Cinco de Mayo Tres Leches (Printable)

Fluffy cupcakes soaked in a blend of three milks, finished with creamy whipped topping and festive garnishes.

# What You 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar 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.
05 - Add half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing gently until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
08 - Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in a small bowl.
09 - Once cupcakes are cool but still slightly warm, poke several holes in each with a skewer or fork.
10 - Spoon or slowly pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture over each cupcake. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.
11 - Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
12 - Pipe or spread whipped cream onto each cupcake. Garnish with cinnamon, berries, or lime zest as desired. Serve chilled.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The milk soak transforms a simple vanilla cupcake into something so tender and moist it practically melts in your mouth.
  • These actually get better after a day in the fridge, so you can bake them ahead and take the stress out of party prep.
  • Three milks sounds fancy but it's just sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole milk—no special ingredients needed.
02 -
  • The cupcakes must be at least slightly warm when you poke the holes and pour the milk, or the milk will just sit on top instead of soaking in—this lesson cost me one batch before I figured it out.
  • Don't skip the 30-minute soak or use less milk mixture thinking you're saving time, because the whole point is that tender, almost melting texture that comes from proper saturation.
  • These need refrigeration after soaking, and they actually taste better the next day once all the flavors have had time to meld together.
03 -
  • Use an electric mixer for creaming the butter and sugar—hand mixing simply won't get enough air into the mixture no matter how strong your arm is.
  • The cupcakes soak best when they're still warm, so don't let them cool completely before poking and pouring the milk mixture, or it won't absorb properly.
  • If your whipped cream starts to look grainy when you're whipping it, you've gone a bit too far—stop immediately and use it anyway, as it'll still taste delicious even if the texture is slightly off.
Go Back