Butter Pecan Tres Leches Cake (Print Version)

Milk-soaked cake with toasted buttered pecans and whipped cream - a creamy, nutty Mexican-American fusion dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ½ cup whole milk

→ Tres Leches Mixture

09 - 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
10 - 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, optional

→ Butter Pecan Topping

13 - 1 cup pecans, chopped
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
15 - ½ cup brown sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Whipped Topping

17 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
18 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and coconut milk if using until smooth.
08 - Remove cake from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes throughout the top surface of the cake.
09 - Slowly pour tres leches mixture over cake, ensuring it soaks into the holes. Allow cake to absorb milk for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
10 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped pecans and brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, for approximately 5 minutes until pecans are toasted and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cool slightly.
11 - In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
12 - Once cake has absorbed milk mixture, spread whipped cream evenly over surface. Drizzle cooled butter pecan topping over whipped cream.
13 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days, getting better as it absorbs all that creamy richness.
  • Butter-toasted pecans add a sophisticated crunch that keeps people guessing what makes it taste so special.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring any fancy equipment or techniques you haven't already mastered.
02 -
  • Overnight soaking isn't optional—it's when the cake becomes tres leches instead of just a milk-soaked cake, the texture completely transforms.
  • Never skip toasting the pecans in butter; raw nuts feel like an afterthought compared to the caramelized magic that happens in that skillet.
  • If your whipped cream breaks or looks grainy, start over with cold equipment—trying to salvage it wastes ingredients and your energy.
03 -
  • Make the tres leches mixture while the cake bakes so there's no delay between cooling and soaking—the cake is more receptive to moisture when it's still warm.
  • Toast your pecans the morning of serving so they stay crispy; if made days ahead, they soften and lose their charm.
  • If you love this cake, double the butter pecan topping recipe—more caramelized pecans have never been a mistake in my kitchen.
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