Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus soaking
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1¾cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
- ½cup/45 grams unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1½teaspoons baking powder
- 1½teaspoons baking soda
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½cups/300 grams granulated sugar
- 2eggs, at room temperature
- 1cup/240 milliliters whole milk
- ½cup/120 milliliters grapeseed oil or any mild-flavored oil
- ½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1cup/240 milliliters boiling water
- 1(12-ounce) can/355 milliliters evaporated milk
- 1(14-ounce) can/395 milliliters sweetened condensed milk (3 tablespoons reserved for the whipped cream)
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
- Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream, chilled
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- Chocolate shavings (optional)
For the Cake
For the Tres Leches
For the Condensed Milk Whipped Cream
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
561 calories; 31 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 48 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 404 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of a 9-by-13-inch cake pan (preferably metal), leaving a ¼-inch border that remains ungreased. Do not butter the sides of the pan.
- Step 2
Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and sift. Add the sugar and whisk to combine.
- Step 3
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until combined. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Carefully pour in the boiling water and stir until combined.
- Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, make the tres leches: In a large bowl, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk (setting 3 tablespoons aside for the whipped cream), heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds or extract (if using) and whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not using immediately.
- Step 6
Remove the cake from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake’s edges. Cool completely.
- Step 7
While the cake is still in the pan, use a skewer or a fork to poke small holes through the cake to the bottom, about an inch apart. Slowly spoon the tres leches over the top of the cake, giving it time to soak in. Once the liquid is absorbed, repeat until all the tres leches is used. (Toward the end, the tres leches will pool at the edges, but don’t worry; it will be absorbed while in the fridge.) Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Step 8
When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: Add the reserved condensed milk along with the cream, vanilla and cinnamon (if using) to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium high until the cream has doubled in volume, forms soft peaks and is light and fluffy. Spread the cake with the cream and sprinkle the chocolate shavings on top. Serve from the pan.
Private Notes
Comments
How would it turn out if I replaced some of the boiling water with brewed coffee, or else added some espresso powder to intensify the flavor?
This recipe isn’t good for a first time cake baker like me, especially the frosting part. I followed exactly how the recipe tells, after putting heavy cream, condensed milk and vanilla in the electric mixture at MEDIUM HIGH , it turns out to be like little butter. I tried twice, still the same. So I checked on YouTube, one of videos show that this is the key at very low speed. https://youtu.be/_FW0ZFuYpHw
I made this for my family’s annual solstice feast. As suggested by Ann T, I used a cup of strong coffee instead of the water. The coffee cut the sweetness and intensified the chocolate flavor. I made it a day ahead and refrigerated it for nearly a full day before adding whipped cream topping and serving. It was delicious!
Everyone raved about this cake! I think it's the most accolades I've gotten for a cake yet.
Subbed all-purpose with cake flour, reduced sugar by a quarter cup, and added a cup of boiling coffee instead of water. I ended up using 80% of the tres leches to soak the cake, saved the remaining for morning oatmeal as a special treat. For the whipped cream topping, I carefully added 3-4 tablespoons of nutella and skipped the cinnamon, kept the handheld beater on low speed for about 15 minutes until soft peaks formed and that was it. I think this was the best cake I've ever had!!
Does anyone else have issues with the cake not rising well? Used a bare aluminum pan without grease - rises well centrally but not at the edges I have had better luck with a tres leches that uses whipped egg whites, like a sponge cake. This is so much easier though - any tips on getting good rise?
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