The strawberry version of my vegan tres leches (three-milk cake). Tres Leches, meaning "three milks," is a classic Latin American dessert featuring a light sponge cake soaked in a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream or whole milk.
While not traditional, this non-dairy version combines three kinds of milk (condensed coconut milk, evaporated coconut milk, and oat milk) infused with fresh strawberries!
This recipe is sponsored by Nature’s Charm. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who sponsor my work!
🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this eggless strawberry tres leches recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Fresh Strawberries: If you can't find quality seasonal strawberries, you can use frozen strawberries. Let them defrost before blending, just don't use them for the strawberry topping as they will turn soggy!
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These pack in a concentrated strawberry flavor, ideal for baking a strawberry cake without needing to add in too much moisture from berries.
- Vegan Buttermilk: This is a simple mixture of dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar, following this buttermilk recipe.
- Dairy-Free Yogurt: Greek-style yogurt replaces the eggs in traditional tres leches, providing moisture and structure to the cake. If you can't find thick vegan Greek yogurt, vegan sour cream or thick coconut yogurt will do.
- Light Tasting Oil: I used light olive oil as it doesn't overpower the fresh berry flavor as much as EVOO. You can also use canola oil or sunflower oil.
- Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk: You can use either coconut or oat-based condensed milk from Nature's Charm. I've tried other brands, and their flavor and texture just don't compare to this brand!
- Vegan Evaporated Milk: Again you can use either the coconut or oat version of Nature's Charm. I've tried both, but the evaporated oat milk might be better if you don't like the taste of coconut.
- Oat Milk: You can also use unsweetened soy milk or almond milk.
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this strawberry tres leches cake. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: In a food processor blitz the freeze-dried berries and sugar until you have a fine strawberry powder. Set aside 2 tablespoons for dusting over the cake later.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the strawberry sugar, non-dairy yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract until you have a smooth paste.
Step 3: Whisk in the vegan buttermilk until combined.
Step 4: To a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt). Then gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, in 2 increments.
Step 5: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer comes out without wet batter sticking to it.
Step 6: Poke holes in the cake once it has cooled for 10-15 minutes. Blend up all the strawberry milk soak ingredients.
Step 7: Once completely cool, pour the soaking liquid over the cake until covered - reserve any remaining sauce for serving. Chill in the fridge overnight.
Step 8: Spread an even layer of coconut whipped cream on top of the soaked cake and dust with the reserved strawberry sugar, and fresh strawberries.
💭 Recipe Tips
Line the base of the pan with parchment paper. There is no need to grease the dish, but this will make it easier to lift out the slices from the bottom of the pan.
Poke the cake while it’s still slightly warm. I discovered that doing this allows it to absorb even more of the milk mixture. However, let the cake cool completely before adding the milk. Pouring it over a warm cake can lead to an overly soggy consistency!
Allow the tres leches cake to absorb the milk mixture overnight. Don't rush the soaking process as this ensures it fully soaks up the three kinds of milk, resulting in a perfectly moist texture the next day without becoming too soggy.
If there is still excess soaking liquid on the surface of the cake the next day, carefully scoop it away before adding the whipped cream frosting. This will prevent the cream from sliding off the top of the cake when served!
💬 FAQs
Since this recipe includes ingredients like coconut cream, fresh berries, and non-dairy milk, it must be refrigerated. Cover the cake pan tightly with plastic wrap to keep it fresh, then simply scoop and serve as desired. It is best served within 3 days.
Definitely! This recipe calls for an 8 x 8-inch cake pan, but you can also use a 10.5 x 7.5-inch dish like I use in this pumpkin tres leches and pistachio milk cake.
🍓 More Strawberry Desserts
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Tres Leches (Eggless & Dairy-Free)
Equipment
- 8x8-inch pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 188 g (¾ cup + 3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 10 g (½ cup) freeze-dried strawberries *note 1
- 120 g (½) vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 2
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) neutral flavored oil *note 3
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 batch vegan buttermilk
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Tres Leches Soak
- 180 g (1 ¼ cups) fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberries
- 60 g (3 tablespoons) vegan sweetened condensed milk *note 4
- 120 ml (½ cup) vegan evaporated milk *note 5
- 120 ml (½ cup) oat milk
Topping
- 400 ml coconut whipping cream chilled overnight
- 9 fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Line the base of an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper - do not line the sides.
- Make strawberry sugar: Add the freeze-dried strawberries and sugar to a food processor and blitz until finely ground. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for garnishing the cake.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the strawberry sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the vegan buttermilk.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Make the batter: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet in 2 parts using a rubber spatula, until just combined.
- Bake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Insert a skewer into the center of the cake to check for doneness - if the batter sticks to the skewer, bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Poke cake: Liberally poke the slightly warm cake with a skewer.
- Tres leches soak: Blend all the soak ingredients until smooth.
- Soak cake: Once cool, pour the strawberry milk mixture over the cake until covered, and save any remaining mixture for serving. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Serving: Whip the chilled coconut cream and spread it on top of the cake. Sprinkle with the reserved strawberry sugar and arrange fresh strawberries on top.
Notes
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Or the same weight strawberry powder.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream or coconut yogurt.
- Neutral Oil: Light olive oil, canola (rapeseed), or sunflower oil.
- Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk: I use Nature's Charm condensed coconut/oat.
- Vegan Evaporated Milk: I use Nature's Charm evaporated coconut/oat.
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