Cinco de Mayo Tres Leches (Printable)

Fluffy cupcakes soaked in milk blend with whipped cream topping, inspired by Mexican flavors.

# What you need:

→ Cupcake Batter

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 0.5 cup whole milk

→ Tres Leches Soak

09 - 0.5 cup sweetened condensed milk
10 - 0.5 cup evaporated milk
11 - 0.5 cup whole milk

→ Whipped Cream Topping

12 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
13 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
14 - 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Garnish

15 - Ground cinnamon
16 - Fresh berries or maraschino cherries
17 - Lime zest

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Add half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing gently until just combined.
06 - Distribute batter evenly among prepared liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
08 - Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in a small bowl.
09 - Once cupcakes have cooled to room temperature but remain slightly warm, pierce each cupcake multiple times with a skewer or fork.
10 - Spoon or slowly pour 2-3 tablespoons of the tres leches mixture over each cupcake. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.
11 - Whip cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
12 - Pipe or spread whipped cream onto each cupcake. Garnish with ground cinnamon, fresh berries, maraschino cherries, or lime zest as desired. Serve chilled.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • They look elegant enough for a dinner party but taste like indulgent comfort food wrapped in whipped cream.
  • The three-milk soak means they actually improve as they sit, so you can make them hours ahead without stress.
  • They're vegetarian and feel festive without requiring any complicated techniques or special equipment.
02 -
  • Don't skip poking the holes in the cupcakes while they're still warm—the cake is more receptive to absorbing the milk mixture at this temperature, and cold cupcakes will repel the liquid.
  • The whipped cream topping tastes best when applied right before serving, but you can make it a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge in a piping bag.
03 -
  • If your eggs are cold, they'll break the emulsion with your butter and sugar, so let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes or soak them in warm water for 5 minutes before using.
  • Don't overmix the batter once you add the flour—mix until you just stop seeing streaks, then walk away, because overworking develops gluten and makes tough cupcakes.
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