Butter Pecan Tres Leches (Printable)

Milk-soaked cake with toasted buttered pecans and whipped cream topping

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ½ cup whole milk

→ Tres Leches Mixture

09 - 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
10 - 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, optional

→ Butter Pecan Topping

13 - 1 cup pecans, chopped
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
15 - ½ cup brown sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Whipped Topping

17 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
18 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and coconut milk in a bowl until smooth.
08 - Remove cake from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
09 - Slowly pour tres leches mixture over cake, ensuring it soaks into the holes. Allow cake to absorb milk for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
10 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped pecans and brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until pecans are toasted and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool slightly.
11 - In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
12 - Once cake has absorbed milk mixture, spread whipped cream evenly over surface. Drizzle cooled butter pecan topping over whipped cream.
13 - Serve cake chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days, which means less stress about timing when you're hosting.
  • Toasted pecans add a welcome crunch that balances all that creamy sweetness.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring fancy decorating skills or multiple pans.
  • You can make it the night before and let the fridge do the work while you sleep.
02 -
  • Poking enough holes is crucial, I learned this after my first attempt left dry pockets in the corners.
  • Let the butter pecan topping cool slightly before adding it to the whipped cream or it will melt and deflate.
  • If the milk mixture pools on top instead of soaking in, you didn't poke enough holes or the cake is still too warm.
03 -
  • Use a glass baking dish if you have one, it makes it easier to see when the milk has fully soaked through.
  • Don't skip the overnight soak, that's when the magic really happens and the texture transforms.
  • Toast extra pecans and keep them in a jar, they're perfect for sprinkling on oatmeal or salads later in the week.
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