30 Minute Gingerbread Tres Leches with Box Cake Mix

ingerbread Tres Leches dessert using box cake mix and only 30 minutes active time. Moist and delicious. Travels well for holiday parties.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• What is Tres Leches Cake?
• What is Gingerbread Spice?
• What Does Gingerbread Spice Tres Leches Taste Like?
• Does Soaking Tres Leches with Milk Make it Soggy?
• Which Pan Size Should I Use?
• Topping Ideas for Gingerbread Spice Tres Leches
• Preparing Ingredients and Substitutions
• Step By Step Photos
• How to Store and Make in Advance
• Recipe

This Gingerbread Tres Leches dessert is the winter holiday version of a reader's favorite recipe for Tres Leches Made with Box Mix. In the Fall season, I adapted that recipe with Pumpkin Spice and I was honored that it made it onto the Thanksgiving table of my friend, a well-known local foodie. I know some of my new readers might have been directed here from her post. She shared that the moist pumpkin spice tres leches dessert was a real hit with her family and she'd definitely be making it again. I thought it would be nice to have this gingerbread spice version for the Christmas dinner table. It's seriously one of the easiest and most impressive cake recipes you can make this holiday season. Enjoy!

XOXO,
Mimi

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy - minimal ingredients to measure, make it with 30 minutes active time!
• Delicious - The texture comes out moist and tender every time.
• Festive - gingerbread spice flavors for Christmas and the winter holidays.
• Easily Transportable - just cover the tray and go! No worrying about it tipping over.

What is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres Leches is Spanish for "three milks". Translated, Tres Leches cake literally means 3 milks cake. This milk-soaked dessert is popular in Latin America, especially Mexico. To make Tres Leches cake, a sponge cake is soaked with three types of milk: condensed milk, evaorated milk and milk or cream. It's then topped with whipped cream and optionally with fresh fruits or a dusting of spices. This winter holiday themed Tres Leches in this recipe has been adapted with the flavors of gingerbread spice in both the cake body and the milk soak. Tres Leches can be easily adapted to other delicious flavors like Matcha Green Tea Tres Leches Cake, Pumpkin Tres Leches Dessert or Original Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix.

What is Gingerbread Spice?

The spices that make up gingerbread spice are quite similar to pumpkin spice. They both contain a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and other spices like cloves and all spice in varying degrees. Pumpkin spice is more heavy on cinnamon while gingerbread focuses on both ginger and cinnamon on a more equal level. In addition, black pepper is sometimes added to gingerbread for an extra spicy "kick". The result is a spice blend that releases a warm and inviting aroma. It's what makes holiday baking a perfect way to combat those dark dreary days of winter.

What Does Gingerbread Spice Tres Leches Taste Like?

This cake has a good amount of fresh cream and gingerbread spice flavors. The texture is soft and moist from the gingerbread spice milk soak. It's extra moist but not soggy due to the sponge cake's ability to properly absorb the liquids. The cake itself is sweet because of the sweetened condensed milk but it's balanced with the less sweet fresh whipped cream frosting.

Gingerbread spice tres leches cake is soft and moist. For a soft frosting-free gingerbread cake, try Japanese souffle gingerbread cheesecake or these easy no-bake gingerbread cheesecake cups. And if you're looking for a gingerbread cake that has more physical appeal for a Christmas dessert table, try this super fluffy Printed Japanese gingerbread cake roll or regular Japanese gingerbread cake roll.

Does Soaking Tres Leches with Milk Make it Soggy?

Soaking Tres Leches with 3 types of milk give it its moist texture. It won't be soggy if it's baked using the proper cake body (sponge cake with AP flour) and soaked with the proper ratio of milk once the cake is cooled. Consuming it within the first 2 days is important too as the cake tends to get softer as time progresses. Updated: I've since made this cake multiple times using this recipe and I have found that the cake still remains acceptably sturdy even up to the 5 day mark.

Which Pan Size Should I Use?

This recipe was created for a 13X9 baking pan that is at least 2" high. Other pan sizes that can be used are: two 8" rounds or two 9" rounds. I do not recommend making Tres Leches as cupcakes since the milk soak will make the cake too soft to handle on it's own without support of a knife and fork. To bake Tres Leches in individual serving sizes, bake it in an oven-safe ramekin or other heat-proof vessels.

Topping Ideas for Gingerbread Spice Tres Leches

Fresh fruits are usually used as decoration on Tres Leches, choose ones that are low-moisture or have a membrane that contains the juices. Fruit pairing ideas for gingerbread include: apples, pears, cranberries and figs. Another popular decoration is a dusting of ground spices like cinnamon or you can even try a whole cinnamon bark. Nuts, chocolate shavings or cocoa beans also make good toppings that won't break down upon contact with the frosting.

Fresh whipped cream was chosen as the frosting because the rich milk flavors in the cream pairs well with the warmth of the gingerbread spices. You can also try a tangy and savory frosting like the cream cheese frosting in the pumpkin spice version of this recipe.

