This vanilla sponge cake, soaked to perfection in a trio of milk (condensed, evaporated, and heavy cream) and crowned with whipped cream, has quietly made its way into Indian culinary trends, adding a touch of Latino flair to an already vibrant dessert scene. Although it feels like a timeless classic, tres leches doesn’t date back as far as you might imagine. Food historians trace its origins to the 20th century, when Nestlé introduced recipes featuring canned milk after building production plants in Mexico around World War II. Digging deeper, though, reveals a predecessor: an elegant dessert of bread soaked in wine, layered with milk custard, and topped with fruits or nuts—a decadent European creation that made its way to Mexico in the 19th century.
From its classic vanilla iteration to endless modern twists, it is a proof that nothing beats a sponge drenched in sweetness. “It all starts with the foundation. Staying true to tradition, we bake a delicate, airy sponge to perfection in a tray. While it’s still warm, we gently pour over the tres leches mixture, allowing it to infuse every layer,” shares Chef Vinesh Johny, Co-Founder Lavonne India.
At Bombay Sweet Shop in Bandra and Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, the classic tres leches gets a creative twist. “We infuse flavour into every layer—soaking liquids, toppings, and house-made jams and foams—keeping the dessert light and balanced. Collaborating with local vendors, we craft seasonal variations using fresh, locally sourced fruits. Summer highlights include mango & matcha tres leches with matcha-soaked sponge, Alphonso mangoes, orange foam, and dulce cream,” shares Tulsi Ponappa, Sous Chef, Bombay Sweet Shop.
The richness of the soaked sponge resonates with India’s love for creamy, syrupy sweets like rasmalai, making tres leches a natural fit and a delicious cross-cultural storytelling moment. “Instead of the traditional sponge cake, we use our in-house toasted shokupan—our take on the Japanese milk bread—giving the dessert a beautiful balance of softness and a slight crispness. It’s then soaked in a warm cocoa-infused milk, and finished with creme anglaise that ties it all together,” chips in Chef Parvez Khan at Sozo Izakaya, Mumbai.
At Cicchetti in Delhi Chef Parth Gupta’s version is a love letter to milk itself. “We take the time to cook it down, coaxing out its deep, caramelised richness until it turns a beautiful golden hue.” This slow transformation intensifies the flavour, giving the milk a velvety depth. To balance the sweetness, we serve it with fresh berries,” he adds. Little wonder that Mexico’s favourite dessert is captivating India’s vibrant culinary landscape with unique, flavourful twists.