Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake

A slice of almond flour tres leches cake shown with whipped topping and strawberries.

5 from 3 votes

A paleo version of the classic Mexican Tres Leches Cake. A fluffy vanilla almond flour cake is soaked in sweetened coconut milk, and then topped with a creamy coconut whipped cream.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: slices

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Michelle Miller

Equipment

9x9 cake pan
Stand Mixer
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Almond Flour Cake

1 3/4 cups almond flour blanched
1/4 cup arrowroot
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 eggs separated
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
1/3 cup maple syrup or sub date syrup or honey
3 tablespoons almond milk unsweetened
2 teaspoons vanilla *or scraped vanilla bean, for Paleo

Tres Leches *see notes for dairy free version

12 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream full fat (from can)
3 tablespoons maple syrup or sub date syrup or honey

Whipped Topping *see notes for dairy free version

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sub date syrup or honey
strawberries for serving, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º F. Line an 8×8 or similar size baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
Separate egg yolks from the egg whites.
Prepare the cake by combining the almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium size mixing bowl, and whisking to combine.
In a smaller bowl, add the egg yolks, coconut oil, honey (or date syrup), almond milk and vanilla, and whisk until well mixed.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined, without over mixing.
Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Add half of the whipped egg whites to the cake batter, using a spatula to gently fold in the egg whites until they are mostly mixed in. Add the rest of the egg whites, using the spatula to gently bring batter “up” from the bottom to mix into the whites, being careful not to stir too much of the air out of the batter.
Add the mixture to the baking dish, smoothing out the top.
Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to fully cool. Flip the cake upside down and place it back into the cake pan. Use a fork to poke holes across the top of the cake. The holes will allow the milk mixture to seep into the soft cake.
Prepare the “Tres Leches” milk by whisking either the dairy ingredients or non-dairy ingredients together with sweetener of choice.
Pour the “tres leches” milk mixture over the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight, to allow the milk to soak into the cake.
Top the cake with a thick layer of whipped cream (dairy or coconut cream-based) and fresh strawberries.
Refrigerate cans of full fat coconut cream overnight. Before opening, "shake" cans to see if you can hear the liquid sloshing. If you don't hear the sound, your coconut cream has separated.
Flip the can upside down, and open the can from the bottom. The liquid will have settled to the bottom, and you need to pour off the liquid in order to separate the cream.
Add the solid coconut cream to chilled mixing bowl, and then use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the coconut cream. Add sweetener of choice, and continue whipping until the cream has stiffened.

Video

Notes

Dairy Free Coconut "Tres Leches"

1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup maple syrup or date syrup

To Make Coconut Whipped Cream

*Whole Foods 365 brand, and Native Forest are brands I recommend. Other brands might not separate and therefore won't work.

Add a heavy mixing bowl (or bowl from stand mixer) to the freezer to chill.

Refrigerate cans of full fat coconut cream overnight. Before opening, "shake" cans to see if you can hear the liquid sloshing. If you don't hear the sound, your coconut cream has separated.
Flip the can upside down, and open the can from the bottom. The liquid will have settled to the bottom, and you need to pour off the liquid in order to separate the cream.
Add the solid coconut cream to chilled mixing bowl, and then use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the coconut cream. Add sweetener of choice, and continue whipping until the cream has stiffened.

How to Store Leftover Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake

Once the cake has the whipped topping on it, wrap it tightly or place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate the cake up to 3 days. The cake is best served on the first day, after it’s been soaking in the milk mixture for at least 2 hours.

To Freeze: If this cake needs to be made ahead and frozen, prepare the sponge cake, package it in an airtight container, and freeze it up to 3 months. Defrost it, soak in the in the tres leches milk mixture, and frost it when ready to serve.

Variations and Tips

Dairy Free Tres Leches Cake: This cake is easily made dairy-free by choosing the coconut milk “tres leches” and making a coconut cream whipped topping. Another option is to make a meringue topping sweetened with maple syrup or honey.

Paleo Tres Leches Cake: This cake is easily made paleo friendly by choosing the dairy-free options.

Vegan Tres Leches Cake: Substitute your favorite vegan vanilla cake in place of the almond flour cake, and then use the coconut milk options.

Nutrition