This cinnamon roll tres leches is a light tres leches cake that’s flavored like cinnamon rolls! It’s delicious, and flavorful, and is a must-try if you love both or even one of the classic desserts!
About The Recipe
My Tres Leches Cake recipe is the most popular on my blog and YouTube channel, so I knew I had to make more…this recipe is a combination of two undoubtably mouthwatering desserts, cinnamon rolls and tres leches! It features a light sponge cake that’s soaked in a cinnamon milk bath and topped with a fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting.
This cinnamon roll tres leches is definitely different form any desserts you’ve probably had, it has the perfect level of cinnamon without being too overpowering, and the whipped cream cheese frosting really takes this cake to the next level! It’s a must try!
I’ve seen a few recipe where they use actual cinnamon rolls, which they soak in a milk mixture. But that didn’t seem too appetizing to me, so I decided to only use the flavors of a cinnamon roll and combine that with a tres leches cake. This recipe, like my classic tres leches cake recipe, does not require evaporated milk!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
This recipe has three components, the sponge cake, the cinnamon milk bath, and the whipped cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients for Sponge Cake
Eggs: use room temperature eggs for the best results.
Oil: use a neutral oil like sunflower or canola.
Baking Staples: the rest of the ingredients are basic baking ingredients.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Milk Bath
Brown Sugar: I used dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar will also work.
Milk: use whole milk for a creamy cinnamon roll tres leches
Ingredients for Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese: use only full fat cream cheese.
Heavy Cream: the fat percentage should be 35% or higher, and make sure your heavy cream is cold or it won’t beat to stiff peaks.
Powdered Sugar: also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. You can adjust the amount based on your preference or use the amount specified in the recipe.
How To Make Cinnamon Roll Tres Leches Cake
Step 1: Make the sponge cake.
Whip the egg whites and some sugar to stiff peaks, set aside. Whisk together the egg yolk and remaining sugar until pale in color. Whisk in the vegetable oil, water and vanilla extract. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until combined
Mix a third of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then pour all of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold until fully combined, DO NOT OVERMIX, this could cause the cake to deflate in the oven.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined 8 x 8 square baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C / 350 °F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, then remove the parchment paper lining and flip the cake upside down so that you have a flat surface to work on.
Step 2: Make the cinnamon milk bath.
In a bowl combine all the ingredients and give it a mix, it’s okay if the cinnamon doesn’t dissolve fully. Give the mixture a taste, if you want it to be sweeter add a teaspoon or two more of brown sugar and mix.
Step 3: Make the whipped cream cheese frosting.
Whisk together the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Whip cold heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks using a stand or hand mixer (7-8 min). Add the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream and fold until combined.
Step 4: Assembly.
Poke holes all over the cooled cake using a toothpick, pour all of the cinnamon milk bath on to the cake. Spread on the whipped cream cheese frosting, smooth it out using an offset spatula or butterknife. Dust on some cinnamon powder, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours or even overnight!
Storing/Freezing The Cinnamon Tres Leches Cake
You could make cinnamon roll tres leches cake 1-2 days in advance. I usually make it a night before so the cake has plenty of time for the milk to soak up.
This cinnamon roll tres leches cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: If you’re planning to freeze the cake it’s best to add the milk syrup, whipped cream cheese frosting after thawing the cake. Wrap the sponge cake in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator and add the milk syrup and toppings.
Pro Tips
- Measure the dry and wet ingredients properly. For the flour spoon it into a measuring cup and level it using the back of a spoon.
- Cold eggs are easier into whites and yolks, so separate them and then let them come to room temperature before using.
- Use a spatula to fold the egg whites and egg yolk mixture. Once fully incorporated stop mixing, be very careful not to overmix otherwise your cake will deflate. This is because the cake relies on the volume of the eggs to rise.
- If you’re really short on time, chill the cake for at least 30 min. The longer the cake rests the more flavorful it will be.
- Baking in a glass or ceramic baking dish is best to get a nice rise on the cake, plus you could serve it just as it is.
- Make sure your cream cheese and heavy cream are cold before making the frosting.
FAQ’s
Can I make this cake without condensed milk?
Surprisingly yes! Although it’s best to use condensed milk I actually found a way to make it without condensed milk. All you have to do is increase the amount of sugar (in this case brown sugar) in the milk syrup and add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to thicken it up.
Why did my sponge cake deflate?
When sponge cakes cool, it’s normal for them to deflate a little, but if it’s deflated too much then this can be caused by several reasons: overmixing the batter, baking in an oven that’s too hot or cold, or even opening the oven to quickly.
Check out my YouTube Channel for detailed recipe tutorials! Made one of my recipes? Tag me on Instagram, I would love to see your creations!
Recipe Card
Cinnamon Roll Tres Leches
This cinnamon roll tres leches is a light tres leches cake that’s flavored like cinnamon rolls! It’s delicious, and flavorful, and is a must-try if you love both or even one of the classic desserts!
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 2 hours 50 min (includes chill time)
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12
Calories: 332kcal
Ingredients
For sponge cake
- 4 eggs separated, room temp.
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp. All-purpose flour (140g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For cinnamon milk bath
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk (~3/4 liter)
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 4 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon, ground
For whipped cream cheese frosting
- 200ml heavy whipping cream, cold
- 150g cream cheese, cold
- 5 tbsp. powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the sponge cake: Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Grease and line an 8×8 square baking tray.
- In a large bowl combine the egg whites, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Beat to stiff peaks using a stand or hand mixer (or even a whisk), for 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
- In a separate whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar until pale in color. Add in the water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and mix.
- Sift in the all-purpose flour and baking powder, and mix until fully combined. Add 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and fold until combined. – switch to a spatula at this point.
- Now add all of the egg yolk mixture into the meringue. Gently fold until fully combined. Avoid overmixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.
- Make the milk bath: In a bowl combine the milk, condensed milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Make whipped cream cheese frosting: Whisk together cold cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl whip cold heavy cream to stiff peaks using a stand or hand mixer. (7-8 min) Fold both the cream cheese and whipped cream together until fully combined.
- Assembly: Poke holes all over the cake using a skewer. Pour all the cinnamon milk bath over the cake. Then spread on the prepared frosting. Finally, dust with some cinnamon to finish it off.
- Cover and chill the cake for 2 hours before serving, enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 331.91kcal
Total Fat: 16.28g
Carbs: 39.79
Protein: 7.6g
Sodium: 209.04mg
Fiber: 0.55g
Sugars: 30.1g
