This vegan tres leches cake consists of a light fluffy sponge soaked in a sweet milk mixture and then topped with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries. This version is based on coconut and oat milk and is eggless and dairy-free.
Please read over the recipe and instructions fully before getting started as well as the above blog post which contains more detailed instructions, images, and tips.
Cake
Preheat your oven to 175°C (347°F). Lightly grease and line the base and sides of an 8x10.5-inch rectangular cake tin or casserole dish with parchment paper and spray the sides with oil spray.
Combine the oat/soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug and set aside for 10 minutes. The milk will curdle, making a vegan buttermilk substitute.
Add the aquafaba to a clean medium/large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for one minute until foamy.
Add the sugar and sunflower oil to a separate medium bowl and whisk using an electric mixer for one minute. Add in the vanilla and whisk again to combine. Whisk in the aquafaba, followed by the vegan buttermilk mixture, until combined.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt into a large bowl, whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and carefully fold them together using a spatula. Do not overmix the batter.
Pour the batter into the lined cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before carefully lifting it with the parchment paper onto a cooling rack to cool completely for another 10-15 minutes.
Once cooled, carefully transfer the cake back into the cake tin and very gently remove the parchment paper. Pierce several holes in the cake using a fork.
Syrup
in a large jug combine the evaporated oat milk, sweetened condensed oat milk, and coconut whipping cream. Whisk until smooth. Slowly pour the syrup all over the top and sides of the cooled cake, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Frosting
In a large bowl, whisk the coconut whipping cream and powdered sugar for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Using an offset spatula, spread the coconut frosting on top of the cake. Top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and fresh berries.
Storage instructions
Tres Leches cake needs to be chilled, due to the ingredients used like coconut cream. You can transfer servings into an airtight container or simply cover the baking tray with plastic wrap so it is airtight. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Evaporated oat milk: Substitute with evaporated coconut milk
Sweetened condensed oat milk: Substitute with sweetened condensed coconut milk
Don't overmix the batter. As the wet ingredients include whisked aquafaba, you want to be careful not to knock out all the air when incorporating the dry ingredients. A rubber spatula and folding work just fine in this case.
Create a parchment sling to help lift the cake out from the baking tray to cool. Remove parchment sling before adding syrup. I recommend removing the cake from the tin to cool on a wire rack as I have found this prevents the cake from becoming soggy, giving it a nice fluffy base for soaking up the milk mixture.
Chill the cake overnight for it to soak up as much of the milk mixture as possible. If you can't wait that long (I don't blame you), it will still be delicious. Although this cake seems to get better the more it's left to soak.