Caramel Apple Tres Leches Cake

Apple Tres Leches Cake is like combining an apple pie + caramel apples with a super moist and indulgent cake. Oh yes y’all, this Caramel Apple Tres Leches Cake is going to leave you wanting to eat the whole dang pan instead of just one slice. It’s SO good!

This post is part of a sponsored week long event, #MerryEats. All opinions and words are 100% mine, as always.

Apple Tres Leches Cake

I am SO excited to share this recipe with you all today. I’ve taken three of my favorite sweet treats and mixed them together to make one absolutely epic dessert.

Tres Leches Cake + Apple Pie + Caramel Apples. Oh be still my heart.

Tres Leches Cake

First off, Tres Leches Cake is one of my top 3 cakes EVER.

A Tres Leches Cake is light and fluffy, soaked with 3 milks, and topped with fresh whipped cream.

If you’ve never eaten it before, you need to.

There really is nothing else like it. If you’ve had it before, then you know what I mean and you probably already share the whole tres leches addiction with me.

In this dessert, I’ve taken my favorite tres leches cake and incorporated freshly grated Envy apples into the batter.

As if the cake wasn’t moist and flavorful enough, oh y’all – the grated apples inside just adds SO much more.

I top the cooled cake with homemade apple pie filling and then (oh yes, it gets even better!) I add fresh whipped cream and caramel all over the top of the apples.

Oh my. This is a delicious dessert!

Envy Apples

You may have seen that I mentioned using Envy apples in this dish.

They sent me a huge box full of them to play around with for #MerryEats week (hence this recipe).

I thought I knew a good apple before these showed up,bBut, I was wrong…so, so wrong.

These are by far the best apple (and the crispiest) I’ve ever sank my teeth into and that’s 100% honest.

I LOVE apples. As in, I (used to) drive over two hours to a certain area in the mountains to get apples by the bushel because up until now, they were the best.

But now, now I know better. I’ve never had one quite as delicious – they must be called Envy apples because all the other apples are envious of them. 😉

Oh, and Envy apples don’t brown after you cut them (yes you read that right!).. and they’re GMO free. Score!

Why You’ll Love This Apple Tres Leches Cake

• Delicious Apple Flavors: Combining grated and sliced apples with cinnamon and brown sugar, this cake offers a delightful twist on the traditional tres leches cake. The apple filling adds a layer of sweet, tart apple pie-like flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy tres leches base.
• Perfect for Special Occasions: My unique apple cinnamon twist on the classic tres leches cake makes this recipe a perfect dessert for special occasions. But hey, you don’t NEED a special occasion to enjoy this cake!
• Moist and Creamy Texture: Thanks to the tres leches mixture of whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk poured over the cooled cake, this dessert becomes incredibly moist and creamy. The fresh whipped cream topping adds another layer of richness, making every bite something special.

Ingredients for Apple Tres Leches Cake

I’m going to break the ingredients down for this Apple Cinnamon Tres Leches Cake so it’s easier to see what you might need to gather.

Cake Ingredients

• All-purpose Flour: The base for our cake. It gives structure to the cake.
• Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and become fluffy.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and moisture. Make sure it’s at room temperature.
• White Sugar: Sweetens the cake.
• Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and help the cake rise.
• Apple: One apple, peeled and grated. It adds delicious apple flavors to my recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cake.
• Whole Milk: Part of the tres leches mixture. It adds moisture.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Makes the cake sweet and moist. It’s one of the three types of milk.
• Evaporated Milk: Adds creaminess without making the cake too sweet. Another part of the tres leches mixture.
• Caramel Topping: Used for drizzling on top of the cake. I always use my homemade salted caramel sauce, but you can also use store-bought if you prefer.

Apple Filling Ingredients

• Apples: Five medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. They’re cooked to make the filling.
• Water: Helps cook the apples.
• Butter: Adds richness to the apple filling.
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the filling.
• Brown Sugar: Sweetens the filling, complementing the apples.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the apple filling.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Whipped to soft peaks, it’s the base for the topping.
• White Sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor to the whipped cream.

