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Mexican Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Mexican chocolate tres leches cake with a rich cocoa sponge soaked in a sweet milk mixture, then topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Moist, sliceable layers come from baking the cake first, piercing it thoroughly, and chilling for at least 2 hours for full soaking.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mexican chocolate sponge
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 5 large eggs separated, yolks and whites used separately
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Sweet milk soak
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  • 0.5 cup Mexican hot chocolate or strong coffee choose one; use strong coffee if you want less chocolate flavor
Whipped topping
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon use for dusting on top

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Make the chocolate sponge
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined, with no dry streaks visible.
  2. Beat the egg yolks with granulated sugar until pale and slightly thicker in appearance.
  3. Add vegetable oil, whole milk, and vanilla extract to the yolk mixture and mix until smooth.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the yolk batter just until incorporated, keeping the batter thick and cocoa-colored.
  5. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold them into the batter until the mixture looks uniformly fluffy with no large white patches.
  6. Pour the batter into a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Soak and chill
  1. Combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and Mexican hot chocolate or strong coffee until the mixture looks smooth and pourable.
  2. Pierce the cooled cake all over with a fork, then pour the milk mixture evenly across the surface so it seeps into the holes.
  3. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, until the soak is absorbed and the cake feels more set when sliced.
Top and serve
  1. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, so the cream holds its shape.
  2. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake, then dust with cinnamon for a visible speckled top.
  3. Serve the cake chilled, with clean slices showing soaked layers.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, chill overnight if you can—2 hours helps, but longer sets the soak. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the whipped topping can weep after thawing. For a dairy-free swap, use sweetened condensed-style coconut milk and evaporated-style coconut milk alternatives, then whip a dairy-free heavy-cream substitute.