Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

A chocolate version of a Mexican classic. This moist and delicious cake tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen but a boxed mix makes it so easy! For variety, you can add one tablespoon coffee-flavored liquor (such as Kahlua®) to your milk mixture or a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to your cake batter.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 472 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup canola oil
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package Swiss chocolate cake mix (such as Duncan Hines®)
• 1 ¼ cups chocolate milk

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13-inch pan with butter and flour.

Step 2

Beat cake mix, chocolate milk, canola oil, eggs, and espresso powder together in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on a low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium and continue beating another 2 minutes; pour into prepared pan.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan until it is no longer hot to the touch. While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes all over the cake with a small skewer or a fork.

Step 4

Whisk sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, evaporated milk, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder together in a bowl until cocoa is mostly incorporated into the liquid; slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely as the liquid soaks into it.

Step 5

Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder together in a bowl.

Step 6

Beat heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute. While continuing to mix, add sugar-and-cocoa mixture to the cream in 2 batches, allowing the first to incorporate before adding the second. Increase mixer speed to medium-high; beat until soft peaks form and the cream is thickened and spreadable. Spread chocolate whipped cream on the cake to serve.