Banana Tres Leches Cake

Total Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Servings: 15

Tres Leches cake is a popular Hispanic-influenced dessert. Soaked in three sweet milks, this version uses a foolproof Betty Crocker™ cake mix to make it extra easy!


All You Need Is ...

  • Small check mark in a circle icon Vegetable oil, for greasing
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Vanilla Cake Mix
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 3 extra large eggs
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 80g butter, melted
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
For the tres leches
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 395g can sweetened condensed milk
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 150ml light coconut milk
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 150ml double cream
To decorate
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 1 tub Betty Crocker™ Creamy Deluxe™ Vanilla Frosting
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 2 bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Small check mark in a circle icon 3 tablespoons coconut flakes, toasted

Betty's Easy Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Grease a 33cm x 22cm rectangular cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.
  2. Open the cake box, remove enclosed frosting sachet and reserve for another use. Place the cake mix, eggs, butter and milk in a bowl, then whisk (by hand or using an electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the mashed bananas. Pour into the prepared pan and gently level the surface. Bake for 25-27 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
  3. Using a metal skewer, poke holes in the cake at 1cm intervals, wiping the skewer clean occasionally to prevent sticking. For the tres leches, mix the condensed milk, coconut milk and cream together in a bowl. Setting aside 150ml of the mixture, spoon the remainder over the warm cake, spreading back and forth with the back of a spoon until absorbed into the holes. Leave in the pan to cool completely; about 1 1/2 hours.
  4. To serve, remove the cake from the pan using the baking paper. Slice into 15 servings (see tip). Place each piece on a serving plate and drizzle over 1 teaspoon of the reserved milk mixture. Top each serving with a spoonful of frosting, a couple of banana slices and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

Betty's Tips

  • For more coconut flavour, fold 50g of desiccated coconut into the cake mixture with the bananas.
  • This cake is deliciously sticky, so to make slicing easier use a large knife that’s been dipped in hot water to warm the blade, wiping clean between each slice.
  • To toast coconut flakes, spread on a baking tray and place in a hot oven for a few minutes until golden brown at the edges or pop under a hot grill for a few minutes – keep a close eye on the coconut as it can burn quickly.