Quick & Cozy Cookie Butter Tres Leches Recipe
Quick & Cozy Cookie Butter Tres Leches is a decadent, moist cake that blends a cinnamon-spiced cake base with a luscious tres leches milk soak infused with cookie butter. Topped with a fluffy cookie-butter whipped cream and crunchy cookie crumbs, it’s the ultimate comfort dessert perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (including chilling time, ideally overnight)
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1½ cups (210 g) cake flour
- ½ cup (65 g) Biscoff (or similar) cookies, finely pulverized
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, separated (yolks & whites)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream (or whole milk)
Tres Leches Milk Mixture
- 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup cookie butter, warmed briefly so it stirs smoothly
Topping
- 1½ cups (355 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup crushed Biscoff cookies (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Prep the pan and oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter or spray a 9×13-inch pan so the cake slides out easily later.
- Combine the dry elements: In a bowl sift or whisk the cake flour, finely pulverized Biscoff cookie crumbs, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and kosher salt until evenly distributed.
- Whisk yolks with sugar: Place the six egg yolks and granulated sugar into a mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and half-cup of heavy cream (or whole milk) on low speed just until blended.
- Fold in the dry mix: Gently fold the flour mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined, being careful not to overwork the batter to keep it light.
- Whip the egg whites: In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the six egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes on high speed.
- Incorporate whites into batter: Fold the whipped whites into the batter in three additions, using a rubber spatula with light motions to maintain the airy texture.
- Bake the sponge: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan.
- Make the tres leches milk mixture: Whisk together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and warmed cookie butter until smooth and homogenous.
- Soak the warm cake: While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over the top using a skewer or fork. Slowly pour the tres leches milk mixture evenly over the cake to soak through. Let the cake cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Prepare the cookie-butter whipped cream: Whip the heavy whipping cream with confectioners’ sugar and ground cinnamon until medium to stiff peaks form. Spread this whipped cream evenly over the chilled, soaked cake. Sprinkle crushed Biscoff cookies across the surface for garnish.
- Serve: Slice the cake using a clean knife, warming and drying the blade between cuts for clean slices. Enjoy your indulgent Cookie Butter Tres Leches cake!
Notes
- For best results, chill the cake overnight to allow full absorption of the milk mixture.
- If you cannot find Biscoff cookies, a similar spiced cookie or speculoos may be used.
- You can substitute heavy cream with whole milk in the cake batter for a lighter option.
- Warming the cookie butter helps it incorporate smoothly into the milk mixture.
- Use fresh eggs and cream for optimum texture and flavor.
- Make sure to beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl to achieve stiff peaks.
Keywords: cookie butter, tres leches cake, Biscoff, spiced cake, tres leches dessert, whipped cream topping, easy cake recipe, moist cake
