For more delicious Mexican desserts, try my Flan de Queso, Homemade Fried Ice Cream, and Homemade Churros.
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres leches means “three milks,” so this is really a Chocolate Three Milks Cake! The cake gets its name from having the sponge soaked in a mixture of three types of milk, making it incredibly sweet and moist. The sponge is made extra fluffy without the use of oil or butter. Instead, it has a mixture of whisked egg whites and sugar folded into the cake batter to make it extra absorbent too so it’s moist but not soggy after adding the three milks mixture. The three types of milk used are evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk, giving the cake a rich, sweet milk flavor. The cake is poked with a fork to make several holes from where the milk mixture can reach the body of the cake, and, ideally, it’s soaked overnight. It’s a great chocolate take on a classic Mexican dessert, and as we love Mexican recipes, this is always a hit when I make it to round out our meal of fajitas, enchiladas, or chimichangas! Perfect for dessert at home or a potluck, we’ve even made this cake for birthday parties too.
Why We Love This Recipe
Use your favorite kind of toppings for this cake, try crushed nuts, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles! It’s easy to make and is best prepped the night before your event, but it makes enough to feed a crowd. Prep this cake the night before for a delicious homemade chocolate treat!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Flour – All-purpose flour works best in this cake. Cocoa Powder – Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch Process cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor in the cake and for the topping. Leavening Agents – Use baking powder and baking soda to ensure this cake is light and fluffy. Salt – To enhance the flavors, and balance out some of the sweetness. Sugar – White granulated sugar is best for this cake and the topping for the right texture and sweetness. Egg Whites – We’ll use whipped egg whites to make the cake extra light and spongy. Vanilla Extract – Use store-bought vanilla, or make your own Homemade Vanilla Extract. Milk – Whole milk works best in the cake and for the milk mixture, but if you only have low-fat milk, it will work too. Sweetened Condensed Milk – It’s thick, creamy, and sweet, which is perfect for soaking the cake in to make it extra moist. Evaporated milk – Use store-bought evaporated milk to make the cake extra rich. Heavy Whipping Cream – To make fresh whipped cream for the topping! Chocolate – Use semisweet chocolate shavings for the topping.
How to Make a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Tips for Success
If you don’t have some on hand, you can make your own evaporated milk by simmering 3¼ cups of regular whole milk on the stove over medium-low heat for 25 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 1⅓ cups. Just be careful not to burn it. Evaporated milk concentrates the milk flavors for a rich taste with less liquid volume. We are adding volume to the batter through the beaten egg whites, so stirring too vigorously will knock out a lot of the air you worked into it. Gently folding in the egg whites is key to making this cake light and fluffy. Don’t overthink poking the holes into the cake – it’s okay to go to town with it! The holes on top of the cake are there so that the three-milk mixture can really soak down into it. Kids love this job and are happy to help with this bit!
Substitutions and Variations
Use a different topping. Try my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a buttery topping, or my German Chocolate Cake Frosting for an added nutty, textured topping! You can even use my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for a milder chocolate flavor overall. Add nuts or chocolate chips. Add some crushed nuts to the top! Try crushed peanuts, pecans, or walnuts. Alternatively, use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of chocolate curls for the topping. Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cupcakes. You can turn this cake into about 24 cupcakes by baking the batter in cupcake cases at 350°F for 15 minutes. Then poke the cupcakes with a fork and fill them with the milk mixture just like you would the cake and top them with whipped cream.
More Amazing Chocolate Cake Recipes
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake German Chocolate Cake Raspberry Chocolate Cake Chocolate Bundt Cake No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake Molten Lava Cake
Once the cake has absorbed all of the liquid, you should be able to cut slices and serve it without the cake disintegrating. When you cut into the cake to eat it, you will see some of the liquid form a small puddle around your fork, but this is normal.
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