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Close up of Turkish tres leches slice on a white plate on a blue background
4.80 from 5 ratings

The Best Trileçe (Turkish Milk Cake)

Yield: 12 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This Turkish Caramel Tres Leches is a showstopper of a dessert! A light cake is soaked in a three milk mixture then topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce, it's divine!
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Ingredients
 

For the Cake:

  • 5 large eggs, yolk and whites separated
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar, (268 g) divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup whole milk, 79 ml
  • 1 2/3 cups flour, 240 g
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Caramel:

  • 1 cup sugar, 200 g
  • 1/3 cup butter, 80 g
  • 120 ml whipping/heavy cream

For the Soaking Mixture:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk, 177 ml
  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk, 1 can
  • 354 ml evaporated milk, 1 can

For the Cream Layer:

  • 400 ml whipping/heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or icing sugar

Instructions
 

For the Cake:

  • Start by preheating the oven to 350F.
  • Large metal bowl with fluffy whisked egg whites on a blue background
    Using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium to high speed in a clean large bowl, until it starts to foam up. Add in the lemon juice and continue beating. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat for an additional 2 minutes until medium peaks are formed.
  • Whisked egg mixture in a metal mixing bowl with a blue spatula on a blue background
    In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and the remaining 1 cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the milk and mix to combine.
  • Flour added to whisked egg mixture in metal mixing bowl on a blue background
    Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg yolk mixture and with a whisk, lightly whisk until no more flour clumps can be seen, being careful not to over mix as this build up the gluten in the flour and creates a tough cake.
  • Cake batter mixed together with a blue spatula in a metal bowl on a blue background
    Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and mix to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the egg whites and fold with a spatula until the batter is fully combined and no white streaks can be seen.
  • Baked cake in a white baking dish on a blue background
    Pour the cake batter into a 9 by 13 inch ungreased glass pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the Caramel Sauce:

  • Sugar turning into caramel with a blue spatula in a metal saucepan on a blue background
    In a small saucepan, add the sugar and melt over medium to medium high heat for a maximum of 5 minutes. As the sugar starts to melt, take a spatula or wooden spoon and push the sugar from the middle to the outer edges, bringing the melted outer edges in. This helps to allow the sugar to melt evenly. The sugar will melt and turn golden.
  • Caramel sauce in a metal saucepan on a blue background
    Take the pan off the heat and add the butter, whisking continuously to combine. Bring the pan back on the heat and add the whipping cream. Be careful as the mixture may splatter. It will look like the caramel is seizing and separating but continue mixing and it will come back together. Boil for 1 minute then set aside in a glass jar to cool to room temperature.

For the Soaking Mixture:

  • Milk in a large glass measuring cup on a blue background
    In a medium bowl or measuring cup, mix together the milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
  • Holes being poked into cake by a fork in a white baking pan on a blue background
    After the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, poke the cake with a fork all over the surface to create tiny holes for the soaking mixture to soak into.
  • Milk mixture being poured from a glass measuring cup over cake in a white baking pan on a blue background
    Pour over the milk mixture. It may seem like a lot but it will continue to soak into the cake as it rests. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or until serving.

For the Cream:

  • Whipped cream spread over cake in a white baking pan with a cake spreader on a blue background
    Before serving the cake, whip the whipping cream with the sugar in a large bowl to form soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the cake and level with a spatula to form a flat surface.
  • Decorative swirls being swirled into caramel sauce on cake in white baking pan on a blue background
    Slowly and carefully drizzle the cooled caramel sauce over the cream layer and spread or swirl with a toothpick. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Traditional trileçe is usually decorated with a webbed caramel pattern. You can do this by reserving some of the whipped cream and placing it in a piping bag. After pouring the caramel over the cake in a smooth layer, you can then pipe straight lines across the cake, then use a toothpick to drag them down and create the pattern. I find this technique tricky, so I end up swirling the caramel and cream to create a marble effect.
  • The milk cake will keep in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to five days.
  • You can make the cake and soak it a few days ahead of serving, if needed, just add the whipped topping and caramel before serving.
  • The caramel will keep at room temperature, sealed in a glass jar for a few days. If storing for longer, place it in the fridge then bring it to room temperature before using.
  • The pan is ungreased here because it allows for the cake to rise easier by gripping onto the sides of the pan and also allows for it to be less likely to deflate.
  • If using a slightly smaller or larger pan, please note that the thickness of your cake will be affected and you may need to adjust the baking time as well. I would not recommend using a pan smaller than a 9 by 13 inch for this recipe.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 556kcal, Carbohydrates: 76g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 150mg, Sodium: 233mg, Potassium: 348mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 62g, Vitamin A: 961IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 282mg, Iron: 1mg
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