Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 48

Chill Time: 4

Total Time: 5 23

Servings: slices

Calories: 690kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

My chocolate tres leche cake adds an extra indulgent twist to the classic Latin American dessert! I soak a chocolate poke cake in a rich three-milk mixture to create an irresistibly soft and moist texture. And I start with a box of cake mix, so this recipe is ultra easy!

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
9x13 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 9x13-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

Video

Notes

*I like Betty Crocker's Super Moist Chocolate Cake for this recipe. But you can use your preferred mix.

**For convenience, you can use a pre-made/store-bought whipped chocolate topping or frosting instead of making your own.

Becky's Top Tips:

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.

Storage: Store chocolate tres leches cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition