This Keto and Gluten Free take on a Tres Leches Cake is a real show stopper! A simple sponge cake soaked in sweetened milk and topped with homemade whipped cream is sure to please everyone. Serve it topped with fresh berries, a dusting of cinnamon - or my favorite, fresh cherries!
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Tres Leches is one of my favorite cakes ever. It is so simple but the texture is to die for. Once the cake soaks up all the deliciously sweet milk, it almost becomes custard-like.
You can enjoy this cake as it, or eat it dusted with cinnamon, cocoa or my favorite - fresh pitted cherries!
Ingredient substitutions:
- Protein Powder - Adding protein powder to this cake improves the texture. If you don't have any or don't want to use it you can substitute it with a tablespoon of coconut flour.
- Erythritol - Pretty much any bulk sweetener will work here, including regular sugar, so use whatever suits your fancy. Just be sure to check the conversion ratios or sweeten to taste.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Make this cake Dairy-Free by swapping the heavy whipping cream for canned coconut milk! For the whipped cream topping follow the instructions on THIS recipe. (To keep it keto friendly be sure to use a keto friendly sweetener)
- Coconut Milk - Conversely, you can also swap the coconut milk with heavy cream.
- Almond Milk - Any milk variety or milk alternative will work fine in place of the almond milk. We like to use Califia Farms toasted coconut and almond milk for something super special!
- Liquid Stevia - Any sweetener will work, but I find that the liquid stevia integrates into the liquid the best. To sub the stevia in the whipped cream, it is best to use a powdered sweetener.
- Xanthan Gum - Xanthan gum is my trick for keeping whipped cream stable and perfect for frosting cakes. The whipped cream will stay perfect on the top of this cake for about 5 days when you use Xanthan Gum! If you don't have it or don't want to use it, it's fine to skip - but I recommend waiting to make the whipped cream until just before serving the cake.
Helpful Tips:
- Do yourself a favor and line the bottom of your baking pan with parchment paper. This ensures that the cake will pop right out of the pan without cracking. You can get pre-cut parchment rounds on Amazon for a decent price.
- For this particular cake, it is better to slightly overcook it vs. undercook. You actually want to cake to be slightly on the dry side so that it will absorb the milk. If you are in doubt over whether it is finished baking, keep it in the oven for a few extra minutes (as long as it's not burning)
- As mentioned above, if you are skipping the Xanthan Gum then I recommend waiting to make the topping until just before serving. I also wouldn't frost the entire cake unless it's all going to be eaten within a day or two. Fresh whipped cream has a tendency to fall and get weepy after sitting for a bit but the xanthan gum stabilizes it and prevents this from happening.
- Feel free to play around with different flavors of stevia or extracts. My personal favorite is coconut!
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake | Keto, Gluten Free
- Mexican Street Corn Salad | Keto
Tres Leches Cake | Keto, Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup erythritol (I use swerve)
- 1 ¼ cup Almond Flour
- ¼ cup low carb vanilla whey protein powder (see recommendations above)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, full fat and unsweetened
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 10-15 drops liquid stevia, or to taste
For whipped cream topping:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15-20 drops liquid stevia, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prepare a 9 inch round cake pan with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, whey protein, salt and baking powder, stirring to combine. Set the mixture aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, and erythritol. Beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and whipping cream and beat again until well integrated.
- Working in batches, add the dry ingredients in with the wet, mixing after each addition until you have a smooth, creamy batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow them to cool for at least 15, then carefully, turn it out onto your serving plate.
- In a small bowl, or large measuring cup - mix together the coconut milk, almond milk, and stevia.
- Slowly and evenly, pour the milk mixture over the cake.
For the whipped cream topping:
- Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture has at least doubled in size. Once cake has completely cooled, spread the whipped cream on top and serve
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Melissa Wilson says
Oh, holy goodness! THANK YOU for this recipe!! It's amazing!
Sabra says
It's one of my favorites! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Edvier says
How much is one serving? 1/8 of the cake?
Sabra says
This cake serves 12, so one serving is 1/12th of the cake 🙂
Noeli says
IM IN!! We laughed and laughed at this one. 🤣
Yadira says
Delicious! My hubby made it, omg!
Sabra says
Talk about a win win! So glad you enjoyed it!
Rachel says
Can you bake this kind of cake the night before?
Sabra says
Yep 🙂 It will keep in the fridge for about a week. I do try to wait until the last minute to put the whipped cream on top though
Christina says
I don’t want the protien powder. Can I omitt thay completely and if i do will I need more almond flour?
Sabra says
You should be able to omit it without adding anything else. It just gives it the texture of a more traditional cake.
