Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe: Flaming Eye Ghost Cake Dessert

This tres leches ghost cake is a modern take on a vintage favorite, perfect for Halloween. Prefer a simpler shape? Make the tres leches in a rectangular pan—either way, the cake is irresistibly delicious.

Did you have the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls as a child? I got a late-70s copy in kindergarten and practically made my way through the whole book. My favorite was the flaming eye ghost cake: a vanilla cake with marshmallow frosting and glowing eyes. With an October birthday, a flaming ghost cake felt like the ultimate showstopper and I requested it for several Halloween-themed parties.

The ghost shape is simple and not a complicated Pinterest project, but it’s easy to make and actually tastes great. I prefer cakes I want to eat—if a cake takes forever to decorate, I often hesitate to cut into it. This vintage ghost cake is perfect for kids or nostalgic adults who want a fun, tasty Halloween treat.

If you don’t want a Halloween design, bake the tres leches in a sheet pan and enjoy a classic tres leches cake instead.

A few years ago I found my old Betty Crocker cookbook in a box at my parents’ house and decided to remake the vintage ghost cake for a neighborhood Halloween party—only this time I changed a few things.

Instead of a vanilla cake I made a tres leches cake, and rather than marshmallow frosting I used whipped cream, which is traditional for tres leches. The whipped cream also creates a lovely ghostly texture—soft, billowy, and perfectly suited to a spooky presentation.

If you’ve never had tres leches, it’s a “three milks” cake: a light, airy sponge is soaked with a mixture of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream, then topped with freshly whipped cream. I first tasted tres leches in Costa Rica and fell in love with its light, moist texture.

It’s dangerously easy to eat—I’ve meant to share most of a cake with coworkers and ended up finishing it at home. The recipe below makes a great sheet cake or can be trimmed into a charming ghost shape.

To create flaming eyes you’ll need two clean, dry eggshell halves, two sugar cubes, and a splash of lemon extract or a high-proof liquor. After baking, choose two intact shell halves, fill each with a sugar cube, and add a few drops of extract or liquor to ignite for a dramatic effect. If you prefer not to use shells, place sugar cubes directly on the cake.

For presentation, place the cake on a large white tray if possible. I improvised with wax paper on a sheet pan when I didn’t have a serving tray—the result was fine even if not perfect. Whether for a kid’s party, a neighborhood gathering, Halloween, or an office celebration, this tres leches ghost cake gets compliments and disappears fast.

Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Below is a straightforward tres leches recipe and the steps to turn it into a flaming eye ghost cake.

Yield: 12 pieces

Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe (Flaming Eye Ghost Cake)

A moist tres leches cake shaped like a ghost and finished with flaming sugar-cube eyes—a fun and delicious Halloween dessert.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
35 minutes 25 seconds

Total Time
45 minutes 25 seconds

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup [120g] all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup [198g] sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup [75ml] milk
• 11 oz [354ml] evaporated milk
• 14 oz [397g] sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup [60ml] heavy cream

Icing

• 1 pint [16oz / 473ml] heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 Tbsp powdered sugar, optional

Flaming Eyes

• 2 dashes lemon extract, or an 80%+ proof liquor

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with 3/4 cup (170g) sugar until the mixture turns a pale yellow. Stir in the milk and vanilla, then add to the flour and mix gently until combined. (If using metric measurements, you may need slightly more flour.)
4. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) sugar while whipping. Continue until stiff peaks form, then fold the whites gently into the batter until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25–35 minutes. My cake was done at 25 minutes; test with a clean toothpick—if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
6. Allow the cake to cool briefly in the pan, then remove it and transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
7. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream in a mixing bowl to make the three-milk mixture.
8. Once the cake is cool to the touch, cut a ghost shape from the rectangle: place a toothpick at the center of the top short edge, measure down four inches and mark both sides with toothpicks, then cut from the top mark to the lower marks to form curved sides. Place the two cut pieces on either side of the cake as arms.
9. Use a fork or knife to poke holes across the main body (not the arms). Slowly pour 1 1/2–2 cups of the three-milk mixture over the body, avoiding the arms, and ensure even coverage. Let the cake absorb the milk for about 30 minutes.
10. Whip the heavy cream with vanilla and optional powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Frost the entire cake, including the arms, using a spatula to create soft swirls that suggest a ghostly form.
11. Clean and dry two eggshell halves and set them on the cake for eyes. Place a sugar cube in each shell. Optionally add a mouth with licorice, M&M’s, chocolate sprinkles, black icing, or chocolate chips.
12. When serving, add a few drops of lemon extract or high-proof liquor to each sugar cube and carefully light them for flaming eyes. Turn off the lights for a spooky effect and enjoy.

Notes

• I sometimes use vanilla bean sugar instead of powdered sugar and extra vanilla in the whipped cream.
• If you pour 1 1/2–2 cups of the milk mixture, you’ll likely have some left over—it’s great in coffee or tea.
• I avoid adding the milk mixture to the arms so they keep their shape better.
• Because the cake is quite sweet, adjust the powdered sugar in the whipped cream to taste or omit it entirely.
• This version is inspired by the Betty Crocker cookbook and classic tres leches techniques.

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