Pistachio Tres Leches Cake is a soft, fluffy sponge cake soaked in three different types of milk; evaporated milk, condense milk and Pistachio Milk. The cake starts with a light and airy sponge made with whipped eggs, sugar, and cake flour. The three milks mixture is poured over the cake, allowing every bite to soak up that pistachio flavor.

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After soaking overnight in the refrigerator, the cake becomes incredibly moist and tender without losing its light texture. It's finished with a layer of freshly whipped heavy cream and a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachios for a simple but beautiful finish.

Looking for more cakes? You'll love my Mango Crepe Cake, Red Velvet Oreo Cake, Berry Chantilly Cake

Why You'll Love This Pistachio Tres Leches Cake

Easy to make: This Pistachio Tres Leches comes together easily!

Make it ahead: Tres leches cake is even better after it has time to soak. Make it the day before, refrigerate overnight, and add the whipped cream and pistachios when you're ready to serve.

Not too sweet: The nutty pistachio flavor and lightly tangy buttermilk help balance the sweetness, making this tres leches cake rich and creamy without being overly sweet.

What is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres leches cake is a traditional Latin American dessert made with a light sponge cake soaked in three types of milk. The name tres leches translates to "three milks."

For this pistachio version, I use sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and pistachio milk to create a creamy, nutty soak. The pistachio milk adds another layer of pistachio flavor while keeping the cake light enough to absorb all that delicious milk mixture.

Pistachio Tres Leches Ingredients

Sponge Cake

Eggs: The use of whole eggs and whipping them with the sugar is especially important because the eggs provide most of the cake's lift and that spongey texture.
Sugar: Sweetens the cake, try not to reduce the amount of sugar added
Cake flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps create a softer, more delicate sponge.
Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the sponge cake
Pistachio Milk: I used Taches Pistachio Barista Milk
Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavors
Baking Powder: Not necessary but adds extra lift to the cake in-case the egg deflated a bit

Pistachio Tres Leches Soak

Sweetened condensed milk: Adds sweetness and creates the rich, creamy texture associated with tres leches cake.
Evaporated milk: Adds creaminess without making the soak overly heavy.
Pistachio milk: Adds extra pistachio flavor while providing the liquid needed to soak the cake.

Topping

Heavy whipping cream: Whipped into a light, fluffy topping that balances the rich, moist cake.
Crushed pistachios: Adds a little crunch and extra pistachio flavor to every bite.

How to Make Pistachio Tres Leches Cake

Sponge Cake

whipped eggs and sugar should look this pale

sifted flour over the whipped eggs and sugar

Start by preheating your oven to 380F and lining an 8x8 inch rectangle pan with parchment paper.

Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the mixture until it becomes a pale yellow, with thick ribbons. (Note: Picture 2)

When the eggs are finished whipping, sift the cake flour and baking powder over the egg mixture to prevent any clumps.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs. Be careful not to overmix! You want to keep as much air in the eggs as possible.

fold one third of batter into pistachio paste

Combine the Pistachio paste, milk, melted butter, and vanilla separately in a small bowl. Take ⅓ of the batter and slowly incorporate the milk mixture into the batter, folding gently until everything is just combined.

Tip: Don't skip this step and just pour into the batter, the pistachio butter mixture will sink to the bottom of the bowl and will not properly be mixed in.

Pour the mixture back into the main batter and fold until combined.

Place batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 380F for 10 minutes and then drop the temperature to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and springs back when gently pressed.

Allow the cake to cool.

Pistachio Milk Soak

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and pistachio milk until smooth and well combined.

Soak the Cake

Once the cake has cooled, use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over the surface of the cake.

Warm the pistachio milk mixture slowly over the entire cake, making sure to cover the edges and center. Give the cake time to absorb the milk rather than pouring everything in one spot.

Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

This overnight rest is important. It gives the milk mixture plenty of time to soak into the genoise, creating that signature tender, creamy tres leches texture.

Add the Whipped Cream

The next day, whip the heavy cream and sugar in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.

Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake.

Finish the top of the cake with a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachios, rose petals are optional.

Slice and serve chilled.

Tips for the Best Pistachio Tres Leches Cake

Don't rush the eggs: The whipped eggs is what gives the cake its airy texture, so whip them until they are thick, pale, and fluffy.

Fold gently: When adding the cake flour, use a gentle folding motion to avoid knocking out the air you've built into the eggs.

Poke plenty of holes: The more evenly distributed the holes are, the more evenly the pistachio milk soak can travel throughout the cake.

Soak overnight for best results: While you can technically serve tres leches cake after several hours, letting it rest overnight gives you the best texture and flavor.

Keep it chilled: Tres leches cake is best served cold, especially once it's topped with whipped cream.