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Prepare yourself because I’m about to share my favorite cake of all time, chocolate très leches cake. If you love moist cake with a rich, chocolatey flavor, you have to try this one!
The first time I tried très leches cake was in the 90s. After that first bite, I don’t think I came up for air. I ate the whole piece in a matter of minutes and couldn’t believe I had deprived myself of something so delicious for so long.
Fast forward to five or so years ago my husband, who is Salvadoran and grew up eating très leches cake, and I discovered CHOCOLATE très leches cake! I had no idea that I could love the chocolate version even more than the traditional flavor but wow!
I loved this version so much that I began trying to find a good recipe to make it myself. A little over a year ago, I stumbled on a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake recipe on TheBestCakeRecipes.com. I fell in love with recipe because it was so easy to make and so incredibly delicious! I’ve made it a few times now, each time adapting it just a bit to our liking and today I’m finally sharing the recipe with you! The second I made it for my family they couldn’t stop talking about how great it was! My girls especially enjoyed it and it made me so happy that I was able to share my love for Très Leches Cake with them.
Tips When Making Chocolate Très Leches Cake
While this chocolate très leches cake is so easy to make, I do have a few helpful tips. You’ll want to poke holes in the cake when it comes out of the oven. Don’t worry if your fork messes up the cake a bit. You’ll be covering it all up with a thick layer of homemade chocolate whipped cream.
The most important thing I can stress to you when making this chocolate très leches cake, is that the quality of the ingredients will make all the difference! That’s why I only use Nestlé® La Lechera® condensed milk. It makes everyday desserts special! Nestlé La Lechera condensed milk has an authentic creamy taste, is made from only milk and sugar and contains nothing unnecessary and no artificial flavors. You can find Nestlé La Lechera at your local Publix in the canned milk aisle. Make sure to take advantage of the 2/$4 offer from 12/5/20 to 12/18/20 at Publix! It’s a great time to stock up!
I’ve tried to show the steps in photos above for you, to make it a bit easier.
Step 1: Dry ingredients for cake mix
Step 2: Wet ingredients for cake mix
Step 3: Cake batter mix w/ espresso
Step 4: Cake batter in baking pan
Step 5: Cooked cake
Step 6: Poking holes in the cake with a fork
Step 7: Cake with holes
Step 8: Très leches and cocoa powder
Step 9: Très leches poured on top of cake
Step 10: Heavy cream
Step 11: Powdered sugar and cocoa powder for chocolate whipped cream
Step 12: Chocolate whipped cream
Step 13: Chocolate whipped cream on top of cooled cake
Now that you know a little bit about our chocolate très leches cake, I’m excited to share the recipe.
Chocolate Très Leches Cake
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Chocolate Très Leches Cake
- Yield: 15 pieces 1x
Description
If you love moist cake with a rich, chocolatey flavor, you have to try this chocolate très leches cake!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 cup boiling water
Très Leches
- 14oz can Nestlé® La Lechera® sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups heavy cream
Toppings (optional)
- Maraschino cherries
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
- Sift together all of the dry ingredients (for the cake) in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients (for the cake), except for the espresso and water, with an electric mixer on med-high speed until combined.
- Slowly add in the dry mix and continue mixing until fully combined.
- Boil a cup of water and mix in the instant espresso powder.
- Add the cup of espresso and mix with a wooden spoon until combined and pour batter into your greased baking pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes. You will know that it’s done when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
- Using a fork, poke holes throughout the hot cake. You’ll need enough holes that it can soak up all of the très leches.
- In a medium bowl, combine the three milks and cocoa powder and whisk until cocoa powder has dissolved. It will look similar to chocolate milk.
- Pour the très leches on top of the cake. It should seep into the cake’s holes. Set the cake aside and let cool for 30-45 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, mix the heavy cream on medium-high for a minute.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and add half to the whipped cream
- Mix on med-high for another minute.
- Add the remaining mixture and mix on med-high for 3-4 minutes, until you get stiff peaks. Be careful not to over mix!
- Stick the chocolate whipped cream in the refrigerator for 10 minutes while the cake continues to cool a bit.
- Frost the cake with your chilled chocolate whipped cream and top with maraschino cherries and/or mini chocolate chips (optional).
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
Have you ever tried très leches cake before?
If you try this chocolate très leches cake recipe, we’d love to hear your thoughts. If you post it on social media, we’d love for you to tag @thesupermomlife! Don’t forget to check out all of our family friendly recipes!
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rachel
December 9, 2020Umm this sounds incredible. I can’t wait to make it.
Lisa
December 9, 2020I’m drooling over this recipe. We’ve a similar recipe in Italy to this tres leches cake!
Lyanna Soria
December 9, 2020I don’t think we’ve eaten très leches cake before but I’m willing to try your chocolate très leches cake. It looks quite delicious and I’m sure the family would like it as well.
★★★★★
Swathi
December 9, 2020The chcolate tres-leches cake looks delicious perfect treat any day. Love the combo of tres-leches with chocolate combo.
Melanie williams
December 9, 2020You had me at chocolate! Oh wow this looks so tasty and yummy. The perfect desserts after a lovely family meal x
Janeane Davis
December 9, 2020This is one of my favorite desserts. I am glad to find this recipe so I can make it for my family
Bella
December 8, 2020This look so tasty!!! I wish i could eat gluten!!! looks sooo good thanks for sharing this recipe
Kita Bryant
December 8, 2020These brownies look so moist. I would love to get some of these!
★★★★★
Heather
December 9, 2020Hi Kita! This isn’t a brownie recipe. This is a cake 🙂
Heather
December 8, 2020Oh yum, this looks like an excellent holiday dessert! I’m adding it to our menu llineup for the week our office is closed.
