I hope you’re ready for a super moist, gooey, utterly delicious chocolate cake! “Tres leches” means “three milks” in Spanish and this cake is a Latin American classic, said to have originated in Mexico. It’s soaked in a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream (the three milks) and refrigerated overnight for a cake that’s not soggy but rich and super soft. Just before serving, it’s topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted and while the more traditional versions are vanilla flavoured, this chocolate version is really great!

A tres leches cake seems to be made in two ways: many recipes use a sponge with no butter which absorbs liquid better, and many also use a softer butter-based cake which has its own flavour. I looked up a lot of different versions and finally decided to try this one New York Times recipe, swapping the oil for butter, using hot coffee instead of water for extra flavour and halving the recipe for a standard cake tin. Along with the very excellent addition of rum in the soaking liquid which is a genius idea I saw on Smitten Kitchen.

The cake itself comes together quickly but should be cooled completely before you add the soaking liquid. Here is where it’s easy to feel there’s a lot of liquid but that’s how it’s supposed to be. Add it slowly, letting the cake chill a bit and soak it in before adding more. Also reserve some of the liquid to serve each slice with, it makes a huge difference to the flavour and also helps with any bits of the cake that may not have soaked it up!

Since the cake is quite chocolatey and the whipped cream is unsweetened, the fact that the soaking liquid is very sweet actually doesn’t matter. I have notes below the recipe on the evaporated milk and I don’t recommend using any substitutes here because you will lose out on the flavour. Altogether, it is a delicious, unique cake and I hope you love it as much as I did!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

A moist, chocolatey cake soaked in a boozy mixture of cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 55

Makes: 8 pieces

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Ingredients

For the cake

1 egg at room temperature (I haven't tried this cake without eggs)
1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature (125 ml)
1/4 cup melted butter (60 ml)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4^th cup caster sugar (140 gms)
3/4^th cup plus 2 tbsps all-purpose flour (105 gms)
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (20 gms, see notes)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water or hot coffee (125 ml)

For the 'tres leches' mixture

200 ml condensed milk (approx 3/4 cup)
200 ml evaporated milk (approx 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup cream (125 ml, whipping/heavy cream recommended)
2 tbsps dark rum, optional
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping

1/4 cup chilled whipping cream (60 ml)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon powder to sprinkle on top, optional

Instructions

This cake needs to be chilled overnight after the tres leches mixture is poured on top, so start it the day before you plan to cut into it. You can use a shallow rectangular baking pan (mine is about 10x7 inch). Lightly grease the pan and preheat the oven to 175 C.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, butter and vanilla until fairly uniform in appearance, then whisk in the sugar until incorporated.
Now sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold gently to combine until no lumps remain. Slowly stir in the hot coffee or water, till you have a smooth, runny batter.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The center might have a slight dome and crack which is actually great for absorbing the liquid later.
Let the cake cool completely at room temperature and don't take it out of the pan.
To make the tres leches mixture, simply whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Poke multiple holes all over the cooled cake (still in the pan) with a fork. Reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid, and gradually pour the rest over the cake, a few spoons at a time, waiting till it's almost fully absorbed before pouring more. It might pool on the edges a little bit, which is ok. If you feel it's not absorbing it very well, poke more holes and let the cake sit in the fridge for an hour or so, before pouring more.
Once done, refrigerate the cake at least overnight (it gets better the longer you chill it). The tres leches liquid will thicken and get absorbed and the top will look dark, moist and sticky (see photo below).
When ready to serve, beat the chilled cream and vanilla with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. While I didn't feel the need to add sugar, you can and you can also use more cream if you prefer.
Spread the cream all over the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon. Slice into squares. Just before you serve, place a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved tres leches mixture onto the plate, then place a square of cake on it. This makes sure that any bits of the cake that may not have absorbed the liquid do become moist and also, more flavour!
Store the cake for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and you'll notice it becomes more moist and delicious! The chocolate twist here makes it slightly rich and fudgier in the best possible way. Happy baking!

Notes

*A dark or Dutch cocoa is recommended here for the best flavour and colour. If you only have natural cocoa on hand, that's ok though.

*Evaporated milk is essential to this recipe. It is an unsweetened version of reduced, thickened milk that takes on a caramelised colour and flavour. The only brand I found here in India was Rainbow which I got on Amazon (affiliate link below). I haven't tried homemade versions of evaporated milk or any substitutes.

*Prep time does not include chilling time.

*Adapted from NYT Cooking.

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