My chocolate tres leches cake adds an extra indulgent twist to the classic Latin American dessert! I soak a chocolate poke cake in a sweet three-milk mixture to create an irresistibly soft and moist texture. And I start with a box of chocolate cake mix, so this recipe is ultra easy!
Tres Leches Cake with Chocolate Cake Mix
You know what makes every dessert a little better? Chocolate! So I made an all-chocolate tres leches cake, and it’s so good! It’s my new favorite dessert for Cinco de Mayo, and I love how easy it is.
I used a box of chocolate cake mix to make the poke cake base, and I recommend adding a little espresso powder for the ultimate rich flavor. Then I added cocoa powder to the typical three-milk (tres leches) mixture to give it a boost. And to top it all off, I made a chocolate whipped cream frosting to give every bite a smooth, airy finish!
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Let it Soak!
For a truly good tres leches cake, you need to let the chocolate cake soak in the milk mixture for at least 4 hours. The soaking time allows it to really absorb the milk, creating a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture. I love making this cake the day before I plan to serve it, so it can chill in the fridge overnight.
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix (1 box)*
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso optional
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
For the Milk Mixture:
- 1 cup milk hot (180-200°F)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (1 can)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For the Topping:**
- 2½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate sauce optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, espresso (if using), water, oil, and eggs together in a medium bowl.15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix, 1 teaspoon instant espresso, 1¼ cups water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs
- Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and place into the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack.
- While the cake is warm, poke holes into the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon or a clean dowel rod. Set aside while you make the milk mixture.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the hot milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and cocoa together.1 cup milk, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounces evaporated milk, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Once well combined, pour over the warm cake, then let the cake finish cooling.
- Once cooled, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Beat for 4-5 minutes, until stiff.2½ cups heavy cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, 4½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Spoon the topping onto the chilled, milk soaked cake. Drizzle lines of chocolate sauce overtop and pull with a toothpick.Chocolate sauce
Notes
- Add some cinnamon into any (or every) layer of this cake to get a Mexican chocolate flavor!
- When pouring the cake into the baking pan, spread the batter evenly to create a level cake that will soak up the milk more evenly.
- Let the cake soak in the milk mixture for at least 4 hours before serving. This will allow the cake ample time to soak in the milk evenly and become moist and tender.
- If your tres leches cake is not absorbing the milk after several hours, it is possible that the batter was overmixed. Overmixed batter loses its airy, spongey texture, which makes the cake heavy, dense, and non-absorbent. Be sure to poke the cake all over with the skewer to help it absorb the mixture.
How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F, spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, and set aside. Mix 15.25 ounces (1 box) of chocolate cake mix, 1 teaspoon of instant espresso (if using), 1¼ cups of water, ½ cup of oil, and 3 large eggs together in a medium bowl.
Bake the Cake: Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and place it into the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. While the cake is still warm, poke holes into the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon or a clean dowel rod. Make sure to poke the holes only about ¾ of the way down into the cake to prevent the cake from turning soggy on the bottom. Set aside while you make the milk mixture.
Mix the Milks: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 cup of hot milk, 14 ounces (1 can) of sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounces (1 can) of evaporated milk, and ⅓ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder together.
Soak the Cake: Once well combined, pour the milk mixture over the warm cake, then let the cake finish cooling. Once cooled, cover the cake and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. The cake should be well saturated, but not flooded.
Whip the Topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine 2½ cups of heavy cream, ½ cup of powdered sugar, 4½ tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat for 4-5 minutes, until stiff.
Frost the Cake: Spoon the topping onto the chilled, milk-soaked cake. Drizzle lines of chocolate sauce over the top and pull them with a toothpick to create the pretty pattern I have in these photos.
How to Store
Store leftover chocolate tres leches cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that after 2 days, the whipped cream topping will begin to deflate.
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