Best Easy Coquito Tres Leches Cake Recipe Guide at Home

I have been cooking and baking with my family since I was a child. Mostly me and my sister used to bake cakes, especially brownies to have with the whole family. Our brownies were a thing to look forward to when we had family get-togethers. I have seen my cousins fight over leftover crumbs at the end.

After one of our trips to Puerto Rico, I decided to make Coquito Tres Leches cake and since then nothing could satisfy my family’s appetite unless I have made the cake. I have tried to make it in many different ways but the recipe I am going to share with you today is the best & easy recipe for tres leches cake.

This dessert item can be had after a hearty meal of Ropa Vieja or other entree items like the Pollo A La Parilla, enough about the meals let us look at the yummy dessert item.

How to make Coquito Tres Leches cake

At first, when I used to make Coquito Tres Leches cake I used to make it from scratch but over the years I have stopped making it from scratch and started using the cake mix. With the cake mix, the whole process becomes easy and can be done by any novice in baking.

Prep time: 1 hour minutes.

Cook time: 50 minutes.

Cool time: 8 hours.

Total time: 9 hours 50 minutes.

Tres Leches Cake Ingredients

• 1 package of cake mix, white or yellow
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 cup of  whole milk
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ teaspoon of vanilla essence

Coquito Topping Ingredients

• 1 can La Lechera sweet condensed milk
• ⅔ cup of Carnation evaporated milk
• ½ cup of coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

Topping

• 1 bag of shredded coconut, 
• 1 container of  whipped topping
• 1 jar of maraschino cherries

Instructions

Step #1

You need to start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Step #2

Butter the dish.

Step #3

In a large mixing bowl add the cake mix, eggs, whole milk, and melted butter with vanilla. Star mixing the batter on medium and then slowly mix it properly.

Pour the mixture into the buttered dish. Cook for 30 minutes.

Step #4

Time to make the Coquito topping. In a large bowl, add the condensed milk along with evaporated milk, coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk the mixture and put the topping aside.

Step #5

Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 40 minutes.

Step #6

After the cake is cool, use a chopstick to poke holes in the cake. You would need to poke holes all over the cake.

Step #7

Next pour in the coquito topping on the cake.

Step #8

Now it’s time to refrigerate the cake and leave it overnight to get the best result. You can also take it out after 4 hours.

Step #9

Before taking out the cake, the next day you need to make the topping. In a pan, toast the coconut at medium heat. This process will take no more than 5 minutes. When one side is sufficiently light browned then turn it and make the whole thing brown.

Step #10

Cover the cake with whipped cream goodness and finish it with toasted coconut.

Step #11

While serving you can top it off with a cherry on top.

Nutrition Facts

• CALORIES: 334
• TOTAL FAT: 16.7g
• SATURATED FAT: 9.4g
• CHOLESTEROL: 60mg
• SODIUM: 281mg
• CARBOHYDRATES: 41.6g
• FIBER: 1g
• SUGAR: 29.7g
• PROTEIN: 5.8g

Don’ forget to try my other sweet recipes-

• Chocolate mousse dome recipe
• How to cook pina colada flan at home
• How to make a molten chocolate lava cake: A simple recipe

Conclusion

In this article, I have made the Coquito Tres Leches cake recipe which is easy to make and can be served to a whole family. Whether it is a holiday or just a normal family get-together you can serve this delicious cake and be the hero or heroine of the party.

You can choose to bake the cake from scratch and not use the cake mix. In that case, it will take longer, and just to save time and energy I have opted for the cake mix.

Frequently Asked Question

1. What is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres leches cake is a sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three different types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.

2. How long does this cake stay fresh?

The Best Easy Coquito Tres Leches Cake Recipe Guide at Home will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

3. Can I add fruit to the cake batter?

Yes, you can add fruit to the cake batter to give it a fruity twist. Just be sure to cut the fruit into small pieces and fold it into the batter gently.