Julie Clark
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Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
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This moist Chocolate Tres Leches Cake has the most amazing triple chocolate flavor. Made with a three-milk mixture, this cake is a crowd pleaser. It’s the ultimate chocolate lovers dessert.
There is something special about the taste of a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake. I normally have classic tres leches cake, and sometimes coconut tres leches cake, but this chocolate version is unreal in chocolate flavor.
This cake start with a homemade chocolate cake base with coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor. This is the same base as our cookie dough cake, mint chocolate cake, Reese’s cake and black forest cake.
But this chocolate tres leches cake has three milks soaked on top, then is topped with a homemade chocolate whipped cream. Dark chocolate and milk chocolate shavings decorate the top.
About this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake:
Also, known as pastel de tres leches in Spanish, a tres leche cake is a type of sponge cake. After the moist chocolate cake bakes, it gets soaked in three types of milk: heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk.
This type of cake is a classic Mexican dessert and you could also find tres leches cake recipes on condensed milk cans starting in the 1940s.
I originally developed this recipe for our sister website, The Best Cake Recipes, but wanted to bring it to live on Tastes of Lizzy T, too, because it’s just that good.
Make this chocolate tres leches cake for Cinco de Mayo or any other holiday. It’s cool and refreshing for summer!
Enjoy! -Julie
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
This moist Chocolate Tres Leches Cake has the most amazing triple chocolate flavor. Made with a three-milk mixture, this cake is a crowd pleaser. It's the ultimate chocolate lovers dessert.
Servings 15
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
Milk Filling:
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups heavy cream very cold
- 3/4 cup chocolate shavings for topping the cake
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside. 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The batter will be very thin. 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it (or a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs). While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer or a fork.
Make the filling:
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened cocoa powder. Then add the heavy cream and evaporated milk. Whisk well. 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ cup heavy cream, ¾ cup evaporated milk
- Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream:
- *Refrigerate the bowl of a stand mixer (or glass bowl for using a hand mixer) for 10 minutes to get it cold.* Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. 2/3 cup powdered sugar, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Beat the cold heavy cream in the cold stand mixer bowl using the whisk attachment for 1 minute. 2 cups heavy cream
- Add half of the sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Beat until it is fully mixed in, then add the remaining sugar mixture. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form and the mixture is spreadable. It should be fluffy and light.
Assemble the cake:
- Spread the chocolate whipped cream on the cooled cake. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. ¾ cup chocolate shavings
Video
Notes
- Love chocolate covered strawberries? Top the cake with diced berries, or serve a chocolate dipped strawberry on the side.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 3mg
Ingredients Needed
A few key notes:
- Coffee. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor in this chocolate tres leches cake and I highly recommend trying it. If you don’t have coffee in the house, you may use water instead.
- Buttermilk. Don’t have buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar into one cup of whole milk. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes and then use as the recipe states.
- All-purpose flour. Some homemade cake recipes call for cake flour, like our chocolate chip cupcakes and angel food cake recipe. I love that our basic chocolate cake recipe calls for all-purpose. Easy!
- Cocoa powder. Use an unsweetened cocoa powder such as Ghirardelli dutch process cocoa powder.
- Vegetable oil. Many cakes use butter such as our yellow cake or raspberry lemon cake. This chocolate tres leches cake uses oil, meaning it’s extra moist and is similar to a chocolate sponge cake in texture.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake: Step by Step
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Mix dry ingredients. Put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The batter will be very thin.
- Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it (or a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs). While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer or a fork.
- Make the milk soak. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened cocoa powder. Then add the heavy cream and evaporated milk. Whisk well. Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Whip the cream. Refrigerate the bowl of a stand mixer (or glass bowl for using a hand mixer) for 10 minutes to get it cold.* Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Beat the cold heavy cream in the cold stand mixer bowl using the whisk attachment for 1 minute.
- Add the cocoa powder and sugar. Add half of the sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Beat until it is fully mixed in, then add the remaining sugar mixture. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form and the mixture is spreadable. It should be fluffy and light.
- Assemble the cake. Spread the chocolate whipped cream on the cooled chocolate tres leches cake. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long with chocolate tres leches cake last?
When we make a cake, so much time and effort goes into it. I like knowing that the cake is going to last a while. With this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, it can last up to 4-5 days in the fridge, which is GREAT. It makes an excellent make ahead dessert.
Can you freeze a tres leches cake?
You can freeze this cake up to three months in the freezer, which is nice.
The homemade whipped cream may deflate slightly, but it will still be every bit as delicious.
What can I serve with this cake for Cinco de Mayo?
Try making our tortilla chip pizza and top with salsa verde. I also love our creamy roast beef enchiladas. And our easy tamale pie feeds a crowd!
