30 Minute Pumpkin Spice Tres Leches with Cake Mix

Easy pumpkin spice Tres Leches made with box cake mix using only 30 minutes active time. Moist and flavorful, it transports well for Thanksgiving.

Jump to:

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

This pumpkin spice Tres Leches recipe has been in the works for a while now. Ever since I started making Tres Leches with box cake mix, I have been hooked, buying boxes of Betty Crocker yellow cake mix one after another to test out new flavors. With Fall right around the corner, it was natural to adapt it for pumpkin spice flavors and top it with a tangy and smooth cream cheese frosting. It's rich, sweet and full of warm spices that is so comforting during the chilly Fall season. I highly recommend this easy 30-minute active-time bake for your next Thanksgiving or Halloween gathering.

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 - pumpkin and spice flavors for Thanksgiving and Halloween.
• 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. The Autumn themed Tres Leches in this recipe has been adapted with the flavors of pumpkin and spice in both the cake body and the milk soak. Tres Leches can be adapted to other delicious flavors like Matcha Green Tea Tres Leches Cake or Original Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix.

What Does Pumpkin Spice Tres Leches Taste Like?

This cake has a good amount of pumpkin and spice flavors. The texture is soft and moist from the pumpkin 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 savory taste in the cream cheese frosting, in part, due to the addition of a tiny dash of fine sea salt. It's quite a mouthwatering pairing.

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 Pumpkin Spice Tres Leches

A traditional flavor pairing of cream cheese frosting and pumpkin spice cake was selected for this recipe. I prefer to make the frosting from scratch to control the sweetness level but canned cream cheese frosting can work in a pinch too. Taste it and if needed, add a little bit of salt to it to cut down the sweetness and highlight other flavors. It will make a big difference.

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 pumpkin include: apples, pears, cranberries and figs. Another popular decoration is a dusting of ground spices 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.

Preparing Ingredients and Substitutions

Pumpkin 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 cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves: Total weight of spices can be substituted with pumpkin spice mix. Ground cloves and nutmeg 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.

Pumpkin Spice Milk Soak

• 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.
• Vanilla extract: adds to and rounds out flavors.
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves: same as above.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter: unsalted. Omit the salt below if using salted butter. Ensure that it's at room temperature before beating. If the butter and cream cheese have different temperatures, the mixture will separate and won't come together.
• Cream cheese: in block style, cream cheese spread in a tub is too soft to be used for this frosting. IMPORTANT: The cream cheese must be softened and at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: adds to and rounds out flavors.
• Fine sea salt: highlights and brings out all the other flavors in the cake.
• Icing sugar: aka powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar should be sifted to prevent clumps in the frosting.

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 and 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 pumpkin spice. Add in oil, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree, beat together using a handheld mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes.

It should look thick and homogenous. 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 and Pour

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.

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

Whip Frosting

IMPORTANT: ensure that the butter is at room temperature and the cream cheese is softened before starting. The two ingredients need to be at the same temperature to prevent separation. Cream cheese can be softened in the microwave at 10-15 second intervals. In a large mixing bowl, with a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the room temperature butter until soft. Add the softened cream cheese and mix until well combined.

Add vanilla, salt and icing sugar, mix until it all comes together. It should look smooth and creamy. Use frosting to assemble cake immediately.

Frost Cake

Add a few big dollops of frosting onto one short end of the cake. Use an angled offset spatula to spread the frosting 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 spatula really helps to create a flat top. If desired, sift some cinnamon spice on top. Pumpkin 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.

How to Store and Make in Advance

Pumpkin 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