Cinco de Mayo Tres Leches (Printable)

Fluffy cupcakes drenched in a trio of milks with a whipped cream topping and festive garnishes.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ For the Tres Leches Soak

09 - 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
10 - 1/2 cup evaporated milk
11 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ For the Whipped Cream Topping

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

→ Optional Garnish

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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're practically impossible to dry out, which means even if you overbake them slightly, they'll still be impossibly tender.
  • The three-milk soak is your secret weapon—it transforms a basic vanilla cake into something that tastes like it took hours to make.
  • You can prep these the day before, which makes them perfect for when you want to impress people without being stuck in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Never skip the cooling step before soaking—pour the milk mixture onto hot cupcakes and it'll just run off the sides instead of soaking in where it counts.
  • The three-milk soak is forgiving; you can make it hours ahead and store it covered in the fridge, which means less chaos on game day.
  • Whipped cream peaks are a moving target—if you overbeat, you'll have sweet butter by accident, so stop the mixer the moment the cream goes from floppy to stiff.
03 -
  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before you start—warm eggs and butter mix faster and create a better emulsion that holds everything together.
  • If you're doubling this recipe, keep the same baking time and temperature; just use two muffin tins and rotate them halfway through for even baking.
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