Oreo Tres Leches Cake
By Victoria Guajardo of Gorda Bakes
Cookies and cream tres leches cake is a product of my daydreaming. I love experimenting with flavors, especially ones that result in a sense of nostalgia. There’s just something about dunking Oreos in milk until they’re ready to melt in your mouth that brings back childhood midnight snack memories. Tres leches is also undoubtedly a Southwest Texas favorite—I’m even confident that it's the most loved cake in San Antonio! After having the thought of combining the two, I tweeted asking my followers if this is something they would eat. Immediately, a friend of mine commissioned me to make it. One day and a raving review later, my inbox was full of requests for more Oreo tres leches cakes based on word of mouth alone. In one week, I must have baked 15 cakes—and that’s a lot for just a one-woman show! It brought me such joy to witness everyone indulge in a creation of mine that fused nostalgia and comfort in every bite. I will always hold this cake in my heart for being the one that started it all, because the debut of this cake has led to steady business for almost 4 years. Launching a home bakery in 2020 during a pandemic was not on my bingo card and neither was gaining a small local following, but I am grateful to the universe and to my beloved Oreo Tres Leches.
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Ingredients
Oreo Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature butter
3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ tablespoon vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or Mexican vanilla
10 Oreos, finely crushed
Tres Leches Cake Soak
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
Oreo Chantilly Topping
1 pint heavy whipping cream
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
10 Oreos, finely crushed (reserve some crushed Oreos to sprinkle on top of the cake)
[All ingredients in this recipe can be swapped out for your choice of plant-based or gluten-free alternatives. The texture and taste will be altered, but still delicious!]
Instructions
For the Cake
Preheat the oven to 325oF and prepare one 13x9 sheet pan with your choice of non-stick baking spray.
Sift all dry ingredients, including sugar, into a large mixing bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until very well combined and smooth; set aside.
Cut sticks of butter into cubes (Tip: your butter is room temperature and ready to use if you can leave an impression with a spoon or your finger. If it’s too softened, you can just pop it back into the fridge for a few minutes to harden slightly).
Beat dry ingredients on medium speed while dropping in butter cubes until all the butter is worked in. The outcome of this mixture will be crumbly and coarse. That’s how you’ll know you’re ready for the next step.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the butter mixture while mixing on low until combined, then raise the speed until the batter is smooth. This should only take about 1 minute, so be careful not to overwork the batter. Last, gently fold in Oreo crumbs.
Bake cake for 35-45 minutes. Baking time will vary by altitude and type of oven range.
The cake is done baking when you can stick a toothpick into the center and pull it out clean. Let the cake cool completely, then poke holes throughout the cake with a fork or chopstick. Lots of tiny holes will ensure maximum soakage!
Prepare Tres Leches Soak + Chantilly
While the cake is in the oven, wash your dishes and make your Chantilly! Combine cream and confectioner’s sugar into your mixer and whip on high until stiff peaks form; be careful not to overmix, or you’ll have butter! Once the cream is set, fold in Oreo crumbs, then store in the fridge until your cake is ready to be frosted.
Prepare the tres leches soak by combining all three leches, then pour as evenly as possible throughout the cake. Spread your Oreo Chantilly all over the cake or feel free to get creative and use a piping bag to decorate it. Top with sprinkles or more crushed Oreos—or both!
Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight, to allow the cake to soak up all the leche; plus, the colder the cake, the better! ■
