Easy and delicious, Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is a fun new twist on a classic dessert! If you enjoy Tres Leches Cake, give this variation a try and you might have a new favorite!
Jump to RecipeWhen my sister-in-law recently hosted a Cinco De Mayo-themed birthday party, I immediately offered to make a tres leches cake for the occasion. She accepted my offer but with a request: could I make a chocolate tres leches cake?
You bet! With just a few tweaks, my classic tres leches recipe became a delicious chocolatey version instead and it was a hit.
Tres leches cake of any kind is actually really easy to make, chocolate or otherwise. You simply bake a sheet cake, poke holes in it, fill those holes with three different dairy products, and top it with whipped cream. The cocoa garnish is totally optional, but I think it looks really pretty and doesn’t take much effort, so to me, it’s worth it. I also tried chocolate shavings instead of cocoa on one of my trial runs and it was tasty and attractive but much more work, hence why I switched to cocoa.
Another thing to note is that this recipe comes together quickly, but it benefits from a long chill time. It will be tasty if you chill it for a minimum of two hours, but it will be really tasty if you can let it chill for 6-8 hours, or even overnight.
“This seems like a lot of liquid. Am I using too much milk?” I’ve gotten this question a few times and you would be surprised how much liquid the cake will absorb, especially the longer you let it chill. It seems weird to make an intentionally soggy cake, but I promise it’s delicious!
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- Eggs, oil, water, according to cake mix directions
- 1 12oz can evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
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Preheat oven and prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9×13 sheet cake.
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When you pull the cake out of the oven, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes throughout the cake while it is still hot. Immediately pour the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half over the cake, taking care to drizzle some in each hole.
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Let the cake cool on the counter for about an hour, then chill for another hour while you whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla. Once the cake is cool, spread whipped cream over the top and sprinkle cocoa with a sifter to garnish.
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Chill for at least two hours before serving. This cake actually tastes better the longer you let it cool, so if possible try to budget a few extra hours of cooling time before serving. Store in the fridge for up to five days.
If you don’t want to make your own whipped cream, substitute a tub of thawed whipped topping for the cream, sugar, and vanilla.