Butter Pecan Tres Leches Cake (Printer version)

Milk-soaked cake layers topped with toasted buttered pecans and whipped cream for a creamy, nutty dessert experience.

# 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 - 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
10 - 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 packed brown sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Whipped Cream Topping

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

# Directions:

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 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in 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 10 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly pour tres leches mixture over cake, ensuring it soaks into holes. Allow cake to absorb milk for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in refrigerator.
09 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped pecans and brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until pecans are toasted and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool slightly.
10 - In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
11 - Once cake has absorbed milk mixture, spread whipped cream evenly over surface. Drizzle cooled butter pecan topping over whipped cream.
12 - Serve cake chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The milk soak transforms ordinary cake into something impossibly tender and creamy without feeling heavy.
  • Toasted pecans add a nutty, caramelized crunch that balances the sweet creaminess perfectly.
  • Its a showstopper dessert that actually gets better as it sits in the fridge.
  • You can make it a full day ahead, which means less stress when youre hosting.
02 -
  • Poking enough holes is crucial, so dont be shy with the fork or the milk wont soak through evenly.
  • Let the pecan topping cool before adding it to the whipped cream, or the heat will melt the cream into a sad puddle.
  • If the milk mixture pools on top instead of soaking in, you didnt poke enough holes, so go back and add more.
  • Use softened butter for the cake batter, not melted, or the texture will turn out dense instead of fluffy.
03 -
  • Toast your pecans low and slow in the skillet so they develop deep flavor without burning.
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters before whipping the cream for the fluffiest, most stable results.
  • Let the cake come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving if you want the flavors to really shine.
  • If youre nervous about the cake getting too soggy, start with three-quarters of the milk mixture and add more as needed.
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