★★★★★
Catalina
December 8, 2020I am drooling over this cake! It looks so inviting!
★★★★★
Wanda Lopez
December 8, 2020I have made chocolate tres leches before but will love to try your recipe. Your cake looks amazing. We are huge fans of tres leches cake.
Nyxie
December 8, 2020Looks gorgeous! I’d love someone to serve me this for dessert at Christmas. I bet it tastes even better.
Catherine
December 8, 2020This looks so creamy and light…what a luscious dessert! I wish I could reach in for a slice!
★★★★★
Ruth I
December 8, 2020That looks incredible. I haven’t heard of this before. I’m sure my family would love to have this. I’m already excited to make this wonderful recipe of yours!
★★★★★
Flordeliz Fullo
December 8, 2020So cool and looks easy to do! Will save this recipe
Lynndee
December 8, 2020I have a sweet tooth and this is making me drool. I’m def going to make this. Thanks for the recipe!
Marina
December 8, 2020This looks amazing. I’m sure it tastes delicious x
Amanda Kerr
December 8, 2020OH EM GEE!! This looks freakkin amazing! 🙂 I love chocolate anything haha!
Melissa Dixon
December 8, 2020This looks and sounds so good. I may have to plan a cheat day and make this because I HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW! Geat job!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
December 8, 2020This looks like a lovely recipe and with a tasty moist cake. My daughter is getting into baking, I might get her to make this for me
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
December 8, 2020This looks so yummy. I would love to make this over the holidays
ana
December 8, 2020I keep seeing little things here and there about it. It’s nice to read some of the inside scoop/recipe. Makes me even more curious to taste it.
Toni Dash
December 8, 2020This will be a sure hit at my house!! Looks SO amazing!
★★★★★
Gervin Khan
December 8, 2020Such an easy and delicious dessert to make for my birthday. I am pretty sure that everyone will like that. YUM!
★★★★★
Yeah Lifestyle
December 8, 2020Such a simple cake to make and looks so delicious and indulgent as well. My kids would love this
★★★★★
Romy Schorr
December 8, 2020This chocolate cake recipe looks and sounds delicious. And the recipe looks so easy, I can’t wait to try it!
★★★★★
Tasheena
December 8, 2020This looks divine! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
★★★★★
Beth
December 7, 2020This looks like an amazing dessert. I’ve read about chocolate très leches cake but never tried one. I need to change that!
★★★★★
Kathy
December 7, 2020This cake looks so good. I bet my daughters would love to help me make it too. We love making cakes together. Yum!
Marta
December 7, 2020I love making tres leches cakes. Even the chocolate!
Celebrate Woman Today
December 7, 2020I would like to try this chocolate version of the tres leches. Easy and with pictures!
Ramona
December 7, 2020What a delightful dessert recipe this is! I love all about this recipe and I will make it with my teen daughter this weekend. Recipe pinned!
★★★★★
Kuntala Bhattacharya
December 7, 2020Its so yummy and delicious. I love cakes and my son too. I think my son will definitely like the cake. I can try the recipe, coz I love baking cakes.
★★★★★
melissa chapman
December 7, 2020Your kids seem to agree with me that a cake that good is really special. I know anyone who loves chocolate will have to make this soon.
Tomi C
December 7, 2020I love – I mean my family – loves tres leches cakes. However, I’ve never had a chocolate one. I may have to add this to my holiday baking. Thanks for this recipe
Bill
December 7, 2020Aww yeah. I need this in my belly immediately! I’m a huge chocolate fan, and the sheer amount of frosting on top of that cake is calling my name.
★★★★★
Nikki Wayne
December 8, 2020Just the look itself, convinced me already that this cake is just so yummy!!!
★★★★★
Vanessa
December 7, 2020Holy. Moly. I LOVE all that chocolatey goodness going on in that recipe. I can’t wait to make this for my family. They’re going to love it.
★★★★★
Tara Pittman
December 7, 2020This cake looks so delicious. I am drooling over this cake.
Amber Myers
December 7, 2020You always have the best recipes. This one looks amazing. Chocolate? Yes! I would gobble it up.
★★★★★
debra
December 7, 2020I love chocolate & espresso together. In fact, I love everything about your chocolate très leches cake recipe! Something I’d like to try this weekend. Looks incredibly delicious.
★★★★★
Ryan Escat
December 8, 2020Just the look itself convinced me so much that this cake is a must try!! It looks so moist and delicious 😋
★★★★★
Joline
December 7, 2020That looks soooo good! Ooey gooey delicious. Perfect for the holidays.
Kileen
December 7, 2020YES! Tres leches is so yummy and chocolate tres leches is even more yummy! I am going to try and make this.
Pam Wattenbarger
December 7, 2020I love Tres Leches cake but I’ve never had it in chocolate before. Now I want a slice!
Shahrom Martijn
December 6, 2020Your chocolate très leches cake looks simple to make and I bet It tastes amazing. Going to try this recipe out soon.
Rosey
December 6, 2020I like that it’s not difficult to make. It does look rich and decadent. I would love to try it.
Bri
December 6, 2020I just had Tres Leches Cake for the first time and I would LOVE to try it in chocolate!!
Emman Damian
December 6, 2020I want to recreate this chocolate très leches cake for Christmas. It looks so delish! It’s so easy to follow too.
★★★★★
yudith
December 6, 2020Just looking at these photos, I bet this cake is really tasty. Can you delivery this cake now? 🙂
★★★★★
Lisa
December 6, 2020What??!?! Chocolate tres leches? My husband LOVES tres leches. I need to make this one for him. This would be a big hit in our home. Thank you for posting this.
Sakshi
December 5, 2020Thank you so much for this recipe. I am definitely gonna try it. And its so great its right in timr for Christmas 💜 this is such a simple recipe.