This traditional Tres Leches Cake is made without grains, gluten free, sugar free, nut free, keto and low carb!
Tres Leches Cake
A traditional Tres Leches cake is as type of sponge cake or butter cake using 3 milks to soak the cake in, typically evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream.
Although my version is low carb and sugar free, it takes on the traditional with a vengeance! Topped with some amazingly delicious sugar free whipped cream and you will impress even the non low carbers in your life!
Low Carb Keto Tres Leches Cake
With an airy light texture despite being soaked in delicious milk and cream, it's oozing pockets of cream that spill out when sliced, is nothing less than spectacular! Many low carb cakes are often made with almond flour, but since my youngest son has a tree nut allergy, I very rarely use almond flour. My favorite option is coconut flour. While it does take some time to learn to bake with coconut flour, you would be surprised at how much lighter of a cake you'll get as opposed to using almond flour. I'm sure many of you have been burned by one to many recipes using coconut flour that truly just made you think you hated coconut flour, but honestly it was probably the recipe itself. If the recipe using coconut flour doesn't have enough liquids to support its absorbent nature, baked goods will be dry.
Don't believe me? Look at the comments for these amazing Chocolate Chip Muffins!
Coconut Flour Cake
If the look of this doesn't get you excited I'm not sure what will.
Although it's got a coconut flour base that's not even a factor in flavor, especially if you're not a fan of coconut. It's just a slight hint, the overwhelming flavor of the cream mixture is all you will notice upon each soft milky bite.
Seen here topped with my Sugar Free Cannoli Frosting and some chocolate chips for a bit of color.
You want to see those holes, don't feel like you made a mistake in baking it. The holes hold all that creaminess!
If I were trying to impress company that weren't accustomed to sugar free low carb desserts, this is the one I'd make. It's fool proof and perfect.
Make this for your next family and friends get together and you will impress them beyond belief! AND I would know this because NONE of my family is low carb and sugar free BUT me, so I brought it, they tried it and they loved it, even the picky hubby of mine! Rave reviews!
Nutrition Info INCLUDES frosting because you NEED it, can't make the cake showing holes on top.
Sugar Free Tres Leches Cake
(Low Carb, Keto, Nut Free)
Sugar Free Low Carb Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup Swerve granular sweetener divided or other granulated sugar free substitute
- pinch salt
- 6 eggs seperated
- ½ cup butter melted, cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla stevia
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup Half & Half
- ½ cup heavy cream
- optional: ¼ cup Brandy
- 2 cups Sugar Free Cannoli Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the coconut flour, baking powder and ½ cupSwerve together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites into a stand mixer with the remaining Swerve and blend until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract and vanilla stevia.
- Fold the coconut flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
- Gently fold in the stiffened egg whites in small batches into the coconut flour batter.
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, do not remove from the pan.
- Take a skewer stick and make holes in cake.
- In another bowl whisk together the coconut milk, Half & Half, heavy cream and optional brandy.
- Pour this over the cake into all the holes. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour then remove the sides of the spring form pan before frosting.
- Frost and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
wendy
I'd like to get a mocha flavor...could i simply add some espresso powder?
Brenda
Sounds like a good idea!
Joy
I think I made this four times now! It is absolutely delicious!!! One time I made it with less eggs and it still came out heavenly. Also instead of chocolate chips, I put a berry syrup made of strawberry, blackberry or blue berry mixed with some lemon juice , erythritol and xantham gum.
Brenda
Wonderful so happy you love this recipe!
Helen Roady
I made this recipe today. It came out Amazing!!!!! Way better than the original. Having guilt free cake is the best.
Thank you soo much for sharing this amazing recipe.
Brenda
Thank you so much!
Jenn
This was fantastic! My husband and I were very sad when it was finished. I was thinking it might translate well to a pineapple upside down cake recipe. Maybe less cream and more butter in the pour over sauce.
Monica
Best low carb tres leches cake ever...wow!!!!!thanks for sharing!!!
Heidi
I made this, and I don't know where I went wrong but the cake would NOT absorb the milk. And I poked so many holes in the thing. I even left it overnight to see if that would help, but it didn't. Turned out okay as you can eat it in a bowl and add the unabsorbed milk and get the cake moist as you eat. But I'll probably look for another cake recipe.
Hannah Chernos
** And what about adding the chocolate chips right in? Or cocoa powder to make it chocolate?
Hannah Chernos
Is this possible to make into a layered cake? Or would you just double the recipe and make two?
Brenda
I'd probably double the recipe, make two separate cakes then layer with frosting.
