The Best Coffee Tres Leches Cake with Dalgona Cream

If you’ve ever wanted to make a cake that stops a dinner party in its tracks, this is it. A coffee tres leches cake is already something special. A feather-light chiffon sponge, soaked in three milks and deeply infused with espresso-dark coffee, but the layer of caramel and billowy dalgona cream on top takes it to extraordinary heights. It’s make-ahead friendly, feeds a crowd beautifully, and tastes even better the next day. This one earns its spot in the regular rotation.

What is a tres leches cake?

Tres leches (Spanish for “three milks”) is a beloved celebration cake from Latin America, traditionally made by soaking a sponge cake in a mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream. The result is a cake with an almost impossibly moist, custardy texture, nothing like a conventional sponge. This coffee version adds instant coffee to the milk soak, giving the whole cake a deep, slightly bitter edge that balances the sweetness of the condensed milk and caramel beautifully.

Ingredients and key notes for coffee tres leches cake

Eggs: Large free-range eggs at room temperature. The egg whites are whipped separately, which is what gives this cake its signature light, chiffon-like texture.

Sweetened condensed milk: Gives the tres leches its characteristic sweetness and richness in the milk soak.

Evaporated milk: Use tinned evaporated milk. It has a slightly caramelised, concentrated flavour that regular whole milk can’t replicate. Don’t substitute this one.

Caramel treat / dulce de leche: Spread over the cake before the whipped cream layer, this adds an essential sweetness that offsets the bitterness of the coffee topping. In South Africa, Caramel Treat works perfectly. Internationally, use dulce de leche or make your own by boiling a sealed can of condensed milk for 3–4 hours.

Whipping cream / double cream: The whipped cream acts as a base for the dalgona layer. Without it, the dalgona (which is very intense and slightly bitter on its own) would be overpowering directly on the cake.

Instant coffee granules: Used in both the milk soak and the dalgona topping. A good-quality instant coffee makes a noticeable difference here — look for one with some depth or richness rather than the cheapest option. Any standard instant coffee granules will work.

How to make coffee tres leches cake

There are three components to my coffee tres leches cake with Dalgona cream:

1. The cake
2. The milk soak
3. The topping

As this is a very light and chiffon-like cake, it’s important to follow the techniques specified in the recipe. Whipping the eggs white separately and sifting the flour helps to retain the air bubbles in the cake batter.

First, separate the eggs and using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks. Add two tablespoons of the sugar and whisk for a further minute until dissolved.

Then, using the same bowl and whisk you used to whisk the whites, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture and very briefly mix to combine.

Add the milk and vanilla extract and once again mix very briefly to combine. This can also be done by hand. The most important thing is not to over-mix the batter.

Gently fold the beaten egg whites through the cake batter by hand until combined retaining the light and air texture of the batter.

Tip the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth out the top. Tap the tin on a table to knock out any air visible bubbles.

Cover the cake from about 10 minutes into the baking time with foil to prevent over-browning.

While the cake is baking, make the milk soak. Put the evaporated milk and coffee into a jug and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir to dissolve the coffee granules. If it doesn’t dissolve, continue to heat for a further minute or two. Add the condensed milk and cream to the jug and stir to combine.

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke the surface all over with a skewer or knife. Pour the milk soak over the surface and allow it to soak in.

Once cool, cover and store in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until all the liquid has been absorbed.

About an hour or two before you are ready to serve, finish the cake off with the topping. First spread the caramel treat over the surface to evenly coat, then whip the cream to soft peaks and lightly spread this over the caramel. Finally, swirl the Dalgona cream into the whipped cream layer and serve.

Key tips for success

Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the flour goes in, mix briefly — just enough to combine. Over-mixing deflates the egg whites and gives you a dense, heavy cake rather than the light chiffon texture you’re after.

Pour the milk soak immediately. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over and pour the soak over while the cake is still hot. A hot cake absorbs the liquid far better than a cooled one.

Let it rest overnight. The milk soak needs several hours to fully absorb. Made the night before and topped the next day, this cake is at its absolute best.

The dalgona will be intense. That’s by design — swirling it into whipped cream tames the bitterness. Don’t be tempted to skip the cream layer.

What is dalgona coffee?

Dalgona coffee originated in South Korea and became a global phenomenon after going viral on social media. Whipped instant coffee, sugar and hot water beaten until thick and pale, then spooned over milk. The name comes from a traditional Korean honeycomb candy it resembles.

Here, instead of stirring it into a glass of milk, the dalgona is swirled into whipped cream and used as the cake’s topping. The effect is striking. Marbled, cloud-like, and intensely coffee-flavoured against the softer cream underneath.

Make-ahead and storage

This cake is perfectly designed to be made ahead, which makes it ideal for entertaining.

