Tres Leches Cake Donuts with Rainbow Sprinkles

Tres Leches cake is the stuff Hispanic dreams are made of. So I figured, why not top fluffy cake donuts with the same creamy, milky goodness and enjoy them for breakfast? Why not indeed, my friend. This Tres Leches Cake Donuts recipe is easy to make partly because you probably have everything you need to make them. If you’re not in the mood to prepare the cake donuts from scratch, you can use store-bought donuts. There are so many reasons why this needs to be plopped on the table for tomorrow’s breakfast, so let’s get at it.

What is Tres Leches?

Tres Leches is a popular dessert in the Hispanic culture. Typically, a sponge cake soaks in a mixture of three types of milk: whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. All three milks make the mixture creamy, but the evaporated milk adds a richer flavor. Meanwhile, the condensed milk sweetens the lot. After baking the cake, the baker pours the tres leches mix over it, and leaves it to absorb into the cake, usually overnight. Later, after everything absorbs into the cake, a coating of whipped cream, vanilla buttercream, or a meringue frosting tops it. 

I have a chocolate version of the classic Tres Leches Cake on the site, but for now, we’re going to prepare these donuts with the same flavor profile. 

How do I make Cake Donuts?

My Easy Cake Donut Recipe is so easy to make I put it in the recipe title *barrum-pum*. The dough is simple: a dry mix of flour, sugar and baking powder (plus a few more flavorings) mixes with a wet mix of milk, butter, and eggs. You knead this dough together, allow it to rest, roll, then cut the donuts out and fry them. I mean, that’s the gist of it. It’s better if you head to that post to see what all it entails.

I’m going to attempt to keep this post nice and streamlined. But, I gotta give you everything you need to be successful because that’s how I do.

Can I use store-bought donuts to make these Tres Leches Cake Donuts?

While you know I’m a big promoter of making your own stuff at home, I get that life doesn’t always afford you the opportunity. If you or your crew can’t make the cake donuts, try to go to one of your local donut shops. Ask them for some freshly-made cake donuts and leave them unglazed. This, in my opinion, is the next best thing to making them at home. You support a local business and get fresh donuts all at the same time. 

If getting them from a local donut shop is also out of the question, then pick up a box of cake donuts at the grocery store. Most grocery stores sell freshly made donuts in the bakery section. If yours doesn’t, grab a box from the donut aisle. Pick up a dozen donuts because this recipe makes enough to coat that many, maybe even one or two more (if you’re not a glaze-fiend like I am). Just in case you’re making these for a smaller crowd, the glaze is very freezer-friendly. 

What do I need to make Tres Leches Cake Donuts?

In addition to a batch of my Easy Cake Donuts, you need a good-quality powdered sugar, salted butter that’s melted and slightly cooled, half-and-half, evaporated milk, almond extract, and something to make it purty. I love topping my tres leches donuts with rainbow nonpareils (sprinkles). If there’s a holiday nigh, you can customize the colors of your toppings to suit the occasion. I’ll be honest, sprinkles (or jimmies) feel better when you bite into donuts topped with them. I only have the nonpareils, and Hector looks at me funny if I bring in more. To keep the peace, I’m using them. 

Additionally, you need a mixing bowl and a whisk. Maybe a microwave, but definitely a heat source to reheat the glaze just in case it gets too thick on you. 

What’s good-quality powdered sugar?

Oh! Speaking of powdered sugar, make sure to use a good-quality one. The powdered sugar is prominent in this recipe, so this is important. Just in case you were wondering, no, not all powdered sugars are created equal. 

Confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar) can be made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Yes, you can eat sugar beets raw- they’re actually pretty tasty in salads- but I don’t recommend using their sugar in any recipe where a smooth consistency is important. Sugar made from sugar beets is grittier and tastes almost grasslike or “fake.” Instead, sugarcane, which is ground finer, is a better choice. 

To determine what type of sugar it is, just read the label. Buy one that says “Pure Sugar Cane.” If the bag doesn’t specify what type of sugar it is, it’s more than likely made from sugar beets. C&H Sugar has pure sugar cane powdered sugar, which is what I use and recommend. 

Sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl to eliminate large clumps.

I don’t have half-and-half. What else can I use?

Now, remember when I said that traditional tres leches mix is whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk? Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a whole bowlful of powdered sugar in this image. If you were to add the über-sweet condensed milk to this, then put it on top of a cake donut, your blood sugar might spike. Besides being cloyingly sweet, the flavors of the more delicate milks would be drowned out. So, here, we replaced the sweetened condensed milk with heavy cream. Which is actually being added in the form of half-and-half. 

You don’t have half-and-half, you say? Well, no worries. Half-and-half is just a 50/50 mixture of whole milk and heavy cream. Grab a carton of each and measure them out in equal parts. If you are watching calories, you can omit the heavy cream and just use double the amount of whole milk.

Add the half-and-half to the mixing bowl with the powdered sugar.

What can I replace the evaporated milk with?

