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Chocolate tres leches cake is a chocolate twist on a classic Mexican dessert. This chilled treat is rich and decadent!
If you love Mexican desserts, you’ll also love Fried Ice Cream, Churros, and Flan.
We Love Chocolate!
We love a flavorful cake for celebrations and just because. This chocolate version of classic Tres Leches Cake is a tasty twist on a favorite Mexican dessert!
Tres leches is Spanish for “three milks” which are soaked into the cake sponge. Chocolate tres leches cake provides a decadent addition!
Why we love it:
- Cake mix recipe. This easy cake is made even easier with the use of a cake mix!
- Texture. There’s no risk of a dry cake here. The 3 milks create a deliciously moist cake.
- Not your typical sheet cake. This cake can feed a crowd and is a fun twist on classic sheet cakes. It’s especially perfect for fiestas!
Try our Easy Tres Leches Cake (with cake mix) for another quick dessert.
Ingredients
- package chocolate cake mix – Follow the directions on the recipe and not the directions on the box. Use a box cake mix between 15-18 oz. Or you can make your own Chocolate Sponge Cake, including gluten-free cake, and then soak it with the tres leches milk mixture
- chocolate milk
- canola oil- or vegetable oil
- eggs
- sweetened condensed milk
- half-and-half
- evaporated milk
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- confectioners’ sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- chocolate curls – Choose a high-quality chocolate bar. Use milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate.
How to Make CHocolate Tres Leches
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- CAKE. In a large bowl, beat the cake ingredients. Pour into a greased pan.
- Bake for 34-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork.
- MILK MIXTURE. In a medium bowl, whisk sweetened condensed milk, half and half, evaporated milk, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder until cocoa powder is fully mixed into the milk. Pour this evenly over the cake.
- CHILL. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- TOPPING. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Make whipped cream. Add half the sugar/cocoa mix and beat until incorporated. Add the rest of the sugar/cocoa mix and beat on medium-high heat until soft peaks form.
- SERVE. Spread chocolate whipped cream over the cake right before serving as well as chocolate curls.
How to make chocolate curls
All you need is a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar.
- The chocolate bar needs to be at room temperature otherwise it will be too hard to create curls.
- Peel the short side for short curls or the long side for larger curls.
Recipe Tips
- Texture. If the sponge cake doesn’t absorb the milk mixture after being refrigerated for several hours, it may have been overmixed, or you didn’t poke enough holes with a fork.
- The sponge cake should be light and airy so that the milk has ample places to settle.
- Easy cleanup. Grease and flour a cake pan, or line the bottom with parchment paper. This will allow the cake pieces to be more easily removed from the pan.
- Poking holes. Once the cake has been baked and cooled for a bit, poke holes all over the cake using a fork or a wooden skewer.
- Variations. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a tasty flavor variation. Top with fresh strawberries or your favorite berry.
Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cupcakes
This recipe for chocolate tres leches cake can easily be turned into amazing cupcakes.
- Make the cake batter as directed, but bake it using aluminum or silicone cupcake liners. (The paper liners won’t hold the milk mixture).
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes before poking holes in them.
- Drizzle the 3 milk mixture evenly over the cupcakes.
- Top with whipped cream frosting and chocolate shavings.
Storing Info
- Make ahead of time. If you are purposefully making the cake ahead of time, I recommend storing the cake and the whipped cream topping separately. Frost the cake before serving.
- STORE covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. If the fridge is too cold, the milk mixture may partially freeze and produce a hard cake. Simply let the cake sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
- FREEZE for up to 3 months. Freeze it with or without the whipped cream topping. Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
For More Sweets:
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Chocolate tres leches cake is a chocolate twist on a classic Mexican dessert. This chilled treat is rich and decadent!
Ingredients
- 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
- 1¼ cups chocolate milk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Topping
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder divided
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- chocolate curls
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, beat cake mix, chocolate milk, canola oil, and eggs until well combined (about 2 minutes). Pour into greased pan.
- Bake for 34-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork.
- In a medium bowl, whisk sweetened condensed milk, half and half, evaporated milk, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder until cocoa powder is fully mixed into the milks. Pour this evenly over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Topping
- Make the topping by first sifting the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.
- Make whipped cream by beating heavy cream in a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add half the sugar/cocoa mix and beat until incorporated. Add the rest of the sugar/cocoa mix and beat on medium-high heat until soft peaks form.
- Spread chocolate whipped cream over the cake right before serving as well as chocolate curls.
Notes
Make ahead of time. If you are purposefully making the cake ahead of time, I recommend storing the cake and the whipped cream topping separately. Frost the cake before serving.
STORE covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. If the fridge is too cold, the milk mixture may partially freeze and produce a hard cake. Simply let the cake sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
FREEZE for up to 3 months. Freeze it with or without the whipped cream topping. Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 299kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 61mg, Potassium: 207mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 868IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you think putting melted peanut butter in with the milk mixture instead of coco powder would work?
Thank you for the Chocolate version, I make Birthday cakes for people at work, because I think everyone needs to have their Birthday celebrated with cake. I ask them what their favorite cake is and try to make several different kinds for the Birthdays that month. First time I made a Tres Leches cake for one of the gentlemen, they were Amazed it wasn’t from a Bakery.
This month one wants Vanilla on Vanilla and the other said Chocolate (So I think I’m going to do the Chocolate Tres Leches and really surprise them. Again, Thank you so much for the Chocolate version.
You’re welcome!! I hope you enjoy this one too!
I didn’t think I could love tres leches cake any more than I already did, but I guess I was wrong. This was fantastic!!
this was one of the most delicious cakes that I have made in a while! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Wow this recipe was SO easy to make and the best tres leches I have ever had!
Can I use whipped cream that’s already prepackaged, for the topping? If so, would I just add the cocoa powder, not the sugar to the topping?
You know, I haven’t tried, but I imagine you could. I would say add as much powdered sugar so that it doesn’t taste bitter. The cocoa powder will give it a bitter taste, so you may still need the sugar to make it sweet. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you give that a try. I’d be curious to know!
Took this to a fiesta celebration for out library volunteers. Everyone loved it!
It is the best chocolate cake ever!!
My simple brain needs clarification please.
▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder divided
Is this 1/2 cup total for the whipped topping?? or is this 1/2 cup – 3 tablespoons (milk mixture)
Or referring to confectioners sugar & cocoa divided??
So far what I’ve tasted is DELICIOUS!! I used dark chocolate cake mix. I bought two cake mixes and weighed out to 18.25 ounces. I think that little bit makes a difference.
Thanks for the recipes.
So the 3 Tbsp goes with the milk mixture that is poured onto the cake. The 1/2 cup of cocoa is for the topping – you will actually mix all of that 1/2 cup with the confectioners sugar. Then you’ll mix half of the sugar/cocoa mix to the heavy cream. When it’s all incorporated, you’ll add the rest of it and mix until stiff peaks form. Hopefully that helps clarify a bit!
This cake was most delicious! This recipe will be one made over and over! Also, thank you for the clarification! Much appreciated!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you are loving the cake!
I had never had the chocolate version of this before. It is going to be one of my all time favorites from now on. DELISH!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. The chocolate is a fun spin on the classic recipe.
Awesome recipe. I have not seen a chocolate variety before. Delicious and easy to make!