Julissa alcantar says
Can we use any coconut flour to half the calories? Have you tried?
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Cari B says
I made this recipe yesterday, and it was so good I felt compelled to come back and leave this comment! Probably the best keto recipe I've made in terms of tasting more like the real thing and not so obviously keto.
I used xylitol instead of erythritol and put less drops of stevia, but everything turned out great. I ended up baking it for about 36 min, and after letting it cool , I poked a bunch of holes and then poured the milk mixture over it to allow for more soaking. Highly recommend doing that if your cake didn't turn out moist enough. Didn't come out soggy at all!
Terrie mendez says
Made this last night poke the holes and poured in the milks placed it in refrigerator to soak in mixture over night and 1/2 day Omg, DELISH Thank you for the great recipes 👋🏻
Valerie says
Are you able to use coconut cream instead of milk? Bought the wrong cAn
Sabra says
Hi Valerie! It should work fine, but you may need to add a bit more almond milk so that it has a thinner consistency. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Laura says
How many grams of sugar and carbs per slice?
Sabra says
Hi Laura! The nutrition info is under the recipe card 🙂
Sandy Dunlop says
You say a 9 inch cake pan but it's pictured as if it's a springform pan. Maybe correct your recipe to say use a springform pan? People appreciate a well written recipe with appropriate instructions and directions.
Sabra says
I have no idea why you think a springform pan was used. I can assure you that this was in fact baked in a 9" cake pan. With that said, a 9" springform pan would work fine with no changes to the baking time or technique.
Ceci says
How much xanthum do I use?
Sabra says
Hi Ceci! I use 1/2 tsp and it works perfectly.
Mary anne says
I just want to know if I can replace the vanilla whey protein powder with? That’s the only ingredient I don’t have. Thank you.
Sabra says
Hi Mary Anne! You can swap the protein powder with 1 tbsp of coconut flour or an additional 1/4 cup of almond flour, plus 1 tsp of vanilla. Hope that helps!
Melissa says
What can I use instead of almond milk? Heavy cream?
Sabra says
Hi Melissa! Yes, heavy cream, half and half, or coconut milk would all work fine 🙂
Sabra says
Hi Sindy, I think that pea and/or hemp protein would work fine. Hope that helps!
Milena says
I made this cake two days ago and it was sooo good my husband asked me to made another one BEFORE the cake was finished. So the two of us have finished TWO cakes in 3 days. No shame or guilt so admit it!! We did not even used whipped cream!! Yum!!!
Sabra says
Hi Milena! So glad to hear that it was a hit with you and your husband! Thanks for the great review 🙂
Amarah says
I tried the recipe! To swee!. I would decrease sugar to 1/4 cup and no sugar to milk mix.
Cake itself had a great texture.
Helen says
This is soooooo good.
I used 1/3c coconut flour instead of almond flour (I can’t eat almond flour)
I used coconut milk instead of whipping cream, in the batter (I had no whipping cream)
My icing was made with mascarpone cheese,, cream cheese and a little coconut milk.
I did not add sweetener to my milk that was poured over as I felt it would be sweet enough without it.
I also reduced the sweetener in the batter from 1/2 cup to a 3rd.
This is dense and moist and absolutely delicious.
Rachel says
This has become my very favorite ❤️. I took at trip away and requested that my husband make it upon my return...love that man so much ❤️
Rachel
Sabra says
So glad you like it Rachel, and it sounds like that husband of yours is a keeper for sure!
Thanks for the review 🙂
Clark Fam says
This is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. I just wonder if putting a circle or parchment paper in the bottom of the dish would hurt anything. It did stick to the bottom of mine really bad. Its nothing that can’t be covered up with the whipped cream in the end. Just wondering for future reference if it would hurt anything!
Thanks again for sharing.
Sabra says
So glad that you enjoyed this cake. It is my personal favorite 🙂 A parchment round at the bottom of the pan is a great idea and shouldn't alter the end result at all. Thanks for the great review 🙂
Khadejah says
This was SO GOOD. The cake was so moist - soaking it overnight really helps. I followed the linked coconut whipped cream recipe instead of the heavy whipped cream topping, and it turned out amazing. I also used a square 8x8 tin because I didn't have a 9" round tin, and all the batter fit perfectly. And instead of cherries, I served it with mixed berry compote on the side. Delicious!
Dave says
Amazing recipe...Hard to believe it is Keto friendly, normally I take extra caution when trying a recipe but after looking closely at the ingredients and the comments, i made your recipe and it came out perfectly. Thank you so very much for this recipe. It makes Keto more do-able when there are recipes like this to turn to.
