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Slice of pumpkin cream cold brew tres leches cake topped with fluffy pumpkin cold foam, cinnamon, and Biscoff crumbs on a ceramic plate.
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🎃 Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Tres Leches

This pumpkin cream cold brew tres leches combines fluffy pumpkin espresso sponge cake, rich cold brew milk soak, and airy pumpkin cream cold foam topping for the ultimate cozy fall dessert. Inspired by coffeehouse pumpkin cream cold brew flavors, this ultra-moist tres leches cake is creamy, lightly spiced, and packed with smooth espresso flavor.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Coffeehouse-Inspired, Latin-Inspired
Keyword autumn cake recipe, coffee tres leches cake, cold brew cake, cold brew dessert recipe, espresso pumpkin dessert, fall tres leches cake, pumpkin coffee cake, pumpkin cold foam dessert, pumpkin cream cold brew tres leches, pumpkin espresso cake, pumpkin poke cake, pumpkin spice dessert, pumpkin tres leches cake, Starbucks inspired dessert, Thanksgiving dessert recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 29 minutes
Chill time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 4 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 485kcal
Cost $20 for the entire recipe

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch metal baking pan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Fine mesh sieve
  • Skewer or fork
  • Cooling rack
  • Offset spatula or spoon for spreading topping

Ingredients

Pumpkin Espresso Sponge Cake

  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Small pinch ground nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Cold Brew Tres Leches Soak

  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup cold brew concentrate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Tiny pinch kosher salt

Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Topping

  • 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Tiny pinch kosher salt

Optional Garnishes

  • Ground cinnamon
  • Crushed Biscoff cookies
  • White chocolate curls
  • Light caramel drizzle

Instructions

Make the Pumpkin Espresso Sponge

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
  • In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar until pale, thick, and ribbon-like, about 3–4 minutes.
  • Mix in pumpkin puree, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and dissolved espresso powder.
  • Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
  • In another clean bowl beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly add remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff glossy peaks form.
  • Gently fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions using a rubber spatula.
  • Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 27–29 minutes or until lightly golden and center springs back gently when touched.
  • Cool cake for 10 minutes.

Prepare the Tres Leches Soak

  • In a bowl whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, cold brew concentrate, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
  • Poke holes all over warm cake using a skewer or fork.
  • Pour about one-third of the soak over cake and allow it to absorb for 5 minutes.
  • Slowly pour remaining soak over cake in stages for even absorption.
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

  • In a chilled mixing bowl combine heavy whipping cream, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Whip until medium peaks form. Do not overwhip.
  • Spread topping evenly over chilled cake.

Garnish & Serve

  • Dust lightly with cinnamon and garnish with crushed Biscoff cookies, white chocolate curls, or caramel drizzle if desired.
  • Serve cold.

Notes

☕ Use Cold Brew Concentrate for the Best Flavor

This pumpkin cream cold brew tres leches tastes best with high-quality cold brew concentrate instead of regular brewed coffee. Cold brew concentrate creates a smoother and richer coffee flavor that stays noticeable even after the cake chills overnight. The espresso powder in the sponge cake also helps reinforce the coffee flavor throughout the dessert.

🍰 Why Cake Flour Works Best

Cake flour creates a softer and more delicate sponge cake that absorbs the tres leches mixture evenly without becoming dense. Using all-purpose flour can create a slightly heavier texture that may not soak as smoothly. The lighter sponge helps keep the dessert creamy while still sliceable.

🎃 Pumpkin Flavor Balance

The pumpkin flavor is intentionally balanced so it complements rather than overwhelms the coffee notes. Pumpkin puree is used in both the sponge cake and cold foam topping to create layered flavor throughout the dessert without making the cake too heavy.

☁️ About the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

The pumpkin cream cold foam topping is lighter than traditional frosting and designed to mimic the texture of real pumpkin cream cold foam from a coffeehouse drink. Avoid overwhipping the topping so it stays airy, silky, and soft instead of stiff like buttercream.

❄️ Overnight Chilling Improves the Cake

This pumpkin tres leches cake becomes even better after chilling overnight because the cold brew, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and creamy milk soak fully blend together. The sponge absorbs the tres leches mixture slowly, creating an ultra-moist bakery-style texture.

🍪 Optional Garnish Ideas

For extra flavor and texture, top the cake with crushed Biscoff cookies, white chocolate curls, cinnamon dusting, or a light caramel drizzle before serving. These toppings pair beautifully with the pumpkin spice and espresso flavors.