Chocolate Tres Leches Cake. {Video!}

I have the chocolate tres leches cake to end all chocolate cakes.

Because it’s simple, sort of quick, and get this – drenched in CHOCOLATE MILK.

It’s not weird, I swear. And it should be on your menu next week after copious amounts of tacos and margaritas. 

We had only been married about seven months when I made my first tres leches cake. And we had only been in our first house for a month or so – I can even remember how CLEAN and new it felt, without the lived-in feel and clutter that would build up. I hadn’t started my blog yet, in fact I didn’t even know about blogs, so I don’t know where I found the recipe that I used that day.

I made the cake for a sunday dinner though and it was such a hit. Later that evening we went for a walk in the new spring air and both came back and had MORE cake because it was just incredibly delicious. I remember the dish I baked it in, where we stood and ate it, how it looked, how it tasted, how it was still light outside and how I had major sunday blues that the weekend was over.

Isn’t that nuts?

These days I can barely remember where I place my sunglasses when I take them off of my head and a few weeks ago I put my car keys in the pantry. WHAAAAAT. This is not me.

Also, sidenote, autocorrect keeps wanting it to be tres LEECHES cake. Um, no. I would not like leeches in my cake, thank you very much.

I’ve wanted to make a chocolate version for ages. I’ve said a million times now that cake is not my drug of choice – I’ll usually choose cheesecake first, then maybe a super rich peanut butter fudge brownie. But tres LECHES is just so light and spongey and dense and, yes, moist, at the same time.

No I can’t apologize for using the word. Would you rather have a soggy or damp cake? Those are your options.

I’m pretty sure that we’ve talked about Eddie’s cake preferences before on the blog. His cake, whether it’s cake slices or cupcakes, must be COLD. It must come straight from the fridge and that is the only way he will eat it.

Me on the other hand – I don’t need cold cake. I don’t mind a cold slice of cake, in fact I like it. But I don’t love cold cupcakes because I find it makes them too stale-like and too tough, if that can be a thing.

This chocolate tres leches cake though. It’s gotta be cold.

First off, it makes it much easier to slice and hold it’s shape.

Second, it’s almost fudge-like when it’s cold, super chocolatey and one of the best things you will taste.

Top it off with some light, freshly whipped cream, chocolate shavings and shaved chocolate. A touch of mint.

Grab a huge fork and go.to.town. 

How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Video

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Yield: 1 (8x8 inch) cake

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate milk, whole or 2%

for topping:

• 2 cups cold heavy cream, beat with an electric mixer until peaks form
• chocolate shavings
• fresh mint

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch pan with butter and set aside. In a measuring cup, whisk the hot coffee and butter until the butter melts, then set it aside until ready to use.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir in the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. Once it’s about halfway mixed, pour in the coffee/butter mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is just set in the middle. Let cool completely.
• Once cool, poke the top of the cake with a fork – lots of holes for the delicious chocolate milk to stream into. Whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk and chocolate milk. Pour it over top (you can do it in batches) evenly and watch it sink into the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. To serve, top with whipped cream (I like to use unsweetened whipped cream or coconut whipped cream since the cake is rich) and chocolate shavings. Keep the cake in the fridge!

Notes

[lightly adapted from my whiskey chocolate cake]

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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THAT BITE. p.s. tres leches DONUTS. tres leches banana cake. tres leches CUPCAKES!