Sabra says
Hi Dave! Thanks for the great review, So glad to hear you enjoyed this cake 🙂
Lindsey says
Is there a way to substitute the liquid stevia. What would work. How much erythritol (powdered or granular?)
Sabra says
Hi Lindsey! The best option would be to use powdered erythritol, but granular would work if that's all you have. Simply sweeten to taste (I would start with about a tablespoon) Hope that helps 🙂
Vik says
This recipe sounds great! I had just a few questions.
I was going to make it in two layers and put some mangoes and whipped cream in between the layers. Do you think baking double of the recipe and then cutting it in half will work and would I have to increase the baking time or the temperature in such case? Or should I take my time and bake the two layers separately? What type of mangoes do you think would work best (fresh/canned/canned mango pulp)?
My apologies, as you can see I am new to this. 🙂
Thanks a million in advance!
Sabra says
Hi Vik! Unfortunately, I don't think that this cake would work well as a layered cake. I'm afraid all of the milk would sink to the bottom and become a soggy mess. You can easily double it, however, to just make a larger cake. If you are looking for a more traditional layer cake check out my recipe for yellow cake with chocolate frosting (you can swap the chocolate frosting for the whipped cream in this tres leches recipe!)
As for adding mango in between the layers, I would stick with a mango pulp or puree to keep the cake stable - sounds delish too!
I hope that helps and let me know if you give it a shot 🙂
Dove says
Um I haven't even finished making it and I'm already jumping over to rate it.
1. Sooooo easy. It seemed complicated at first but was a breeze.
2. Sooooo adaptable. I used blends of swerve granular and liquid Splenda and it was perfect.
3. Sooooo delicious. Really, I don't know if it's just been too long but the flavor and texture and everything of this cake is spot on. If it doesn't taste like the "real thing" then this should become the new real thing lol
Couldn't even wait for it to cool and frost, the cake itself was just to die for. Happy Cinco de Mayo Quarentine style. Thanks for our dessert to celebrate!
Sabra says
Thanks for the great review!
Zulema says
Hi Sabra,
I am allergic to almond. Can I replace with coconut flour and if so what would be the measurement. Thanks for your help.
Sabra says
Unfortunately, coconut flour will not work in this recipe. You can, however, sub the entire cake layer for any coconut flour cake. You can check out this recipe which looks like it would work really well: https://www.savorylotus.com/simple-coconut-flour-cake/ I hope that helps!
Maria says
This recipe is so delicious and tasty! I've made it a few times already! I do it with the 1 tbls. coconut instead of protein powder and haven't had any complaints! I am wanting to try this recipe vanilla free since my grandma is somewhat allergic. So I'm going to substitute coconut extract instead of vanilla. But was wondering if powdered Stevia would work as the sugar replacement? She thinks she might be allergic to the type already used in this.
Jan Dove says
I so am excited to make this cake tomorrow! Our entire family loves tres leches! However, since there are so many of us, I’m wondering if you think this recipe could be doubled and made in a 10x13 pan
Sabra says
Hi Jan! I hope you and your family enjoy this cake. It is one of my all-time favorites! Doubling it and baking in the larger pan should work just fine. I hope this helps 😊
Jan says
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I’ll reply and let you know how it came out🤗
Mary B says
Hi, Thanks for posting the recipe! I had a taste for tres-leches and was hopeful while following the recipe to the T. I did alter the whip topping and that was good.. This rating technically would be a 2.5. Compared to a real tres-leches this does not taste remotely silky and moist like the real thing. My husband described the paletal experience to a slightly soggy cornbread. Not enough sweetness and the almond flour gives the cake a course texture like a cornbread. I'm going to keep looking for and trying other keto tres-leches recipes for a bit more authentic taste. It was fun to try though. Thanks again!
Me says
I’ve been on keto since October and one on the things I love is the flexibility and options to curb my sweet tooth. I have always been a traditional baker 👩🍳 and enjoy making sweets, Tres leches being one of them. I’ve tried many low carb recipes and by far this is one of my favorites! Thank you for sharing!
Rida says
Just one word for . AAA-MAZING! It turned out to be so delicious, I sprinkled some coffee on it and it was irresistible!!! Although I used 1 cup of heavy creams instead of 1/2 cup as mentioned in the recipe since I loveee extra whipped cream and I found 1/2 cup to be too little. The cake itself was spongy and soft, and I'm going to try to use it to make tiramisu as it soaks really well and doesn't taste eggy at all! 🙂 Wish I could share a picture!
Anna says
Would collagen protein instead of whey protein work?