Seis Leches Cake Recipe (2024)

Making your own dulce de leche is simple! Take 1 can sweetened condensed milk, remove wrapper from the can and place unopened can in saucepan -covering with at least 2 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours - checking now and then to ensure water level stays above top of can. If needed, add boiling water to keep water level up. Cook 3 hours if you want a darker caramel. Remove can from water and let cool completely. Open can and voila!!

I've never seen dulce de leche in the store. Of course, I haven't looked for it. But is it in regular super-markers, or does one need to go to Spanish specialty stores? Thanks!

Having eaten this cake my entire life and made it many times over I'm not sure it needs the coconut milk. Also the dulce de leche topping prevents a crucial aspect of the soaking technique. Prior to icing its best to soak the cake in the milk mixture and at the halfway mark (4hrs) flip the cake into a different pan and let it continue to soak the rest of way. This helps the mixture absorb more thoroughly instead pooling at the bottom.

On decadent joy. The first batch went quicker than fast. The second batch went as fast. Got complements and more.No, it's not a recipe for the faint of heart or the dietary policed. That's a given. But on special occasions? Go for it. Thank you for such a special recipe!

What I like about this recipe is the idea it gave me. I used to adore Tres Leche's cake, but eventually dairy became my enemy. Now I can try it again using Coconut milk, Coconut sweetened condensed milk, and Coconut dulce de leche made with Coconut sweetened condensed milk - make by placing whole can in Instapot, covering with water and high pressure cooking for 17 minutes, let it naturally release overnight, and the next morning it will be Coconut dulce de leche. Just use my original recipe.

Eat one portion in the evening, eat nothing at all the next day.

I made this. I cannot stop eating it. Help.

Not to be pedantic, but Gabe's not quite correct. Cajeta is properly made with goat's milk -- not the same thing as dulce de leche. They are both caramel sauces, and thus similar, but they are in fact distinct.

Worth the metformin :)

This recipe is a calorie/slice extravagance, possibly greater than the lemon layer cake with lemon cream cheese frosting made from NYT recipes last year. All those cans of this and that kind of milk, sweetened and unsweetened, add up to a tidy investment. To share this cake would be an act of unfettered largess. I would like to be on the receiving end of such largess, also receiving a large glass of cold milk or some strong, hot coffee, heavy on the cream. More rum please.

My regular grocery store has dulce de leche in the section with ice cream toppings (hot fudge, caramel syrup, etc.) You might try looking there.

I made this yesterday and it was a hit. My family couldn't stop eating it. I did modify it slightly by adding a thin layer of Trader Joe's cookie butter to the top of the cake before adding the whipped topping. I added some depth of flavor to the topping by adding some piloncillo alongside the dulce de leche. I think I would like to add cardamon to the milks next time I make this cake. I have a feeling that would be an awesome variation.

@Randy I tried that once, during the Too Hot Tamales days on the Food Network. I was also drinking margaritas while the can was simmering in the water. Unfortunately I "fell asleep" after one too many drinks and was awaken to the sound of a shot gun going off in my kitchen. Lesson here is to not drink and simmer.

Try the Hispanic food aisle of a large grocery store, or any Latino grocery/convenience store if your community has one. Or, order from Amazon. Dulce de leche is divine!

I made this cake this week. Because it’s a big cake and I was hosting a small group I didn’t spread the whipped cream but rather topped individual servings. The cake holds up longer this way which I like because I get to share it again with another group of friends.Never heard back about cream of coconut being the same as condensed coconut milk, but my cake is delicious so I’m fine with cream of coconut.

My friend and I couldn’t find condensed coconut milk so we used canned goat milk. It gave it a tang that was surprising but tasty.

I wish I had read the notes in advance! I like several other commentators did not get the cake to absorb all the milk even precutting, poking holes, and leaving it to soak over night. I’ll give it another day and see if it improves, but POKE A LOT OF HOLES, Y’all!

I made a tres leches cake with this soak and it was fabulous. My niece who grew up in Texas ( the birthplace of tres leches cakes) said it was the best she ever had.For the sponge, I used a slightly different recipe that used whole eggs and created a slightly sturdier cake to absorb the soak.

Poke as many holes as possible (and use a toothpick)! My first time making it the only sugggestion is POKE MORE HOLES. I used a toothpick because a fork was pulled some of the top of the cake off. Milk syrup pooled in the bottom even after sitting in mixture 24 hours but it still looked beautiful. Also I used La Serenisima- Dulce de Leche (orded from Amazon) and it worked great. The flavors are amazing and it didn't disappoint anyone.

I prepared this cake to follow a Tex-Mex themed brunch and it was a show stopper! I followed the recipe exactly, except I wasn’t able to find condensed coconut milk so I used an entire can of regular sweetened coconut milk. Even with this slight modification the texture was spot on, perfectly moist with very little excess liquid. A can of the Nestle La Lechera did the trick for the dulce de leche. This cake is fool proof so long as you follow the steps and don’t rush the process.

Never heard of it until now; it's rather expensive. I'll probably just use more of the regular variety.

Too much work.I'd rather go and pick one up at Trader Joe's.

This is now my husband's go to birthday cake. I do think it is better than tres leches I've had, which I never embraced. While I wonder how you'd flip this case in the first place, I point out to the comments who flips their cake, that you don't put the dulce de leche on until you put the whipped cream mixture on, so I assume you've flipped by then. Maybe even just before then. This cake is a truly wonderful variant.

This cake is great but the cake recipe should be doubled. It’s a great sponge but the just isn’t enough of it. The cake was only 1 inch thick, not enough to be called a cake

I am actually upset this only has a 4/5 rating. I am Hispanic and have had my fair amount of tres leches in a lifespan, and THIS recipe is PHENOMENAL. A different ball game. No substitutions.

I used a 9x9, but cooking the center of the cake gave me problems. Left it cooking 10 minutes longer than written - and center not cooked. MUST USE THE LARGER PAN - FOR CENTER TO COOK AS WRITTEN

Found dulce de leche easy at Target. Cake came out pretty thin though — even with the baking powder and using the right sized pan. Since there are no pics I can’t tell if it should be thicker.

Wow this was incredible! Made it for my mom’s birthday and it was enjoyed by all (ages 4 to 79)! Definitely poke lots and lots of holes in the cake; when you think you’ve done enough, go back and do another set! I really think the whipped cream/dulce de leche topping made it - it was delicate and not too sweet; a nice contrast to the super-rich cake. Yum!!

This cake is delicious. My family loves Tres Leche Cake so I was skeptical about adding coconut milks but we all loved this. I combined the leftover sweetened condensed milk and the coconut sweetened condensed milk to make a quickish Dolce de Leche in the InstantPot using the jar method. Worked great.

The recipe is a little confusing. "...sweetened condensed coconut milk (a 7 oz can or use more regular condensed milk). I assume that means "or use sweetened condensed cow milk" rather than unsweetened condensed cow milk.Also, what is the purpose of 3 Tbs whole milk? Is that just a leftover from the 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons in the mango Tres Leches cake?