🍮 Trileçe
Trileçe is the Balkan and Turkish take on tres leches: an airy sponge soaked in a mix of milk and cream, then finished with a glossy layer of caramel on top. The cake is very soft and milky, while the caramel adds a slightly bitter-sweet note. It is served cold in squares, usually straight from the tray.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 150 g sugar
- 150 g wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 500 ml milk
- 200 ml cream
- For the caramel: 120 g sugar
- For the caramel: 100 ml cream
Method
- Whisk the eggs with 150 g sugar until thick, fold in the flour and baking powder and bake in a lined tray at 180 °C for 25 minutes.
- Mix the milk and 200 ml cream, prick the warm cake and pour the mixture over it.
- Melt 120 g sugar in a pan until amber, then carefully stir in 100 ml cream to make a smooth caramel.
- Let the caramel cool slightly and pour it over the soaked cake.
- Chill for at least 4 hours and cut into squares.
How to make it lighter
- Keep the square to about 100 g — the milk soak makes it heavier than it looks.
- Use a thin caramel layer; most of the extra sugar sits on top.
- Pair it with black coffee or tea rather than another sweet drink.
History
Trileçe is commonly said to have been adapted from the Latin American tres leches cake by Albanian bakers. It is a staple of pastry shops in Albania and Kosovo and has become widely popular in Turkey.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →