This Cinnamon Milk and Cereal Cake is a sweet treat that will have you wrapped up in nostalgia. It’s a sweet Mexican-style sponge cake loaded with sweet cinnamon sugar and cereal milk for an extra special twist on the classic Tres Leches Cake.
Growing up I loved cereal. I would try to tag along to the grocery store just so I could run up and down the cereal isle, trying to convince my mother that we simply needed to have every single one. First up on the list was always Lucky Charms because it had marshmallows. My brothers would often sneak off to the closet and secretly munch away on all those chewy morsels of goodness and then stuff the bag back into the box with nothing left but the plain multigrain cereal chunks. Needless to say, we threw away a lot of marshmallow-less lucky charm boxes.
My husband and I still love cereal and have replaced my beloved Lucky Charms with some healthier choices…but the one cereal that always gets us is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It is quite possibly the worst breakfast choice in regards to sugar and carbs but I just can’t resist it. My husband’s favorite part is the left over milk filled with cinnamon sugar goodness. That got me thinking that it was a shame that all that cereal milk wasn’t utilized in other recipes. Then a lightbulb went off. Tres Leches Cake…for those of you who don’t speak Spanish that means 3 milks. It is one of Nick’s favorite Mexican desserts. Traditionally, Tres Leches cake is a sponge cake which is baked and then soaked in a combination of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Despite the fact that it is soaked in a creamy liquid, it does not become the least bit soggy. It is a decadent, moist slice of heaven.
But you have not had Tres Leches Cake until you have tried it with cereal milk. Cinnamon-sugar cereal milk to be exact. There really could be nothing better. After I baked my sponge cake, I poked several holes in the top and poured a mixture of three milks that had been soaking with cinnamon toast crunch, evenly over the top. The cake magically soaks up every drop and the result is a supremely moist cake. I used a traditional whipped topping with the addition of cinnamon as my icing. I relectantly shared this cake with my mother-in-law who happens to be a Tres Leches Cake fanatic (guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree). She gave it rave reviews and said it was better than any she had eaten in Mexico. Huge bonus points for me.
Make this cake and you’ll be racking up a few bonus points yourself. 😉
- Cinnamon Milk and Cereal Cake:
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 5 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Sugar, divided
- 3 Teaspoons Vanilla
- ⅓ Cup Milk
- ½ Can (7oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
- ½ Can (6 oz.) Evaporated Milk
- 1 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, divided
- Whipped Topping:
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 Heaping Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Milk and Cereal Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray a 9"x13" pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Crack the eggs and divide the yolks into one bowl and the whites into another.
- With a hand mixer, beat the yolks and ⅔ of the sugar until well combined and the yolks have started to look pale. About 2 minutes. Add in the milk and vanilla. Combine the yolk mixture with the flour mixture with a spoon until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Using the hand mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites for 2-3 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed. Half way through the mixing process add in the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar. Fold the egg whites into the batter carefully.
- Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center of a cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick. Allow the cake to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the condensed milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk with ⅔ cup of the cereal. Allow the mixture to soak for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture over a bowl, discarding the cereal and transferring the milks to a measuring cup.
- Once the cake has cooled, poke holes generously throughout the top and sides. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the whole cake. Allow the cake to sit for 45 minutes to absorb the milks.
- Whipped Topping: In a cold metal bowl, combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whip on low speed for 30 seconds and then increase to high speed for 2-3 minutes or until the cream has formed stiff peaks and is a spreadable consistency. Spread or pipe on whipped topping over the prepared cake and garnish with remaining ⅓ cup of cereal.
Other Fun Desserts:
I still love going down the cereal aisle whenever I grocery shop! It’s so hard not to reach for a box of fruity pebbles or trix! 🙂 This cereal cake looks amazing, Mariah! I absolutely love the flavors! Cinnamon toast crunch is one of my favorites, so this sounds perfect. Pinned!
We LOVEE fruity pebbles and trix too. I feel like such a kid sometimes! I can’t wait till Stella is older and then I can blame buying too much cereal on her!
Thanks for pinning Gayle!
This cereal cake is gorgeous, Mariah! Cinnamon is one of my favourite spices! 😀
Thanks Jess!
Love cereal and this cake is so creative ! Looks awesome and I’m sure it tastes delicious! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Mira!
That cake looks super moist and delicious! And I love the creativity with the cinnamon toast crunch seriously – how cool!! Pinned 🙂
Thanks Christina! We loved this cake! Huge cereal fans!
I LOVE cinnamon toast crunch! Oh my gosh Mariah, I’m OBSESSED with this cake!!!
Thanks Nora! 😉 I wasn’t sure if they had cinnamon toast crunch in Switzerland. Glad to know you aren’t missing out.
Girl, I love me some Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops! This cake is so creative and gorgeous!
Oohhh lucky charms are SOO good! I can never resist them!
Thanks for the sweet words Rachelle!!! =)
The cereal aisle is my favorite — next to the baking aisle that is 🙂 I can’t resist Cinnamon Toast Crunch either. This cereal cake is gorgeous! I love that you poured the leftover cereal milk! So creative and delicious!
Thanks Kelly!!
Oh man. My husband loves the cinnamon sugar favored milk where as I can’t drink it. Think it has something to do with the cereal bits…weird I know. But this cake? Holy cow, girl. It is calling my name!
I am so weird about milk too! I only like it if it is the right cereal flavor but I will NEVER drink it plain and more often than not, I drain it off the spoon. My husband thinks I am crazy!
This is just gorgeous Mariah! looks so moist and delicious! craving for a big slice! Send me some? Pinned!
I wish I could send you some!!
Thanks for pinning Manali!
This looks ridiculously good! My mom would always buy us the sugary, name brand cereals — I can’t believe she did! Lol
My mom would buy them for us too. SOO much sugar lol
I still love cereal, it is usually my late night sneak. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Pinned.
It is always my husband’s late night snack too.
Thanks for pinning Amy!
Yes! I eat cinnamon toast crunch JUST for the milk! This is genius!
Thanks Amanda! I ate half the darn cake 😉
I NEED to try this!!
Mariah, oh my gawd, this cake looks so good!!! love the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal!!! delicious!!! and what a great idea!
Cinnamon toast crunch was by far my favorite cereal too. This cake is just genius! I wish I had a few slices for breakfast right about now 😉
Thanks Danielle! It was SO good!
Tres Leches is my most favorite cake. It’s amazing. I love what you have done with this recipe. Can’t wait to make it.
Thanks Kathy!!!
Mexican food is BY FAR my favorite cuisine, but i am disappointed to say I have never tried a Mexican dessert before! This looks superrrrr yummy and anything with tons of cinnamon in it has my heart
You will absolutely love it! Tres Leches cake is a favorite in our house but this milk and cereal version is sooo much better!
This is BRILLIANT, Mariah! You are so right that cereal milk is the best, and turning into a cake is so clever.
Thanks Andi!!!
What a fun recipe! We love cereal over here too! Must try this one!
Oh my goodneess totally drooling over this cake girl! Cinnamon is the way to may heart – this almost sounds like horchata but in cake form!
Ooohhh I love horchata. It’s the best! Just made me realize how long it has been since I’ve had a glass.