Follow the half-and-half (I really hate typing that out) with the evaporated milk. Now, this is the smallest can of evaporated milk that my grocery store sells. It’s a 5-ounce can. I prefer to use this instead of opening up one of the larger cans because they always seem to go to waste despite my best intentions. If you only have a larger can, I suggest using it in your morning coffee or adding it to a smoothie to avoid wasting any of it. 

Don’t have evaporated milk? You can replace it with heavy cream or whole milk. If you want to get creative, you can replace it with evaporated goat’s milk. That will add a tangy flavor to your tres leches cake donuts. 

Add the melted, salted butter to the bowl after you add the evaporated milk. I usually add a pinch of salt to anything that has this much sugar. Doing so tempers the sweetness and balances the flavors better. I’m using salted butter to accomplish the same ends instead of risking grittiness with coarse grains of salt, though. 

What flavorings can I add to my Tres Leches Cake Donuts glaze?

The flavor I use to highlight the milk in tres leches is almond. It has a bright, mild citrus flavor that brings out the creaminess of the milks. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of pure almond extract to the bowl.

If you’re not a fan of almond extract, you can replace it with pure vanilla extract, rum extract, or a few drops of fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice. 

My Tres Leches glaze is too thin. How do I fix it?

Whisk these ingredients together in the bowl until they form a smooth, thick-ish glaze. The glaze’s consistency is going to be something between loose ketchup and maple syrup. No worries if it’s a little thin. You can sift a 1/4-cup of sugar into it to thicken it back up. 

How do I fix the glaze if it’s too thick?

On the flip side, if your glaze is too thick, like the donuts stay stuck in it when you try to dip them, It may result from two things. One: the butter in the glaze was allowed to cool, which means it’s solidified. To fix this, pop the bowl of tres leches glaze into the microwave for 15 seconds. Heat it, then whisk the glaze until it’s smooth again. If you just made it and you know the butter hasn’t had a chance to cool, you’ll need to thin it with one of the liquids. I prefer to use the evaporated milk when I need to thin the glaze because it gives more of a “milky” flavor. You can use that or the half-and-half. Add a teaspoon at a time, whisking, until it reaches that loose ketchup consistency.

If you’re a fan of thick, spreadable frosting on your donut, you can leave it thick like it is and use a spatula to smooth it on instead. But, for use as intended, dip the cake donuts into the glaze. Allow the excess glaze to run off for 2-3 seconds before flipping the donut over and transferring it to a platter or rack to set up. Once the glaze has set, or 1-2 minutes, you can re-dip the donut for more glaze-glory.

What if I don’t want to top my Tres Leches Cake Donuts with rainbow sprinkles?

Shortly after glazing the donuts, say 1 minute, you need to sprinkle or dip the donuts into the sprinkles. If you wait too long, the glaze will form a crust that won’t accept the sprinkles. Trying to press the donuts into them won’t work either because the glaze will just crack and look dumb. But then you also can’t sprinkle them on right after dipping. The weight of the sprinkles will cause the glaze to ooze down the sides of donut and make it dumb, too. Just wait for the glaze to set for 1 minute after dipping and do your sprinkle-thang. 

Now, if you’re not feeling the sprinkles, you can omit them completely. If you want to switch things up, use chocolate sprinkles, toasted coconut, or even crushed, freeze-dried fruits. 

How do I serve my donuts?

Serve these glazed and topped tres leches cake donuts with your next glass of milk or coffee. I’m a fan of the latter because the strong coffee cuts through the sweetness of the donuts. The kiddos prefer milk. Hector prefers to enjoy his with bacon. Who’s surprised by that? To make this a complete meal, you can add a side of bacon or eggs and fresh fruit or fruit juice. 

These tres leches cake donuts aren’t just for breakfast either. My family loves them for brunch, snacks, or as a dessert. They’re just versatile like that. 

How do I store leftover Tres Leches Cake Donuts?

Once you’ve eaten your fill, store the tres leches cake donuts in an air-tight container for 1 day on the countertop. Yes, there’s milk in there, but you’re safe so long as they’re in a cool area of the kitchen and you eat them within 1 day. If you don’t think you will, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep in mind that they’ll go stale fast in the fridge, so try to eat them as soon as you can. 

To make them taste fresh after storing, you can heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 

Can I freeze them?

You can freeze the donuts both before and after glazing, and you can also freeze the tres leches glaze itself. I wouldn’t freeze the donuts after sprinkling them, though. As they thaw, the moisture will cause the colors on the sprinkles to bleed and run, leaving your donuts a hot mess. 

To freeze after glazing:

1. Allow the glaze to set up for 1-2 minutes.
2. Transfer the donuts to a lined sheet pan and freeze them for 1-2 hours, or until solid.
3. Put the frozen donuts in a freezer storage bag. Keep frozen for 2 months. 
4. Remove the donuts you want to eat from the bag and allow them to thaw at room temperature.

Freezing the donuts on the sheetpan first allows you to pick them out in onesies and twosies instead of them freezing together in one lump. 