Preparing Ingredients and Substitutions

Gingerbread Spice Cake Body

• Yellow Cake box mix: Tres Leches is normally made with a sponge cake. Yellow cake mix will usually resemble that flavor and texture profile. Yellow cake mix contains yolks while white cake mix does not. The flour in yellow cake usually has a heavier protein content making the texture more ideal for use with the milk soak. Betty Crocker brand cake mix was used in this recipe. If using another cake mix that weighs more, mix the powder very well and weigh out 375 g for use in this recipe.
• Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom: Total weight of spices can be substituted with gingerbread spice mix . Ground cloves, nutmeg and cardamom adds dimension to the spice flavor profile but can be substituted with cinnamon.
• Milk, Oil, Eggs: Provided quantity for these ingredients are for use with the Betty Crocker brand cake mix. Refer to your own cake mix instructions for precise quantity required for your own brand. A general rule of thumb to elevate box mixes is to replace the required water with milk and add an extra egg than what is called for, which is what I've done in this recipe.
• Milk: whole milk , skimmed milk or buttermilk
• Oil: choose neutral ones like grapeseed, canola and avocado.
• Eggs: large size
• Vanilla extract: adds to and rounds out flavors.

Gingerbread Spice Milk Soak

• Cream: use whichever cream you will use in the frosting, see below.
• Condensed milk: is a sweetened form of milk that has water evaporated from it. It is usually sold in a can form, found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
• Evaporated milk: is a milk that has water evaporated from it but it's unsweetened. It is usually sold in a can form, found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
• Granulated sugar: The amount of sugar in the frosting makes the cream taste mildly sweetened and creamy when paired with this naturally sweet cake. It's ideal for those who prefer a less intense sweetness level. Double the amount of sugar if you prefer a truly sweet tasting cake.
• Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves: same as above. Cardamom was omitted from the milk soak.

Fresh Whipped Cream Frosting

• Heavy cream: has a milk fat content of at least 36% (labelled as 36% M.F.). It can be substituted with whipping cream (with minimum 33% milk fat) but heavy cream is a little more rich in flavor and produces a more stable frosting. It must be completely chilled before whipping or it won't gain volume.
• Granulated sugar: The amount of sugar in the frosting makes the cream taste mildly sweetened and creamy when paired with this naturally sweet cake. It's ideal for those who prefer a less intense sweetness level. Double the amount of sugar if you prefer a truly sweet tasting cake.
• Vanilla extract: adds to and rounds out flavors

Supplies

• Regular baking tools PLUS:
• 13X9 baking pan - other pan sizes can be used, see here.
• Handheld mixer - if you don't have a mixer, mixing vigorously with a balloon whisk will work just fine as well. A mixer will just make the frosting more smooth and creamy.
• Large mixing bowl, chilled
• Angled offset spatula - helps to smooth out the frosting into an even layer.

Step By Step Photos

Stir & Bake

Heat oven to 325F. Grease only the bottom of the pan with a little bit of butter or oil. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and gingerbread spice. Add in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla, beat together using a handheld mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. It should look thick and homogenous (see process photos or videos in post). Pour batter into cake pan. Bake cake for 25-30 min. until it's golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool inside the pan as you prepare the milk soak.

Mix Milk Soak

In a small bowl, whisk together the spices with 1-2 tablespoon of heavy cream to create a wet paste. The goal is to fully dissolve the powder with vigorous whisking. There shouldn't be any clumps. Pour the spice paste, condensed milk, evaporated milk and the rest of the heavy cream into a large measuring cup, stir it until it becomes homogenous. Stir well as the heavier condensed milk tends to stay at the bottom.

Pour Milk

Once the cake has completely cooled, use a fork to poke holes into the cake in evenly spaced rows about half inch apart. Pour the mixture slowly and evenly onto the cooled cake (do this only when the cake is cool). The milk will start to get absorbed into the cake through the holes. If your cake is domed, the milk will start to pool on the sides, take a spatula and gently guide the milk to all parts of the cake. Cover the cake and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving or frosting. Take this time to chill the mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge. This will help the heavy cream whip better.

Whip Frosting

In the chilled mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar on med-high speed until soft peaks. Add the vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Use cream immediately for assembly.

Frost Cake

Add a few big dollops of cream onto one short end of the cake. Use an angled spatula to spread the cream in just one direction to prevent dragging off any crumbs from the top layer of the cake. The trick is to add lots of cream each time and gently spread it out in sections. An angled offset spatula really helps to create a flat top. Reserve some extra cream if you want to pipe swirls like in the pictures provided. If desired, top the cake with star anise, candied orange slices or a dusting of cinnamon. Gingerbread Spice Tres Leches should be kept in the fridge where it will stay fresh for 2-3 days. It's best to serve it within the first two days as the moist texture will be just right. Read post body on how to freeze and make in advance

How to Store and Make in Advance

Gingerbread spice Tres Leches should be kept in the fridge where it will remain fresh for 2-3 days. It's best to serve it within the first two days as the moist texture will be just right. I've kept this cake for longer and it gets a little bit softer over time but it wasn't unacceptable. The amount of milk provided in the recipe keeps the texture firmer for longer. To make this cake in advance, freeze only the un-soaked cake portion. The cake body freezes exceptionally well. Wrap it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge the night before assembly. 2-24 hours before serving, add the milk soak and top with frosting.