This Strawberry Crunch Tres Leches Cake is the ultimate mash-up of the classic ice cream bars with a cake. It’s moist, soaked in a sweet three-milk mixture, topped with fluffy whipped cream, and finished with a strawberry crunch crumble. It’s the perfect spring and summer dessert for birthdays, showers, or anytime you want a show-stopping cake.
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake is a staple of the spring and summer months. This tres leches version is sweet, rich, moist and creamy. It is perfect for any occasion, and will impress anyone you serve it to. The sweet strawberry combined with the tart crunch of the freeze dried strawberries creates a perfect flavor. If you enjoy this dessert, be sure to try some of my other popular recipes, such as my Biscoff Poke Cake or my Mississippi Mud Cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for holidays and celebrations – A sweet dish the whole family will love.
- Make-ahead friendly – Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Beautiful pink topping that pops – Impressive on the inside and out.
Ingredients:
- White Cake Mix – Any kind will work.
- Melted Butter (cooled)
- Large Eggs – This size egg is perfect for baking because of the moisture amount.
- Whole Milk – You will need this at 3 different points in the baking process.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – This will keep the cake moist and rich.
- Evaporated Milk – The third milk to create tres leches.
- Seedless Strawberry Jam – Using seedless is better texture wise.
- Strawberry Syrup – I prefer a more strawberry central flavor for this rather than the overly sweet kind.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding (3.4 oz) The instant kind speeds up the process.
- Whipped Cream Cheese – This can be homemade or store bought
- Thawed Cool Whip – Make sure it is soft enough to be folded into other ingredients.
- Golden Oreos (crushed)
- Freeze Dried Strawberries – This will be the center of the crumble topping.
- Strawberry Jello Powder – Another component of the topping.
- Melted Butter –This will hold the crumble topping together.
How To Make Strawberry Crunch Tres Leches Cake:
- In a large bowl beat together cake mix, eggs, milk, and cooled melted butter.
- Bake in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan at 350 for around 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While cake is baking, heat up 1/2 cup strawberry jam in microwave about 30 sec so its easier to whisk.
- Add strawberry syrup along with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk and whisk until well combined.
5. Once Cake is finished and has cooled a couple minutes, poke holes all over it.
6. Pour Milk mixture over it and place in fridge to chill for at least 4 hours so cake can soak up all milk.
7. For icing, add pudding mix, milk, and strawberry syrup to a bowl.
8. Whisk 2 min and place in fridge to set.
9. Once set, beat in whipped cream cheese then gently fold in thawed cool whip. Folding allows it to stay fluffier.
10. Spread over cake.
11. In a separate bowl, add crushed Oreos, crushed freeze dried strawberries, jello powder, and melted butter.
12. Mix until well combined.
13. Sprinkle over cake and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Let the cake cool slightly before adding milk mixture so it absorbs properly.
- Pour the milk slowly to avoid pooling and allow for even soaking.
- Use freeze-dried strawberries for the brightest flavor and color.
- Chill overnight for the most tender, flavorful result.
What to Serve With Strawberry Crunch Tres Leches Cake:
This cake is very rich and creamy, so it pairs well with foods that cut up the sweetness and compliment the fruity flavor. Some examples include:
- Fresh Berries
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Whipped Cream
- Coffee
- Charcuterie Board
- Chocolate or Caramel Sauce
Storage:
This dessert can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days as long as it is kept in an airtight container. It is best to eat within 2 days to keep the cake from becoming soggy. You may also freeze this cake the same way but it is not recommended due to the milk and cream not freezing well.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does tres leches mean?
Tres leches is Spanish for “3 milks”, so tres leches cake is a rich cake dish made with condensed, whole, and evaporated milk.
Can I use store-bought whipped topping?
Yes! It’s an easy swap to cut down on time if you don’t want to make your own.
Why is my cake soggy?
While this dish is naturally moist due to the milk, excessive sogginess can come from using too much liquid or not allowing the cake to sit up long enough to full absorb the mixture.
Can I use strawberry cake mix instead?
Absolutely! Using strawberry cake mix will add even more delicious strawberry flavor.
More Fruity Desserts To Try:
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Dip
- Lemon Blueberry Upside Down Cake
- No-Bake Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake
Strawberry Tres Leches
Video
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 6 tbsp melted butter(cooled)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evporated milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
- 2 tbsp strawberry syrup
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding(3.4 oz)
- 1.5 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp strawberry syrup
- 4 oz whipped cream cheese
- 8 oz thawed cool whip
- 20 Golden oreos(crushed)
- 2 oz freeze dried strawberries
- 1 tbsp strawberry jello powder
- 6 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat together cake mix, eggs, milk, and cooled melted butter.
- Bake in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan at 350 for around 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While cake is baking, heat up 1/2 cup strawberry jam in microwave about 30 sec so its easier to whisk.
- Add strawberry syrup along with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk and whisk until well combined.
- Once Cake is finished and has cooled a couple minutes, poke holes all over it.
- Pour Milk mixture over it and place in fridge to chill for at least 4 hours so cake can soak up all milk.
- For icing, add pudding mix, milk, and strawberry syrup to a bowl. Whisk 2 min and place in fridge to set.
- Once set, beat in whipped cream cheese then gently fold in thawed cool whip. Folding allows it to stay fluffier. Spread over cake.
- In a seperate bowl, add crushed oreos, crushed freeze dried strawberries, jello powder, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
- Sprinkle over cake and enjoy!
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