Every once in a while, you find something at the Asian market that just calls to you. For me, it was a can of ube sweetened condensed milk — that deep purple, nutty-sweet Filipino flavor I love so much. The moment I saw it, I knew exactly what I was going to make: Ube Tres Leches Cake.
If you’ve never had tres leches before, it’s a light sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk until it’s unbelievably moist and creamy. My twist adds the gorgeous color and earthy sweetness of ube — a purple yam that’s become a dessert favorite around the world. The result? A cake that’s soft, milky, and beautifully violet, with the perfect balance of rich and light.
What I love most about this cake is how simple it is to make. You can bake the sponge in one bowl, mix your ube milk soak in another, and let the magic happen in the fridge overnight. The next day, it’s tender all the way through — like a milk cloud — and the ube flavor really shines.
Top it with whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted coconut or ube crumbs if you want to dress it up. It’s perfect for birthdays, brunches, or just when you want something a little special and very purple.
If you’ve got an Asian grocery nearby, keep an eye out for ube condensed milk — it’s a total game-changer. And once you try this version, you might never go back to plain tres leches again.
Watch the YouTube video here.
Ube Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- 9 x 13 baking pan
- Stand or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 7 eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp Ube extract
For the Soak
- 1 can ube flavored sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the Topping
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until well combined, lightly yellow and about double in volume. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in another bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the use extra to one cup of whole milk and stir to combine.
- Add the flour and milk mixtures to the egg yolk mixture in alternating batches and mix until just combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is well mixed and no dry flour remains.
- Whisk the egg whites in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer until soft peaks.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the mixed batter about 1/3 at a time. Be gentle so as not to knock out all the air.
- Once the egg whites are all added pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Soak
- Combine all three milks in a large spouted measuring cup and mix well.
- When the cake is done baking use a skewer or fork to poke holes all over the top.
- While the cake is still hot from the oven slowly pour all of the three milk mixture over. Place it in the refrigerator and allow it to soak and cool for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
For the Topping
- Once the cake is cooled completely place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment – or use a hand mixer – and beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Spread all the whipped cream over the cake and it is ready to serve.
