Cuatro Leches Cake (Four Milk Cake)

This Cuatro Leches Cake recipe is my special take on the classic. The fourth milk is a rich caramel sauce made from sweetened condensed milk (also known as dulce de leche) that takes this cake to a whole new level! Perfect for birthdays, potlucks, or any special occasion, this cake is irresistibly soft, moist, and sweet.

A slice of cuatro leches cake on a plate with caramel sauce oozing out.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Cuatro Leches Cake (Four Milk Cake)
Main Ingredients: butter golden or yellow box cake mix, caramel, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, whipped topping
Why You'll Love It: This cuatro leches cake recipe creates a soft, moist, and sweet cake that's soaked in four different milk flavors (caramel sauce included).

Four Milks, One Incredible Cake

There’s only one thing better than tres leches cake, and that’s cuatro leches cake! This is because the fourth ingredient is caramel or dulce de leche, and every dessert tastes better with the addition of caramel, right?

Besides a cake mix, you’ve got heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whipped topping. Together with the caramel sauce, these ingredients make a cake that’s deliciously soft, moist, and sweet, topped with a creamy sauce.

Cuatro leches cake is luckily very easy to make. Once you bake your cake, all you have to do is poke holes all over it, pour the smooth milk mixture over it, and add the caramel. Then it goes in the fridge overnight so all that deliciousness can soak through the cake, and in the morning, you add the creamy whipped topping before serving.

Cuatro leches poke cake ingredients, featuring heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, caramel sauce, whipped topping, and cake mix.

Recipe Ingredients

Heavy cream
Sweetened condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Caramel sauce
Whipped topping
A cake mix

Tips & Variations

Another version of the cuatro leches cake uses coconut milk instead of dulce de leche (caramel). If you want to try this cake recipe instead, add 1 cup of coconut milk to the milk mixture. You could also decorate the whipped topping with some coconut flakes.
Traditionally, this cake recipe was paired with a meringue topping. You’ll need sugar and egg whites (make sure there are no egg yolks present and you beat them until stiff peaks form). For more details on how to make a meringue topping, head to my homemade banana pudding recipe.

A fork taking a piece of cuatro leches cake.

How to Make Cuatro Leches Cake

1. Make the Cake Batter

Prepare cake mix according to the package directions.

This butter golden mix is fluffier than regular cake mixes, but I promise whatever you use will be just fine, so trust me and don’t fret. If you’re going to fret over something, there are greater causes than cake mix!

2. Bake

Next, spray a 9×13 baking pan with baking spray.

Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan and bake according to directions on the box. Make sure the cake is baked completely before removing it from the oven. The old toothpick-in-the-center trick is the way to go!

We’re gonna put all sorts of good stuff on top of this cake, so we don’t want it sinking in the middle.

Cake batter in a baking pan over a white marble surface.

3. Poke Holes & Pour

Now poke holes all over the top of the sponge cake using a fork, the end of a wooden spoon, or whatever you grab out of the drawer first.

Poking holes in cake with end of wooden spoon.

Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a medium bowl and add your other kinds of milk (except the caramel). Then stir all of that up really well until well blended.

Pouring sweetened condensed milk in a glass mixing bowl.

Pouring other milk in a glass mixing bowl.

Pour the milk mixture over the warm cake, giving it a few minutes to soak in good.

Pouring milk mixture over a sheet cake with holes.

4. Add Caramel

Go ahead and let the cake cool for a bit, then spread that caramel all over the top. Don’t eat it yet! I know, I know, it smells amazing, and it’s so hard to resist, but hang in there!

Pouring caramel over a sheet cake with holes in it.

A layer of caramel spread over cuatro leches cake.

5. Chill Overnight

Once you’ve covered it up with some plastic wrap or a lid, place it in the fridge and let it sit overnight. Trust me, the wait is worth it!

Covered cuatro leches cake ready to refrigerate overnight.

When the next day finally rolls around, go ahead and ice your cuatro leches cake with whipped topping.

Dollops of whipped cream over cuatro leches cake.

Cuatro leches cake topped with whipped cream.

That’s it. Enjoy your delicious 4 leches cake!

How to Serve Cuatro Leches Cake

Serve a slice of cake with a maraschino cherry, fresh peach slices, sliced plums, chopped apricots, or blueberries. You could also serve it with a scoop of my no-churn cherry vanilla ice cream, which perfectly complements the caramel sauce.

A spatula lifting a slice of cuatro leches cake out of a sheet pan.

Storage

Because of the whipped topping, you’re going to want to store cake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. However, they’ll last up to 5 days. The cake just gets better as the milk soaks in!

Cuatro Leches Cake FAQs

What cake mix should I use for cuatro leches cake?

You can use whatever sponge cake mix you like. I like butter golden, but you can use yellow, white, or whatever you have. You could even use a chocolate cake mix if you want.

How do I know when the milk mixture has been fully absorbed?

You’ll notice the liquid is no longer pooling on top, and the cake looks moist throughout. I usually give it at least 30 minutes before popping it in the fridge. The longer you leave it, the more delicious it gets!

Can I make my cuatro leches cake in advance?

Yes, you can store your cuatro leches cake in the fridge up to three days in advance. I’d add the whipped cream topping just before serving.