To freeze the Tres Leches Glaze:

1. Prepare the glaze as instructed.
2. Scoop the tres leches glaze into a freezer storage bag or freezer-safe container. Press out any air, then seal the bag. 
3. Freeze the glaze lying flat. Once frozen, you can stand the bag up, so it takes up less space. 
4. Freeze for 2 months. 
5. When you’re ready to use, thaw the glaze in the fridge. Reheat as needed in the microwave (or for 10-15 seconds on high) to achieve a dippable consistency. 

Enjoy your Tres Leches Cake Donuts

Now that we’ve made Tres Leches a breakfast affair, I hope you’ll take some time to prepare these cake donuts. Not only will you find them easy to make, but you’ll also enjoy how delicious they are. 

Be sure to tag me @senseandedibility on Instagram or @Sense and Edibility if you do, and let me know what you think. Check out my other donut recipes below, too!

Tres Leches Cake Donuts

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 17 votes

The flavors you love from Tres Leches Cake in an easy-to-make breakfast food.

Recipe time doesn't include making the Easy Cake Donuts recipe.

Servings: 12 donuts

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• whisk

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 cups (330 grams) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) salted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons (60 milliliters) half and half
• 2 tablespoons (60 milliliters) evaporated milk (plus more to then as needed)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract or vanilla extract
• 12 Easy Cake Donuts
• rainbow sprinkles for topping, optional

Instructions 

Prepare the Tres Leches Glaze (may be done up to 2 months ahead and frozen or a week ahead and stored in the fridge)

• Sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl to eliminate large clumps.

  Add the half-and-half, evaporated milk, the melted, salted butter, and the pure almond extract to the bowl.
• Whisk these ingredients together in the bowl until they form a smooth, thick glaze. The glaze's consistency should be between loose ketchup and maple syrup.

  If the glaze is too runny- like milk- sift a 1/4-cup of sugar into it to thicken it up. 

  If the glaze is thicker than frosting, heat the glaze in the microwave for 15 seconds, then whisk the glaze until it's smooth again. You can also thin it with the evaporated milk a teaspoon at a time, whisking, until it reaches that loose ketchup consistency.

  If you're a fan of thick, spreadable frosting on your donut, you can leave it thick like it is and use a spatula to smooth it on the donuts instead.

Dip, then Decorate the Tres Leches Cake Donuts

• Dip the cake donuts into the glaze, allowing the excess glaze to run off for 2-3 seconds before flipping the donut over and transferring it to a platter or rack to set up.

  Once the glaze has set, or 1-2 minutes, you can re-dip the donuts to add more glaze.
• Allow the glaze to set up for 1 minute before dipping the donuts into the sprinkles.

  If you wait too long after glazing, the glaze will form a crust that won't accept the sprinkles. But don't sprinkle them on right after dipping or the weight of the sprinkles will cause the glaze to ooze down the sides of donut. 
• Serve these glazed and topped tres leches cake donuts with your next glass of milk or coffee. They're not only great for breakfast, but also for brunch, snacks, or as a dessert.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Use freshly-made, plain cake donuts from a local donut shop instead of making yours from scratch.
• If you can't get donuts from a local donut shop, pick up a box of cake donuts from the bakery section at your grocery store. 
• Replace the half-and-half with 1 tablespoon of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
• Substitute more heavy cream for the evaporated milk. Or, for a different flavor use canned, evaporated goat milk.
• Use vanilla extract, rum extract, fresh citrus juice (lemon or lime) or brandy in place of almond extract.
• Replace the salted butter with unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt or omit the salt altogether.
• Use chocolate sprinkles, toasted coconut, toasted nuts, or crushed freeze-dried fruits in place of the rainbow sprinkles (nonpareils).

Storage Instructions:

Store the tres leches cake donuts in an air-tight container for 1 day on the countertop in a cool area of the kitchen. Eat them within 1 day.

If you don't think you will eat them all within a day, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Storing any bread product in the fridge will cause them to go stale faster, so try to eat them as soon as you can. 

To make them taste fresh after storing, you can heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 

Freezing Instructions:

Freezing the donuts after sprinkling them is not recommended because, as they thaw, the moisture causes the colors on the sprinkles to bleed and run onto the glaze on the donuts. 

To Freeze the Glazed Donuts

1. Allow the glaze to set up for 1-2 minutes.
2. Transfer the donuts to a lined sheet pan and freeze them for 1-2 hours, or until solid.
3. Put the frozen donuts in a freezer storage bag.
4. Freeze for 2 months.
5. Remove the donuts you want to eat from the bag and allow them to thaw at room temperature.

To Freeze the Tres Leches Glaze

1. Prepare the glaze as instructed. Scoop the tres leches glaze into a freezer storage bag or freezer-safe container.
2. Press out any air, then seal the bag. Freeze the glaze lying flat. Once frozen, you can stand the bag up, so it takes up less space.
3. Freeze for 2 months.
4. When you're ready to use, thaw the glaze in the fridge.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 97mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 225IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine Hispanic

Keyword cake donuts, tres leches

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