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piece of chocolate tres leches cake on a white plate on a light pink surface

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

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5 from 2 reviews

This easy chocolate tres leches cake recipe is chocolatey, soft, and a great dessert to serve at parties. Step by step photos teach you how to bake this chocolate lover's cake!

  • Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 9-12 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cake

  • 120 grams (1 Cup) Cake Flour
  • 33 grams (1/3 Cup) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 3oz (6 Tablespoons) Salted Butter, melted
  • 200 grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 4oz (1/2 Cup) Buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 4oz (1/2 Cup) Hot Coffee

Milk Soak

  • 8oz (1 Cup) Chocolate Milk
  • 8oz (1 Cup) Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 8oz (1 Cup) Evaporated Milk

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 12oz (1 1/2 Cups) Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Confectioner's Sugar
  • Chocolate or Chocolate Curls

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9-inch by 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Once fully combined set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour in the hot coffee and mix until combined, the batter will be thin.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for
  5. Bake for 32-37 minutes, or until done. If you stick a toothpick in it comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

Milk Soak

  1. Using a fork poke the cake numerous times, the more holes the better! In a large bowl combine the chocolate milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Pour the milk mixture all over the cake. Pour slowly, some liquid will pool but most will be absorbed into the cake. Let sit for 30 minutes covered in the refrigerator.

Topping

  1. Then in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl with a handheld electric whisk beat heavy cream and sugar until medium-thick stiff peaks are formed. Spread on top of the cake and garnish with chocolate. You can get fancy and make homemade chocolate curls or do like I did and use a Microplane zester to create chocolate shavings.  Keep refrigerated for at least 3-4 hours before serving, the more time the milk has to soak in the better. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Chill Time: 5 Hours 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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