This might look like a strawberry shortcake, but it’s something richer and more complex. It’s a Tres Leches Cake — literally “three milks” — a classic Mexican dessert made from a light white cake soaked in a blend of milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk.
Tres Leche Cake via Bakers Royale
I’ve always loved this cake for its balance: not fussy with frosting, not cloyingly sweet, and wonderfully rich yet simple in flavor. While the cake is excellent on its own, adding fresh strawberries brings a bright, fruity contrast that helps cut through the creaminess. Inspired by that balance, I adapted the Better Homes & Gardens version of this recipe and transformed it from a two-layer cake into a dramatic seven-layer version. A tall, multi-layered cake feels celebratory and special, and it creates a striking presentation.
If trimming cake layers makes you anxious because they turn out uneven or lopsided, I’ve got a simple, inexpensive trick that makes even cake layers a breeze. For that technique, see my step-by-step guide on cutting even layers. For the tres leches recipe itself, refer to the original Better Homes & Gardens posting, where the full recipe lives; this piece highlights my adaptations and photography.
If you’d like to save any images, please pin them from the original recipe post so the source and recipe credits stay intact — that helps ensure the recipe is easy to find.
Beyond baking, I’m passionate about photography and styling. In these images I experimented with a cool blue-gray backdrop to complement the cake’s colors. The board you see in the first photos is an easy DIY project I made for under $9. If you’re interested in a how-to post on making those painted backdrop boards, let me know in the comments — if there’s enough interest I’ll publish a step-by-step guide.