Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
This Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is a rich and festive twist on the classic. A light chocolate sponge flavored with cocoa, cinnamon, and a hint of cayenne is soaked in a creamy tres leches mixture made with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and a touch of coffee. Finished with fluffy chocolate whipped cream, it is moist, decadent, and perfect for the holidays.
Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
Tres Leches:
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee room temperature
Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream cold
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings:
- chocolate shavings or grated Mexican chocolate for garnish
- rasberries optional
- fresh mint leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne powder, and salt.
- Separate egg yolks and egg whites. In a separate bowl beat the yolks with ¾ cup of sugar. Mix in the vanilla and milk.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture and mix these gently until combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high until you have soft peaks. Add ¼ cup sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form.
- Fold egg whites into the flour batter gently.
- Pour the batter into a baking pan and spread out until batter looks even.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes. Check to make sure cake is ready by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean it’s ready. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
- After the 20 minutes and while the cake is still warm, pierce the cake all over with a fork making sure you pierce the edges. This will allow the milk mixture to drain into the cake when you pour it over the pierced cake.
- Whip together the evaporated milk, the sweet condensed milk, milk, and coffee. This will make about 4 cups.
- Slowly pour about 3 cups over the entire cake. The milk will puddle over the cake. Make sure to get around the edges. Don’t worry about the puddling of the milk the sponge cake will absorb it in about 30 minutes. Save the rest of the milk for later. Cover the cake with plastic wrap, place in the fridge, and chill for about 2 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream:
- In a large mixing bowl add the cold cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and mix on high until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Reserve in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Ladle a tablespoon of the leftover milk onto a serving plate. Place a piece of cake on the milk. Add a dollop of whipping cream, sprinkle with chocolate shavings or grated Mexican chocolate.
Video
Notes
- Separate eggs while cold, then let them come to room temperature for easier whipping and better volume.
- Whip egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl because even a tiny bit of yolk or oil will prevent stiff peaks.
- Fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate batter so you do not deflate the mixture. This keeps the cake light enough to soak up the tres leches.
- Use good quality cocoa powder since the chocolate flavor in the cake comes entirely from the cocoa and the cocoa in the whipped topping.
- The hint of spice comes from the cake batter. The cinnamon and cayenne should enhance the chocolate, not overpower it. A little goes a long way.
- The coffee flavor is very subtle. It deepens the chocolate flavor in the tres leches mixture but does not make the dessert taste like coffee.
- Soak the cake while it is still warm so it absorbs the tres leches mixture more evenly.
- Pour the tres leches slowly and give it time to settle as you pour. The cake should drink it in gradually, not pool or overflow.
- Save any extra tres leches mixture and add a splash to serving plates for an even more decadent presentation.
- Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor and texture.
- Wait to add whipped cream and toppings until just before serving for the freshest presentation.
- Not freezer friendly because of the high moisture content.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 472IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg