tres leches cake use whipped cream and some fruits like strawberries to cut through the sweetness.

Ingredients You will Need

For the Matcha Sponge

Free Renge Eggs – I recommend you use freerange eggs prefarably organic.

Sugar – You can use any type of sugar. I use white sugar not to disturb the matcha colour.

Flour – I like using cake flour for my sponge as it has less gluten but you can use plain flour perfectly.

Matcha Powder – I want you to use matcha powder that is produced in Japan because it is the best quality and has most flavour than the one produced in other countries.

Baking Powder – What brand of baking powder is fine.

Salt – Salt is very important for even baked goods. It enhances the flavour of everything. I recommend using sea salt rather than table salt.

Milk – I like to use whole milk but you can use skimmed or semi-skimmed ones as well.

Vanilla Extract – This is optional.

For the Matcha Milk

Milk, Condensed Milk, and Evaporated Milk – These three kinds of milk are the most important ingredients of all. If you have a dairy allergy, use plant-based products.

Matcha Powder -Use good quality matcha not to make your cake taste artificial.

For the Matcha Cream

Matcha – A sprinkle of matcha makes your cake look like a tiramisu which will be appealing.

Icing Sugar – Icing sugar is much easier to dissolve in cream when whipping.

Double Cream – If you want your tras leches cake lighter, use single cream which has less fat in it.

Step by Step Guide

For the Matcha Sponge

1 Preheat oven to 160C(320F). Lightly grease and line the sides and the bottom of a 6 x 6-inch cake tin or dish. Put egg whites and 10g of sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until foamy, about 3-4mins.

2 In another bowl, mix the egg yolks, 60g of sugar, and vanilla using the same whisk you used for the egg whites until pale and foamy. Add the flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and milk to the egg yolks, and fold them using a spatula or a spoon to make a paste. Add milk to the mixture and carefully combine them.

3 Add a large spoonful of egg white to the yolk and flour mixture, mix to loosen the batter, then gently fold through the remaining egg whites with a metal spoon. Make sure to be careful not to over-mix so you don’t knock out too much air you created.

4 Pour into the tin, smooth the top, and bake for 20-25 mins until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. You don’t need to worry about over-baking too much, your cake will be moist when it soaks the milk later. Once it has been baked, leave it in the oven for 10 mins with the door ajar.

For the Matcha Milk

Whisk matcha powder and 1 tbsp of milk together in a bowl or a jug first. Add condensed milk and evaporated milk to the matcha paste and mix well.

To Assemble

1 Stab the slightly warm cake with a skewer to make your cake absorb all the liquid. Pour the matcha milk into the cake and leave it overnight in the fridge.

2 In a bowl, put the cream, sugar, and matcha powder to whip up until soft peaks. Spread the cream over the cake and sprinkle some matcha powder on top. Enjoy!

Tips for Making Matcha Tres Leches Cake

Whip your egg whites enough your cake must have

lots of small holes to absorb all the liquid.

Do not underbake your cake

You don’t need to worry about your cake being dry because it will be soaked in plenty of milk. A little bit of overbaking is acturally good.

Leave your soaked cake overnight

The milk won’t absorb into the cake immediately, so you have to be patient to wait for it to soak into the cake completely.

Q & A

Can I make the cake a day ahead?

Yes, you can make your tres leches cake a day ahead with or without cream on top.

How can I store the tres leches cake?

If your cake hasn’t been soaked yet, just wrap it with some cling film or put it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature. If your cake is already soaked, put it in an airtight container and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

How long does my tres leches cake last in the fridge?

The soaked tres leches cake lasts for about 2-3 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze my tres leches cake?

If your cake is not soaked, yes! If your cake has been soaked in the milk, no. I wouldn’t recommend doing so.

More Matcha Recipes to Enjoy

Eggless Matcha and White Chocolate Mousse

Matcha Pound Cake