Low-Fat Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake with Cream Cheese Topping

Fall has officially come. I know this, not just because of the weather, but because I have begun thinking about things I can make with pumpkin spice. Okay….pumpkin spice with cream cheese, to be honest! And since this coming Friday is “Cinco de Octubre,” I thought I’d share this twist on a Cinco de Mayo favorite! 🙂

My son-in-law loves pumpkin and he also loves tres leches cake. So for his birthday, I had to combine the two ideas. Truth be told, this idea has been brewing in my head since last fall, but I finally put it to the test!

My grandson said it tasted like pumpkin pie ice cream! 🙂 I think that’s a pretty good description!

If you want an even lower fat version, or if you don’t have any cream cheese, you could remove the cream cheese altogether and just top it with cool whip. You could also use evaporated milk in place of the almond milk if you don’t have that on hand and don’t want to make a trip to the store. I just go for almond milk because it’s a little thicker and more natural. (I say this knowing full well that I am using non-dairy whipped topping instead of real whipping cream, which is a lot less natural. 🙂 But I grew up using cool whip, so I’m just used to using that, I guess. Go ahead and use full-fledged whipping cream if you want something more natural!

Low-Fat Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake

Adding pumpkin spice and cream cheese flavors creates a delicious twist on this popular dessert!

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Passive Time

4 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 15 oz can solid packed pumpkin
• 4 egg whites (or 2 eggs)
• 1 c 1 % lowfat milk
• 1 c almond milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 12 oz container cool whip topping (divided use)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1-2 Tbsp milk (if needed)
• 1/3 c cinnamon chips if desired for garnish

Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 30 min Passive Time 4 hours Servings servings Ingredients 1 box spice cake mix 1 15 oz can solid packed pumpkin 4 egg whites (or 2 eggs) 1 c 1 % lowfat milk 1 c almond milk 1 can sweetened condensed milk 4 oz cream cheese softened 1 12 oz container cool whip topping (divided use) 3 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp Vanilla 1-2 Tbsp milk (if needed) 1/3 c cinnamon chips if desired for garnish

Instructions

1. Pour contents of boxed cake mix and canned pumpkin into a mixing bowl and mix until well blended.
2. Add egg whites and mix until smooth.
3. Pour batter into greased baking pan and bake as directed according to directions on your mix, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. Combine lowfat milk, almond milk, and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl or large container that you can pour from.
5. Using a salad fork, poke holes from top to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch over entire surface. Pour milk mixture over entire surface of cake. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours.
6. Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth consistency. Add 1/2 c cool whip and beat until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. In 1/2 c increments, add another 1 1/2 c cool whip to the mixture, mixing until smooth between additions. If mixture is too thick to spread, mix in a little milk until it is a consistency that can be spread easily.
7. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Spread remaining cool whip on top.
8. Sprinkle with cinnamon chips, if desired, for garnish. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
9. Cover leftovers and store in refrigerator.

Share this Recipe