Super moist in filled with chocolate this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is utterly irresistible and a nice twist on the traditional cake! For all the chocolate lovers, this one’s for you.
Cake is pretty much the bane of my existence. You know me, I’ll take cake in any way, shape or form that I can get it and this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is just one of the many delicious forms.
If you’ve never had a Tres Leches Cake before it is a light and fluffy cake that is poked and poured with a 3 milk mixture hence the Tres Leches name.
We add a little bit of cocoa powder in our milk mixture so you have chocolate in the cake, milk and the topping. You are not lacking chocolate in this recipe at all.
Now let me tell you, the chocolate is NOT overpowering at all, it all works together in unison and really makes this cake the perfect chocolate version of the classic.
Drizzle with some more chocolate on top and you have yourself a cake that you will want to make over and over again. Now we usually make this for Cinco de Mayo, but we also enjoy it all year long.
How can you go wrong with any chocolate cake in general? If you are me you really can’t, chocolate is just one of those flavors that you crave no matter what.
Some of my other favorite chocolate desserts we have on our site include: Baked Chocolate Chip Donuts, Chocolate Whoopie Pies and Chocolate Sugar Cookies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easy pantry ingredients are all that are needed for this recipe.
- You can switch up the topping if you want less chocolate.
- This serves a crowd but you can cut it in half if you want less.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM):
All-purpose flour
Cocoa powder
Baking powder
Salt
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Whole milk
Vanilla extract
Sweetened condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Heavy whipping cream
Chocolate syrup for serving, optional
HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE TRES LECHES CAKE, STEP BY STEP:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with baking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
- Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls.
- Add the ¾ cup of the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks, beat for 2 minutes until the sugar is mixed in and it becomes a pale yellow color. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Beat the egg whites until frothy with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once frothy, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture in 1/3 increments until fully combined. There should be no streaks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and cocoa powder until combined. It will take a while to mix in the cocoa powder and some of it may not completely dissolve, this is normal.
- Once the cake is cooled, take a fork and poke holes all over the cake.
- Pour the milk mixture all over the cake and sides, it’s a lot, use all of it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to serve, make the topping. In the body of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the chocolate whipped cream over the cake. Slice and serve with chocolate syrup if desired.
WHAT IS A TRES LECHES CAKE?
Literally tres leches means 3 milk, so it is a three milk cake. A sponge like cake that has beaten egg whites folded in to get it that ultra light texture.
This common in Mexico, the majority of Latin America and the United States where it is commonly offered at bakeries and takeout restaurants.
The cake is usually covered in a whipped cream topping and garnished with a variety of toppings, some most notably strawberries.
HOW LONG DOES THIS CAKE NEED TO SOAK?
This needs to soak for at least 8 hour or overnight, this makes sure that the milks really soaks up in the whole cake.
This cake is super moist, that is the point if you have never had a Tres Leches Cake before you may be taken aback about how “wet” it is, but do not worry this is how it is supposed to be!
WHAT IS THE TASTE AND TEXTURE LIKE?
This is a nice balanced rich chocolate taste with a spongy cake texture that is super moist like noted above. Since we do use a lot of wet ingredients in this it will be wet.
Again like I said above this is how the cake is supposed to be, but it should not fall apart. It should hold together nicely and have a nice bounce back texture when poked.
HOW TO STORE:
This Chocolate Tres Leches Cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 4-5 days, it can also be made up to 1-2 days ahead of time.
We do not recommend freezing this cake after it has been poured with the milk or frosted. You can freeze the base of the cake covered with plastic wrap and foil where it will keep for up to 2 months.
To defrost remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight, then continue with poking, pouring and frosting.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- If you want less chocolate you can make a homemade regular whipped cream for this recipe instead of the chocolate.
- Top this with extra chocolate syrup, chocolate shavings or strawberries.
- This needs to soak for at least 8 hours.
- You can make this cake 1-2 days ahead of time.
- We do not recommend freezing after it has been poured with the milk or frosted, but you can freeze the base, see my tips above.
- Cut this cake in half to serve a smaller crowd/family.
Love chocolate and tres leches? Then this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is perfect for your needs, can be made ahead of time and perfect for any occasion.
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If you’ve tried this CHOCOLATE TRES LECHES CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 large eggs separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the milk mixture:
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
For the topping:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate syrup for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
- Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls.
- Add the ¾ cup of the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks, beat for 2 minutes until the sugar is mixed in and it becomes a pale yellow color. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Beat the egg whites until frothy with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once frothy, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/flour mixture in 1/3 increments until fully combined. There should be no streaks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and cocoa powder until combined. It will take a while to mix in the cocoa powder and some of it may not completely dissolve, this is normal.
- Once the cake is cooled, take a fork and poke holes all over the cake.
- Pour the milk mixture all over the cake and sides, it’s a lot, use all of it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to serve, make the topping. In the body of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the chocolate whipped cream over the cake. Slice and serve with chocolate syrup if desired.
Notes
- If you want less chocolate you can make a homemade regular whipped cream for this recipe instead of the chocolate.
- Top this with extra chocolate syrup, chocolate shavings or strawberries.
- This needs to soak for at least 8 hours.
- You can make this cake 1-2 days ahead of time.
- We do not recommend freezing after it has been poured with the milk or frosted, but you can freeze the base, see my tips above.
- Cut this cake in half to serve a smaller crowd/family.
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