Coconut Tres Leches Recipe

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper or dust with flour.

Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl), cream the room-temperature unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and light, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating 20–30 seconds after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the warmed whole milk to the butter-egg mixture: begin and end with the dry ingredients. Add in three additions (dry, milk, dry), mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13-inch pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 20–25 minutes depending on oven and pan. Cake should be golden and spring back slightly.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes to set.

While the cake cools slightly, whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup canned coconut milk, and 1/2 cup cream of coconut in a bowl until smooth and homogeneous.

Using a skewer or fork, poke the warm cake all over in a grid pattern (about 30–40 holes) to allow the milk mixture to penetrate.

Slowly pour the tres leches mixture evenly over the warm cake, starting at the edges and working toward the center. Pour in stages if necessary and allow the liquid to absorb between pours. The cake will seem very wet — that is intended.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the milks to fully soak into the cake.

Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes if possible; cold equipment helps the cream whip better.

Pour the cold heavy cream and confectioners' sugar into the chilled bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Add the coconut extract if using and beat just to combine. Be careful not to overbeat; you want a stable but soft whipped cream.

Fold in the toasted sweetened shredded coconut gently with a spatula, reserving a small tablespoon for garnish if desired.

Spread the coconut whipped topping evenly over the chilled, soaked cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining toasted flaked coconut or shredded coconut. Add fresh mint leaves if using.

Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. For clean slices, run a knife under hot water, dry it, then slice the cake; wipe between cuts.

Let the cake sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving if desired. Serve chilled or slightly cool. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.