Tres Leches Cake & Mexican Street Corn Salad: A Cinco de Mayo Feast

Updated at: 11/05/2025

Cinco de Mayo is more than just a holiday; it's a vibrant celebration of Mexican culture, heritage, and delicious food. This year, elevate your festivities with a culinary double feature that's sure to impress: a supremely moist Tres Leches Cake and a fresh, vibrant Mexican Street Corn Salad. These two recipes offer a delightful contrast of textures and flavors, perfectly complementing each other to create a memorable Cinco de Mayo feast. Imagine the creamy indulgence of the cake melting in your mouth, followed by the satisfying crunch and zest of the salad—a true taste of Mexico.

This Cinco de Mayo, ditch the same old routine and dive into a culinary adventure. We'll guide you through each step of creating these show-stopping dishes, ensuring a successful and delicious celebration. Prepare to be amazed as we break down the simple yet effective techniques that will transform your kitchen into a festive Mexican cantina. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and let's get cooking!

Tools Needed

  • 9x13 inch baking pan
  • electric hand mixer
  • whisk
  • skillet
  • bowl with spout

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Bake the Tres Leches Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until pale yellow and smooth.
  • Add milk and vanilla to the egg yolks; stir in.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.For the Tres Leches Cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.Beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until pale yellow and smooth.Add milk and vanilla to the egg yolks; stir in.
Bake the Tres Leches Cake
  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
  • Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Bake the Tres Leches Cake
  • Let the cake cool completely.
  • While cake cools, whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk.
  • Once cake is cool, poke holes all over with a fork and pour the milk mixture over the cake, ensuring all areas are soaked.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Let the cake cool completely.While cake cools, whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk.Once cake is cool, poke holes all over with a fork and pour the milk mixture over the cake, ensuring all areas are soaked.Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Bake the Tres Leches Cake
  • Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.
Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.
Bake the Tres Leches Cake

Step 2. Prepare the Tres Leches Cake Filling and Topping

  • While cake cools, whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk.
  • Once cake is cool, poke holes all over with a fork and pour the milk mixture over the cake, ensuring all areas are soaked.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.
While cake cools, whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk.Once cake is cool, poke holes all over with a fork and pour the milk mixture over the cake, ensuring all areas are soaked.Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.
Prepare the Tres Leches Cake Filling and Topping

Step 3. Make the Mexican Street Corn Salad

  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred (about 8 minutes).
  • Stir in garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.
  • Let corn cool slightly, then stir in mayonnaise, cilantro/parsley, lime juice, and cheese.
For the Mexican Street Corn Salad: Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred (about 8 minutes).Stir in garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.Let corn cool slightly, then stir in mayonnaise, cilantro/parsley, lime juice, and cheese.
Make the Mexican Street Corn Salad
  • Serve in a bowl, topped with green onions and lime wedges.
Serve in a bowl, topped with green onions and lime wedges.
Make the Mexican Street Corn Salad

Step 4. Assemble and Serve the Cinco de Mayo Feast

  • Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.
  • Serve in a bowl, topped with green onions and lime wedges.
Top with whipped cream and cinnamon; garnish with sliced strawberries.Serve in a bowl, topped with green onions and lime wedges.
Assemble and Serve the Cinco de Mayo Feast

Read more: No-Bake Carlota de Limon: Easy Mexican Lime Icebox Cake Recipe

Tips

  • Use fresh or frozen corn for the salad.
  • Adjust the amount of chili powder to your spice preference.
  • The Tres Leches cake is better the longer it sits, so make it a day or two ahead!
  • For a shortcut, use a boxed white cake mix for the Tres Leches cake.

Nutrition

  • N/A

FAQs

1. Can I make the Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Street Corn Salad ahead of time?

Yes! The Tres Leches Cake is best made a day ahead to allow the flavors to meld. The corn salad is also best made a few hours in advance to let the flavors develop, but can be assembled just before serving.

2. What can I substitute if I don't have certain ingredients?

For the Tres Leches Cake, you can substitute evaporated milk with whole milk (though it won't be quite as moist). For the corn salad, feel free to adjust the spices to your liking and swap out cotija cheese for another hard, salty cheese like feta or parmesan.


So there you have it—a Cinco de Mayo feast that's both delicious and surprisingly easy to create. With a little effort, you'll be wowing your guests with these two complementary dishes. Happy Cinco de Mayo!