Dairy Free Strawberry Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches cake is one of those desserts that always feels a little special. This version takes the classic soaked cake and gives it a fresh strawberry twist.

The best part is that it’s completely dairy free. I swapped the usual milks for oat milk and coconut milk, so nothing here comes from a cow.

The sponge stays light and soft, and it soaks up all that creamy strawberry milk mixture beautifully. Every bite is soft, moist, and full of berry flavor.

Making it dairy free matters if you can’t have dairy or you’re cooking for someone who can’t. But honestly, you would never guess it was missing anything.

Top it with coconut whipped topping and fresh strawberries, and you have a dessert that looks as good as it tastes.

Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

Completely Dairy Free – Every creamy layer uses coconut and oat milk, so you get that rich soaked cake without any dairy at all.

Melt In Your Mouth Soft – The sponge soaks up the strawberry milk for hours, turning each bite wonderfully moist and tender.

Bursting With Strawberry Flavor – Fresh strawberry puree in the soak and sliced berries on top give this cake sweet fruity flavor in every layer.

Light And Fluffy Texture – Whipped egg whites make the cake airy, so it stays soft and pillowy even after soaking.

Here’s What You’ll Need

For The Sponge Cake

• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 5 large Eggs, Separated
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar, Divided
• 1/3 cup Unsweetened Oat Milk
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

For The Strawberry Milk Soak

• 1 cup Dairy-Free Evaporated Oat Milk
• 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
• 3/4 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup Smooth Strawberry Puree
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

For The Topping

• 2 cups Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Topping
• 2 cups Fresh Strawberries, Sliced

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Step 2

Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and thick. Mix in the oat milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, then stir in the flour mixture.

Step 3

Beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter in three additions.

Step 4

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 24 to 28 minutes. Cool the cake for 20 minutes.

Step 5

Whisk the evaporated oat milk, condensed coconut milk, full-fat coconut milk, strawberry puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together until smooth.

Step 6

Poke the cake all over with a skewer, then slowly pour the strawberry milk mixture across the surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours so the cake absorbs the soak.

Step 7

Spread the coconut whipped topping over the cold cake and arrange the sliced strawberries on top.

Step 8

Refrigerate the finished cake for 30 minutes, then serve it well chilled.

Recipe Tips

Bring Your Eggs to Room Temperature First

Take your eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start baking. Cold egg whites don’t whip up as tall or as stable as room temperature ones.

From my experience, this small step makes a big difference in how fluffy your sponge cake turns out. Warmer whites hold more air, and that air is what gives the cake its light, airy texture.

Keep Every Bowl Free of Egg Yolk and Grease

When you separate your eggs, make sure not a single drop of yolk gets into the whites. Even a tiny bit of fat will stop the whites from whipping up to stiff peaks.

I recommend wiping your bowl and beaters with a little lemon juice or vinegar before you start, then drying them well. This removes any hidden grease that could ruin your whipped whites.

Crack each egg into a small separate cup first, then add it to your main bowl. That way if one yolk breaks, you only lose one egg instead of the whole batch.

Fold the Egg Whites Gently in Three Parts

Adding the whites in three additions instead of all at once keeps the batter light. Dumping them in all together makes them harder to mix without knocking out the air.

My favorite trick here is to use a big spoon or spatula and scoop down through the middle, then bring the batter up and over the top. Turn the bowl a little each time and stop as soon as you don’t see white streaks.

If you stir too hard or too long, the air escapes and your cake will bake up dense and flat instead of tall and soft.

What to Make Next

• Dairy Free Coconut Vanilla Creme Brulee
• Dairy Free Coconut Key Lime Pie
• Dairy Free Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Dairy Free Caramelized Banana Pudding
• Dairy Free Peach Cobbler Cookies

Popular Questions

Why do I have to separate the eggs instead of just mixing them in whole?

Separating the eggs is what gives this cake its light, fluffy sponge texture. You beat the whites on their own until they form stiff peaks, and that traps air that makes the cake rise and stay soft.

If you just tossed whole eggs in, the cake would come out denser and would not soak up the milk mixture as nicely. The airy sponge is the secret to that classic tres leches feel.