Tuesday’s Cupful: History of Tres Leches Cake

A mysterious story behind a sweet treat

This cake has gradually grown in popularity at Mexican restaurants across the country. The Mixed Stew crew likes eating a serving with a fresh cup of coffee to end the meal. Whole milk or half and half, evaporated milk, and condensed milk always flavor a dense yellow sponge cake in almost every recipe variation. The traditional whipped cream topping or icing serves as a smooth and creamy finish to this rich cake. Some sources claim that the “three milk cake” originated in Mexico while other sources identify Nicaragua as its birthplace. Nestle Mexico has confirmed that they have (in the past) printed a Tres Leches Cake recipe on the labels of their canned milk products. An urban legend reports that Nestle distributed this recipe way back in 1875; however, Nestle Mexico has only been in existence since the 1940s. Meanwhile, historians have discovered a Mexican cookbook from the 19th century that has a recipe for wine-soaked bread cake with alternating layers of milk custard. Today, each country in Latin America has added one or two ingredients to the basic recipe, which makes a unique Tres Leches Cake. Caribbean recipes even call for rum.