Tiffany
Made this cake for a birthday, it was ok, definitely not as good as a regular tres leches cake. If its possible the cake is both dry and wet at the same time. It wasn't overcooked but you know how it goes with coconut flour, sometimes it comes out this way. Maybe if the recipe was remastered a bit to include both almond flour AND coconut flour it would be less like this? That is where most of my success has been found. I did like the frosting, very reminiscent of a cannoli indeed, however, I think just a plain whipped cream frosting might have been better paired. If you do make this and you do want to use the cannoli frosting, I would cut the frosting recipe in half because it made way too much.
Brenda
Believe me if I could use almond flour for all my recipes I would but with a son with tree nut allergies it's just not an option. Thank you for your comments.
Tiffany
Oh my, that does create some challenges for sure. Regardless, I appreciate your thinking out of the box on your recipes! Very creative indeed.
Brenda
thank you!
Joy
I made this cake and it was GOOD! Instead of using HVC on milking the cake, I used nestle table cream. I beat the egg white stiff and i fold using a whip. Love it and will make it again and again. Thank you for this genius recipe 🙂
Margaret Sims
This looks lovely, can you tell me what size spring pan you used?
Brenda
Thank you! It is a 9 inch.
Regina
All I can say is WOW,! Easier to make then I thought. Taste was light, not overly coconutty. The canolli frosting was good too. I used parchment paper in a pie plate as mold. It prevented cake from sticking.
Brenda
Thanks for sharing!
Laura
Does this keep well? Would it be just as good made a day ahead and refrigerated, or would the texture suffer?
Brenda
Better the next day kept in the fridge! All the cream is soaked up within the cake.
Fay
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Brenda
yes
Leta Libby
Can I use white flour instead of coconut flour? I must try this, haven't had cake for many years.
Brenda
Unfortunately you can't easily switch coconut flour with others flours since coconut flour needs so many more eggs and liquids than any other flour, don't think the texture would be the same.
Lisa
Do leftovers need refrigerated?
Marija
This was so good. I made traditional tres leches cake and this one for me and my diabetic father for my birthday party. The low carb version was better 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful recipe
Brenda
WOW! That's awesome! Thank you so much!
Ashlei
Do you think this would release from a traditional cake pan and be able to be cut into a shape for a kids party? Or maybe cupcakes? Thanks!
Ann
I made this for a Labor Day gathering and it was a big hit, even with the carboholics!
Kira
This was lovely. I skipped the frosting (feeling lazy!), but we had some berries and it was wonderful just with a few strawberries and blueberries. I like that it's a yummy dessert that's very low carb -- and low cal also. Perfect for when I don't have a lot of calories left at the end of the day.
Brenda
I'm so glad you liked and thank you for coming back to share your thoughts.
Lisa
Gonna make th8s for Easter and use Berries
Zsa
This recipe sounds fantastic! Can it be made in another type of baking pan/dish, as I do not have a springform pan? If so, what size would you suggest! I am a terrible baker, ? and need all the advice I can get! ? Thank you for making Tres Leches a possibility in our lives again!
Brenda
I think you could use an 8 by 8 glass pan.
Dixie
This recipe worked well in 8 X 8 pan. I made thus it was delicious. I have one concern there was something sweet and crunchy, not in every bite in the cake. I think it was the granular swerve. What would of caused this?
Brenda
Did you notice the crunch after you refrigerated it?
Mary
Any ideas on how to make this dairy free as well?
Melissa
I literally gasped when I saw this. Tres Leches cake is my absolute favorite. I can't wait to make this. Thank you for being so good at what you do!! 🙂
Cj
Thanks to you I can finally make Tres Leches for my husband. We moved from Miami a few years ago and he found out that he was diabetic -but loved going to Cuban restaurants and getting tres leches prior to that. Think I'll surprise him!!
Do you happen to have a recipe for sugar free tiramisu ? That's my fav!!
Love receiving your emails and appreciate the work you put into it. Great job !!!
Brenda
No not yet but that is next on my list. Thanks!
Dondi Grubb
Could this be made into cupcakes too? I'm looking for a sf treat for our tailgating party.
Brenda
Probably would work, let me know if you try it.
Eve
Hi, the vanilla Stevia is granular sugar? can use the vanilla Stevia drops.
Brenda
Vanilla stevia is liquid stevia.
Ally
Did you try them as cupcakes?
janet
Thank you for coming up with this one, it looks divine! Will have to give it a try, I especially like the fact it has no almond flour. Thanks also for making it concise and printable all on one page!
Brenda
Thank you! Yes most recipes I can't use almond flour as my little guy has a tree nut allergy so when it's a recipe jsut for me I use it, but for the family I don't. Makes it hard to bake but I'm getting it done. Hope you love it!
Amy
Does the nutritional info include the frosting on it? Looks delish. Can’t wait to try it.
Brenda
Yes it totally includes frosting because you definitely want the cannoli frosting.