Make-ahead: Bake the cake, pour over the milk soak, and once cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before topping. The longer the soak time, the better the texture.

Adding the topping: Spread the caramel, whip the cream, and make the dalgona no more than 1–2 hours before serving. Whipped cream and dalgona don’t hold well overnight.

Leftovers: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The texture continues to improve on day two.

Freezing: The untopped, soaked cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding the topping.

Frequently asked questions coffee tres leches cake

Can I make this cake ahead of time? Yes — and it’s actually better that way. Make the cake, add the milk soak, and refrigerate overnight. Top with caramel, cream and dalgona up to 2 hours before serving.

Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk? The evaporated milk has a distinctive concentrated flavour that’s part of what makes tres leches taste the way it does. Regular whole milk can technically be used in a pinch, but the flavour won’t be quite the same.

What can I use instead of caramel treat / dulce de leche? Dulce de leche is the best substitute. You can also make your own by submerging a sealed can of sweetened condensed milk in water and simmering for 3–4 hours — let it cool completely before opening.

Can I make dalgona coffee without an electric whisk? Yes, but it takes significantly longer by hand — around 10–15 minutes of vigorous whisking. An electric hand mixer or stand mixer makes it effortless.

Can I make this in a round cake tin instead of a square one? Yes. A 20cm/8-inch round tin works perfectly. The baking time remains the same.

Why did my milk soak not absorb? Make sure you’re pouring the soak over the cake while it’s still hot, and that you’ve poked holes all over the surface generously. If there’s still liquid sitting on top after cooling, give it more time in the fridge — it will continue to absorb.

You can bake this in any square 20cm x 20cm baking or ceramic dish. I adapted my favourite tres leches cake recipe (linked above) to make a smaller cake here.

The best coffee tres leches cake recipe

This Coffee Tres Leches Cake topped with whipped cream and dalgona coffee is a delicious twist on a classic tres leches. It makes a perfect dessert.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:23 minutes mins

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 large free-range eggs separated
• 130 gms Muscovado sugar or brown sugar, divided
• 90 gms cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 50 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
• 80 ml 1/3 cup caramel treat (dulce de leche) for the topping
• 250 m 1 cup whipping cream for the topping

Milk soak:

• 250 ml / 1 cup evapourated milk
• 1 Tbsp Jacobs Latin American or South East Asian instant coffee granules
• 125 ml // ½ cup condensed milk
• 125 m/1/2 cup cream

Dalgona:

• 2 Tbsp Jacobs Latin America instant coffee granules
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp hot water

Instructions

• To make the cake preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
• Lightly grease or spray a square 20cm x 20cm (8inch x 8inch) baking tin or ceramic/glass oven-proof dish.
• Separate the eggs and using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks. Add two tablespoons of the sugar and whisk for a further minute until dissolved. Decant the egg white to another bowl and set aside.
• Using the same bowl and whisk you used to whisk the whites, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture and very briefly mix to combine.
• Add the milk and vanilla extract and once again mix very briefly to combine. This can also be done by hand.
• Gently fold the beaten egg whites through the cake batter by hand until combined.
• Tip the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth out the top. Tap the tin on a table to knock out any air bubbles.
• Bake for 20 – 23 minutes covering the cake after about 10 minutes with foil to prevent over browning.
• The cake is done when it’s golden brown, firm to the touch and when a knife is inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, make the milk soak. Put the evapourated milk and coffee into a jug and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir to dissolve the coffee granules. If it doesn’t dissolve, continue to heat for a further minute or two.
• Add the condensed milk and cream to the jug and stir to combine.
• When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke the surface all over with a skewer or knife. Pour the milk soak over the surface and allow it to soak in.
• Once cool, cover and store in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until all the liquid has been absorbed.
• About an hour or two before you are ready to serve, finish the cake off. First spread the caramel treat over the surface to evenly coat, then whip the cream to soft peaks and lightly spread this over the caramel.
• Finally, make the dalgona cream. Add the coffee granules, sugar and hot water to a small bowl and using an electric whisk, beat until thick, pale and fluffy (about 3 – 5 minutes). Dollop the dalgona cream onto the whipped cream in spoonfuls’s and using a spatula, swirl this into the cream. Place in the fridge to firm up.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

This cake is perfectly designed to be made ahead, which makes it ideal for entertaining.

Make-ahead: Bake the cake, pour over the milk soak, and once cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before topping. The longer the soak time, the better the texture.

Adding the topping: Spread the caramel, whip the cream, and make the dalgona no more than 1–2 hours before serving. Whipped cream and dalgona don’t hold well overnight.

Leftovers: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The texture continues to improve on day two.

Freezing: The untopped, soaked cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding the topping.

Servings: 6 -9

Author: Sam Linsell

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