How to Make Apple Tres Leches Cake

1. Prepare the Oven and Pan: Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Use butter and a bit of flour to grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together your all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set this flour mixture aside for later.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, start by beating unsalted butter with the sugar until it’s light and fluffy.
4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: To the creamy mixture, add large eggs one at a time along with a teaspoon of vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.
5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until the batter is smooth. Stir in grated apple last.
6. Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Let it bake for 30 minutes. After baking, let the cake cool, then poke holes across the top of the cake with a fork.
7. Make Apple Filling: On medium heat, melt butter with teaspoon cinnamon. Add apples, brown sugar, and water. Cook until apples are slightly soft. Mix a small amount of cornstarch with water, add to the pan, and cook until thickened. Let it cool.
8. Prepare Tres Leches Mixture: In a separate bowl, mix whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Pour this three-milk mixture over the cooled cake, allowing it to soak in.
9. Add Apple Filling: Once the milk has absorbed, spread the cooled apple filling evenly over the top of the cake.
10. Whip the Cream: Beat heavy cream with some sugar and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. Once you have stiff peaks, spread the fresh whipped cream over the apple filling layer.
11. Final Touches: Keep the cake refrigerated to set. Before serving, drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the whipped cream for a delicious dessert.

Substitutions to Make it Easier

1. Use store-bought canned apple pie filling instead of making your own.
2. Use ready-made whipped cream from the grocery store instead of making it from scratch.

Recipe Tips

• Use Fresh Apples: For the best flavor, choose fresh apples.
• Poke Holes Generously: After baking, poke holes generously on the top of the cake. You want to make sure the tres leches milks seeps into the cake thoroughly so every bite is super moist.
• Mix the Milks Thoroughly: Mixing the three types of milk thoroughly is important for the best results.
• Let the Cake Cool: Before pouring the tres leches mixture over the cake, let the cake cool completely. This prevents the cake from becoming too soggy.
• Refrigerate Overnight: For the absolute best cake, refrigerate it overnight after adding the tres leches mixture. This give the cake plenty of time to absorb the mixture fully and makes it even more delicious!
• Use Parchment Paper: Line your baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the cake.
• Keep an Eye on the Apples: When cooking the apples for the filling, keep an eye on them so they soften but don’t become mushy.

Storing Leftovers

1. Cool Completely: Before storing, make sure the cake is completely cool. You don’t want condensation inside the container, which can make the cake soggy.
2. Use an Airtight Container: Transfer the cake to an airtight container. If your cake is too large, cover the top of the cake tightly with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap touches the top of the whipped cream to prevent it from drying out.
3. Refrigerate: Tres Leches Cake must be kept in the refrigerator because of its milk content and whipped cream topping. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
4. Avoid Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for a tres leches cake. The texture of the whipped cream and the moist cake layer may be adversely affected by freezing.
5. Serve Chilled: Serve the cake chilled straight from the refrigerator.

Print Pin

Caramel Apple Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches cake + apple pie + caramel apples = one epic dessert

Servings 1 9x13 cake

Ingredients

•  

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 medium Envy apple peeled, & grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12 fluid ounce can evaporated milk
• caramel topping for drizzling

For the apple filling:

• 5 medium Envy apples peeled, corned & sliced
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water

For the fresh whipped cream topping:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
•  

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream butter with the 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and the teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Stir in the grated apple. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Melt butter & cinnamon over medium heat. Stir in apples, brown sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until very slightly softened. In a small dish combine cornstarch and water. Add to pan while stirring and continue to cook until apples are soft (not mushy) and filling is thickened. Let bubble 1 minute. Cool.
• Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake. Spread the cooled apple filling over top of the cake once the milk has absorbed.
• Beat whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated. Drizzle caramel topping over top. ENJOY!