This Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake combines a moist pumpkin spice cake with the rich, creamy goodness of a classic tres leches dessert. The tender cake is soaked in a sweet three-milk mixture, then topped with fluffy whipped cream for an irresistible fall dessert. With pumpkin, warm spices, and a luscious milky texture in every bite, it’s a beautiful dessert for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any autumn gathering.
Want more easy fall cake ideas? Then try our Apple Dapple Cake or our Mexican Sweet Corn Cake.
Traditional tres leches cake is a light sponge-style cake soaked with a mixture of three types of milk. The name tres leches literally means “three milks” in Spanish. This fall-inspired version adds pumpkin and warming spices to the cake. After baking, holes are made throughout the cake before the milk mixture is slowly poured over the top. As the cake chills, it absorbs the liquid and becomes exceptionally moist without losing its structure. It is just like a poke cake but with milk.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Love a really good tres leche cake
- Great make-ahead as it needs time to soak
- Perfect fall flavors
- Lighter than some heavy pumpkin desserts
- Great to feed a crowd
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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9×13 Inch Cake Baking And Brownie Pan
Set of 3 Glass Measuring Cups with Measuring Spoons & Whisk
Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer With QuickBurst and Bowl Rest
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
This Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake is a moist pumpkin spice cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream. A delicious fall and Thanksgiving dessert.
Ingredients
Large eggs – This is the size that I always have on hand.
Granulated sugar – Basic sweetener.
Pure pumpkin puree – Don’t use pumpkin pie filling, as that has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
Vanilla extract – Adds more flavor to the cake.
All-purpose flour – I have not tried any gluten-free flours for this recipe.
Baking powder and Baking soda – Common leavening agents used for baking.
Pumpkin pie spice – You can use store-bought or homemade.
Kosher salt – Makes all your ingredients come alive.
Cinnamon – This is used in addition to the pumpkin spice.
Evaporated milk, Sweetened condensed milk and Heavy cream – These are the three “milks” you need to soak into the cake.
Whipped Cream Topping
Whipped cream – This is used for a simple whipped cream topping.
Granulated sugar – Just a bit of sweetness added to the whipped cream.
Pumpkin pie spice and Cinnamon – This is used to make the whipped topping deliciously fall-flavored.
How to Make Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
The Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, Kosher salt, and cinnamon. Stir until mixed well. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the white sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition.
Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well between each addition.
Once the batter is well mixed, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Tres Leche (Three milks)
While the cake is cooling, in a large measuring cup, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
Using a pair of chopsticks (or something with a similar diameter), poke holes across the surface of the cake, making sure the holes cover the entire surface and are 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch apart.
After allowing the cake to cool for 15 minutes, pour the milk mixture very slowly over the entire top of the cake, allowing the milk to seep into the holes. This process will take some patience, but it is worth it.
Once the milk mixture has been poured over the cake and has seeped in, cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream Topping
For the whipped cream topping: beat the cream for a few minutes, then add the sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Fold in the pumpkin spice and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the chilled cake. Dust with a little cinnamon if desired. Serve.
Recipe Pro Tips
Can I Make Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. This is actually one of the best desserts to make ahead.
Prepare and soak the cake the day before serving and refrigerate it overnight. The additional time allows the cake to absorb the milk mixture thoroughly.
Add the whipped topping either once the cake has chilled or shortly before serving, depending on the stability of your whipped cream.
How to Store Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
Because this cake contains a generous amount of dairy, it must be kept refrigerated.
Cover the pan tightly or transfer individual slices to an airtight container. Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy them within about 3–4 days for the best quality.
Don’t leave the cake sitting at room temperature for extended periods.
Can You Freeze Tres Leches Cake?
For the best texture, freezing the completely assembled and soaked cake isn’t ideal. The dairy soak and whipped cream can change texture after freezing and thawing.
If you want to prepare components farther ahead, consider freezing the unsoaked cake layer. Wrap it securely, freeze it, then thaw before adding the milk mixture and topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tres leches cake supposed to be wet?
Yes. It should be exceptionally moist from the milk soak, but a properly prepared cake should still hold together when sliced.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?
Pure pumpkin puree is recommended because pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices that can alter your recipe.
Can I make it the night before?
Yes. Overnight refrigeration is ideal because it gives the milk mixture plenty of time to soak throughout the cake.
What pan is best for tres leches cake?
A 9 x 13-inch baking pan is commonly used and makes the cake easy to soak, chill, and serve.
Should Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake be served cold?
Yes. Tres leches cake is typically served chilled, which gives it its wonderfully refreshing, creamy texture. Don’t leave it at room temperature.
Perfect for Thanksgiving
Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake is a fun alternative when you’d like something besides traditional pumpkin pie.
It’s easy to prepare ahead, serves a crowd, and still delivers all those cozy pumpkin-and-spice flavors everyone expects from a Thanksgiving dessert.
Serve it alongside apple pie, pecan pie, or other holiday favorites for a varied dessert table.
LOVE PUMPKIN AND WANT MORE?
We love pumpkin recipes and enjoy them all fall long. Here are some of our favorites.
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Pin it HERE!!
Pumpkin Tres Leche Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice store bought or homemade
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 – 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, Kosher salt, and cinnamon. Stir until mixed well. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the white sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well between each addition.
- Once the batter is well mixed, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, in a large measuring cup, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
- Using a pair of chopsticks (or something with a similar diameter), poke holes across the surface of the cake, making sure the holes cover the entire surface and are 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch apart.
- After allowing the cake to cool for 15 minutes, pour the milk mixture very slowly over the entire top of the cake, allowing the milk to seep into the holes. This process will take some patience, but it is worth it.
- Once the milk mixture has been poured over the cake and has seeped in, cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- For the whipped cream topping: beat the cream for a few minutes, then add the sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Fold in the pumpkin spice and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the chilled cake. Dust with a little cinnamon if desired. Serve.
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