📋 Lime Coconut Tres Leches Cake Recipe
This Lime Coconut Tres Leches Cake is a unique take on the traditional Mexican cake. It's a sweet, moist cake with a velvety texture, a delicious milky syrup and coconut lime twist. Garnished with coconut and festive rainbow sprinkles, it's perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!
Servings 9 servings
Calories 229kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 5 eggs separated
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar divided
- â…“ cup milk * I use 1%
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon rum * or 1 teaspoon rum extract
Coconut Milk Syrup
- 200 ml coconut milk (½ a 400 ml can of coconut milk) * I use light
- 150 ml sweetened condensed milk (½ of a 300 ml can )
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Garnish
- unsweetened coconut flakes * Can use toasted coconut, if desired
- rainbow sprinkles * I use rainbow jimmies- jimmies are bigger sprinkles
- lime twist
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8 x 8-inch can pan with non-stick cooking spray or use Wilton Cake Release (see post)
- Stir flour with baking powder in a medium bowl.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites, using an electric mixer on high, until foamy.
- Gradually add about a ¼ of the sugar and continue beating whites until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted, 2 to 3 minutes. (see directions in post Videos)
- Using same beaters (no need to wash), in another separate large mixing bowl, beat yolks with remaining sugar until pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low.
- Gradually beat in flour mixture, then milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla, until smooth. Blend in lime zest and rum.
- Stir a third of egg whites into yolk mixture, using a rubber spatula, then carefully fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in centre of oven until springy and a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 min. Cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
Coconut Milk Syrup
- Whisk coconut milk with condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and lime juice in a small bowl until combined. Poke top of cake all over with a skewer.
- Pour half of coconut syrup over cake and let stand 5 minutes.
- Run a knife around edges of cake and invert onto a rimmed serving platter. Poke bottom of cake all over with skewer.
- Pour remaining syrup all over cake, spooning any excess drippings back onto the cake until it is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate until fully chilled before serving, 1 to 2 hours.
Garnish
- Sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut on cake, then rainbow sprinkles/jimmies.
- Cut cake into 9 pieces, then add a twist of lime to each piece when served. (See post video on how to make a lime twist garnish)
Notes
🎥 Videos
How to make a lime twist
How to beat egg whites to stiff peaks
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Expert Tips:
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- Use Room Temperature Eggs. Room temperature eggs whip up with more volume and emulsify better, which helps create a light, airy sponge that can absorb the milk mixture without collapsing.
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- Separate Eggs Carefully. Any yolk in your whites can prevent stiff peaks. Crack each egg over a small bowl before adding it to the main mixing bowl to avoid contamination.
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- Beat Whites to True Stiff Peaks. For a stable foam, ensure the egg whites are glossy and stand straight when the beaters are lifted. Underbeaten whites lead to a denser cake; overbeaten whites can cause cracking (See VIDEO)
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- Fold, Don’t Stir. Fold the whipped egg whites gently into the yolk/flour mixture to maintain airiness. Use a rubber spatula and a gentle figure-eight motion to avoid deflating the batter.
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- Don't Overbake. A dry cake won’t absorb the milk syrup well. The cake is done when it springs back lightly and a skewer comes out clean. Begin checking at 30 minutes.
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- Poke Deep Holes, Evenly. Use a thin skewer and poke all the way to the bottom in a tight grid across the cake to ensure even soaking.
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- Soak While Cake Is Cool, Not Cold. Let the cake cool completely before soaking, but do not refrigerate. A slightly warm or room-temperature cake absorbs the syrup more efficiently.
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- Flip and Soak Again for Evenness. Flipping and soaking both sides is brilliant—many tres leches cakes are only soaked on top. This ensures no dry spots and balanced moisture throughout.
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- Toast Coconut for Extra Depth. Toasting enhances the flavor and gives a crunchy contrast to the soft texture of the cake. You can also add a pinch of sea salt to the coconut before toasting to enhance flavor.
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- Chill Thoroughly Before Serving. Chilling for at least 2 hours (or overnight) allows the milk mixture to fully integrate and gives the cake its signature silky texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg
