SouthernTurk
Unusual recipes for curious cooks.
https://www.southernturk.versust.com/recipe/tepache-tres-leches-cake
Printed August 31, 2026
Printed August 31, 2026
Fermented & Funky
Tepache Tres Leches Cake
This Mexican fermented pineapple drink becomes the soaking liquid for the booziest, funkiest tres leches cake you've ever encountered. Tradition meets wild fermentation.
Ingredients
- 1 whole pineapple with skin, chopped
- 1 cup piloncillo or brown sugar
- 8 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 prepared sponge cake (store-bought is fine)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup dark rum
Preparation
Tepache is thepeople's champagne—a lightly fermented, effervescent pineapple drink made from the parts most folks throw away. It's funky, it's fizzy, and it has no business being this delicious. Soaking a tres leches cake in it? That's just rebellion in dessert form.
Making Tepache
- Place chopped pineapple (including skin) in a large jar with piloncillo and cinnamon sticks.
- Pour water over the top and cover with a cloth.
- Let ferment at room temperature for 48-72 hours, tasting daily. You want it fizzy and slightly tangy, not vinegary.
- Strain and refrigerate. Drink half, save half for the cake.
Assembling the Cake
- Poke holes all over the sponge cake with a skewer.
- Whisk together condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, rum, and 1 cup of tepache.
- Pour the mixture slowly over the cake, allowing it to absorb completely.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- The cake will be incredibly moist with a subtle pineapple funk and cinnamon warmth.
- Top with whipped cream and candied pineapple before serving.
Warning: This cake is aggressively moist. Serve in bowls and embrace the puddle of fermented milk at the bottom.
