dairy free tres leches (updated)

28 Oct, 2026

From Alanna at bojongourmet.com

Ingredients

Gluten-free sponge cake

• 1 teaspoon room temperature coconut avocado oil, for the pan (bottom only)
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (120 grams) granulated sugar divided
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 grams) millet flour*
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (55 grams) sweet rice flour*
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (40 grams) oat flour*
• a1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 large egg whites at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Dairy-free milk mixture

• 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) canned sweetened condensed coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• pinch salt

For serving

• 3 cups whipped coconut cream
• 6 cups seasonal fruit such as berries or mango

Instructions

Cake

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF. Rub coconut avocado oil over the bottom only of a 9x12-inch or 9x13-inch cake pan. The cake batter will crawl up the ungreased sides of the pan, making for a taller, lighter cake that will better absorb the milk mixture.

2. In a very large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup water with the oil, egg yolks and vanilla, then whisk in the 1⁄2 cup sugar. Place a strainer over the bowl and sift the millet, sweet rice, and oat flours with the baking powder and salt directly into the yolk mixture, adding back any bits left behind in the strainer. Whisk until very smooth and the consistency of pancake batter.

3. In the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the egg 
whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whip until the whites are glossy and just hold a firm peak when lifted from the bowl, 1 to 3 more minutes.

4. Use a flexible silicone spatula to fold one-third of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined and no streaks remain. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and quickly but gently spread the batter into a thin, even layer.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is golden, springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool until warm, about 30 minutes.

Milk mixture

1. Combine the coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until combined and warm to the touch. Keep warm; this will help the mixture absorb into the cake.

2. When the cake has cooled slightly, poke it all over with a slender chopstick or skewer. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture over the cake 1 cup at a time, letting it absorb into the cake, until the cake stops absorbing liquid. Tilt and swirl the cake to help the liquid absorb. Cover and chill the cake until ready to serve, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

3. To serve, top the cake with the whipped cream and fruit. To make the fruit extra juicy as shown here, toss it with a little sugar and lime juice and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out the juices. Cut the cake into squares or wedges and enjoy!

Notes

Flour Substitutions (best to sub by weight if possible):

• Millet can be subbed for sorghum flour
• Sweet rice can be subbed for GF AP flour (such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
• Oat can be subbed for sorghum flour or teff flour

Variations

• Dairy-full: make the milk mixture with 3/4 cup each evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk (or half and half or heavy cream). Omit the vanilla and salt. Top the cake with whipped cream and dust it with a fine layer of ground cinnamon. Serve plain or with fresh strawberries.

Make-Ahead

• The cake can be baked ahead and refrigerated for a day or two (or frozen for up to 1 month) until ready to use. Warm the cake in a low oven before adding the milk mixture to help it absorb. The milk mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. Warm before pouring over the cake to help it absorb. The cake can be baked, soaked, and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving. Leftovers will keep for another 2 days or so.