Cookie Butter Milk-Soaked Cake with Creamy Whipped Topping!
Tres leches cake, a beloved Latin American dessert, takes on a new level of indulgence with the addition of cookie butter. This Cookie Butter Tres Leches is rich, creamy, and infused with the warm, spiced flavor of Biscoff cookies, making it the ultimate crowd-pleaser for any occasion. Especially if, like me, you enjoy creamy desserts!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture! This cake is ultra-moist and tender, thanks to the soaking of the three-milk mixture.
- Flavor for days! The creamy milk mixture combined with the sweet and spiced notes of cookie butter creates a dessert that’s decadent and unique.
- Show-stopping presentation. Topped with fluffy whipped cream flavored with cookie butter and a sprinkle of crushed Biscoff cookies, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
For more cookie butter recipes (yum!), try my cookie butter icebox cake, creamy cookie butter cheesecake bars, or this adorable cookie butter puff pastry snowflake next!
What You’ll Need
- Dry ingredients: cake flour, ground Biscoff cookies, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Wet ingredients: granulated sugar whisked with egg yolks and pure vanilla extract.
- Heavy cream
- Egg whites whipped with cream of tartar
For the tres leches (three milk) mixture, you’ll need: heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cookie butter.
And finally, don’t forget the cookie butter whipped cream made with heavy cream, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and crushed Biscoff cookies. Totally decadent!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cookie butter brands: Any brand of cookie butter will work, but Biscoff provides the classic spiced flavor that pairs perfectly with this dessert.
- Cake flour: Cake flour ensures a light and tender crumb. If you don’t have it, substitute 1½ cups of all-purpose flour minus 3 tablespoons, and add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Gluten-Free: Replace cake flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
Directions
- Prepare the cake. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 pan. Whisk dry ingredients (flour, ground Biscoff cookies, cinnamon, baking powder, salt) in one bowl. Beat sugar and egg yolks until fluffy, then mix in vanilla and cream. Fold in dry ingredients.
- Incorporate the egg whites. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter in three additions.
3. Bake and soak. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. While the cake bakes, whisk heavy cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and warmed cookie butter. Poke holes in the warm cake, pour milk mixture evenly, and let cool.
4. Chill, then serve! Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon for topping. Spread over the cake and garnish with crushed Biscoff cookies before serving.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure eggs and cream are at room temperature for a smoother batter.
- Poking the Cake: Be generous when poking holes to allow the milk mixture to soak in evenly.
- Whipped Cream Consistency: For a cleaner cut, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
Make-Ahead and Store
Please remember that this dessert has to sit in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours to soak up the milk mixture. While it doesn’t have to be made a full day in advance, it’s much better when it’s had a chance to soak.
- To make-ahead: Prepare the cake up to two days in advance, but add the whipped topping just before serving.
- Leftovers and storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: While the whipped topping doesn’t freeze well, the soaked cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or treating yourself to something special, this cake is bound to become a new favorite in your recipe collection.
If you make this Cookie Butter Tres Leches Cake recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Cookie Butter Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (210g) cake flour
- ½ cup (65g) Biscoff cookies, finely ground
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (133g) sugar
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp cream of tartar
- 1½ cup (355ml) heavy cream or whole milk, divided
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup creamy cookie butter, microwaved for 20-30 seconds until warm
For the whipped cream topping
- 1½ cups (355ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup crushed Biscoff cookies, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Preheat an oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack set in the center, then grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or nonstick baking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups (210g) cake flour, ½ cup (65g) ground Biscoff cookies, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Set aside.
- Beat the wet ingredients. Place ⅔ cup (133g) sugar and 6 egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract, and ½ cup (118ml) heavy cream. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in dry ingredients. Carefully add the flour to the wet ingredients, then gently fold to combine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, then clean out the stand mixer bowl.
- Whip egg whites. Place 6 large egg whites in the stand mixer bowl, then add ¾ tsp cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Fold egg whites into wet ingredients. In three batches, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until fully incorporated.
- Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter to the prepared baking dish, then use an offset spatula to smooth into an even layer. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Mix three milks. While the cake is baking, combine 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream, 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk, and 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk in a bowl, then whisk well. Add ½ cup warmed cookie butter, then whisk into the milk mixture.
- Drench the cake in tres leches. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a wooden skewer (or fork) to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the top. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Chill overnight. Cover the cake with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Garnish, then serve. When ready to serve, combine 1½ cup (355ml) heavy cream, 2 Tbsp powdered sugar, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip until medium or stiff peaks form (depending on which you prefer). Spread into an even layer on top of the cake, then garnish with crushed Biscoff cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make-ahead: Prepare the cake up to two days in advance, but add the whipped topping just before serving.
- Leftovers and storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: While the whipped topping doesn’t freeze well, the soaked cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Photography by Jo Harding.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!