If you love my vegan tres leches cake and vegan coconut cake, this recipe is the perfect combination of both. It takes the light, milk-soaked sponge of a classic tres leches and infuses it with the tropical coconut flavor of my favorite coconut cake for a truly irresistible dessert.
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this coconut tres leches cake. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Notes
Coconut milk: Use coconut drinking milk (the refrigerated or shelf-stable kind), not canned coconut milk. It's used to make a vegan buttermilk with apple cider vinegar for a soft, tender sponge and is also added to the tres leches soak. You can substitute it with different types of milk, such as unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk.
Coconut yogurt: Adds moisture and a subtle tang that helps keep the cake soft and fluffy. I recommend using a thick, unsweetened coconut yogurt for the best texture.
Sweetened condensed coconut milk: An essential ingredient for the tres leches soak, adding sweetness and creating the cake's signature rich, moist texture.
Evaporated coconut milk: Gives the soak extra richness and enhances the coconut flavor. I don't recommend substituting it, as regular plant milk won't provide the same creamy consistency.
Shredded coconut: Folded into the batter and sprinkled over the whipped topping, it adds texture and boosts the coconut flavor. Unsweetened shredded coconut is my preference, but sweetened works too.
Coconut whipping cream: Use a dairy-free whipping cream that's specifically formulated for whipping to create a light, fluffy topping. It finishes the cake with an extra layer of creamy coconut flavor.
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📷 Step-By-Step Images & Recipe Tips
Here's a visual overview of this recipe. Please refer to the detailed card at the end of this page for full written instructions.
Start by whisking the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the baking powder, which helps the cake rise evenly. For the wet ingredients, let the coconut milk and lemon juice sit for a few minutes before mixing it in - this creates a vegan buttermilk that gives the sponge a soft, tender crumb.
When folding the batter together, mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing can make the cake dense, so keep a light hand. The shredded coconut adds texture and enhances the tropical flavor without making the sponge heavy.
Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely before poking holes all over the surface. Be generous here - the more holes, the better the coconut tres leches mixture can soak into every bite. Pour the soak over the cake slowly and evenly, giving it time to absorb rather than letting it pool on top.
An overnight chill is highly recommended, as it allows the sponge to fully absorb the coconut milk mixture and become wonderfully moist and flavorful. Just before serving, whip the coconut cream to stiff peaks and spread over the top of the cake. Add a generous sprinkle of shredded coconut or toasted coconut flakes for extra texture and a beautiful finishing touch.
💭 Expert tips
Grease the pan well. Lightly coat your baking dish with oil or cooking spray before adding the batter.
Let the cake cool completely. Don't be tempted to add the tres leches soak while the cake is still warm. A fully cooled cake absorbs the milk mixture much more evenly without becoming overly soft.
Cover and chill overnight. Once you've poured over the soak, cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This gives the sponge plenty of time to absorb the milk mixture and develop its signature moist, creamy texture.
💬 FAQs
Yes! This cake is actually better made ahead. Letting it chill overnight gives the sponge time to absorb the coconut milk soak, resulting in the best texture and flavor.
Absolutely. Coconut drinking milk gives the cake a subtle tropical flavor, but unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk all work well as substitutes in both the cake batter and the tres leches soak.
Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. It's best served chilled straight from the fridge.
Yes. Freeze the cake without the whipped topping for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then add the whipped coconut cream and shredded coconut just before serving for the freshest finish.
🥛 More Vegan Tres Leches
📖 Recipe
Vegan Coconut Tres Leches
Ingredients
Cake
- 280 g (2 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 240 ml (1 cup) coconut milk (not canned - see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil note 2
- 60 g (¼ cup) coconut yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 120 g (1 cup) shredded coconut (desiccated)
Tres leches soak
- 200 g (⅔ cup) sweetened condensed coconut milk I use Nature's Charm
- 240 ml (1 cup) evaporated coconut milk I use Nature's Charm
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) coconut milk (not canned - see note 1)
Topping
- 400 ml (14 oz) vegan whipping cream chilled I use Nature's Charm Coconut Whipping Cream
- 30 g (¼ cup) shredded coconut (desiccated)
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lightly grease a 10.5 x 7.5-inch baking dish with some oil.
- Combine dry ingredients: To a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Make vegan buttermilk: Mix the coconut milk and lemon juice in a jug and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: To a separate large bowl, add the sugar, olive oil, coconut yogurt, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the coconut milk vinegar mixture.
- Make the batter: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix. Fold in the other half of the dry ingredients and shredded coconut until just combined.
- Bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If there's any wet batter on the skewer, bake for another 5 minutes and check again. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
- Poke cake: When cool, liberally poke the cake with a skewer.
- Tres leches soak: In a large jug, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated coconut milk, and coconut milk. Pour the mixture over the cake, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- Topping: Whisk the coconut whipping cream until fluffy and spread it over the cake. Dust with more shredded coconut.
Notes
- Coconut Milk: You want a coconut drink from a carton, not thick canned coconut milk. You can replace it with almond, oat, or soy milk.
- Olive Oil: Or neutral oil like canola (rapeseed oil) or sunflower oil.
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