Tres leches is such a classic and when I started craving a chocolate version, it almost felt sacrilegious, but I pressed on and carefully developed one of the absolute best cakes I have ever made… this mocha tres leches cake…
This dessert is quite special. A moist chocolate cake soaked with an espresso milk soak and topped with a super fluffy coffee whipped cream. How fabulous does that sound?
This cake is quite special and it stays good chilled for up to 4 days… if it even lasts that long, so it is a great make ahead dessert that everyone is going to absolutely adore.
Let’s get started…
Begin by whisking 2 large eggs with 1/2 cup of a neutral oil or sour cream (whichever you have on hand), 1 cup of whole milk and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
Add 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar and whisk vigorously until the mixture is bubbly and pale yellow.
Sift 2 cups of all purpose flour, 3/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix until mostly combined.
Add a cup of hot, freshly brewed coffee and whisk until the coffee is completely incorporated and you no longer see dry ingredients unincorporated. A few little lumps are totally fine though!
Transfer the batter into a greased 9″x13″ cake pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the center of the cake clean.
Let the cake cool for 1 hour at room temperature.
While the cake is cooling, whisk 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounces of evaporated milk, a cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of instant espresso powder together until everything is well combined.
Once the cake has cooled, use a toothpick, chopstick or a large fork to poke little holes all over the cake. Don’t forget the edges of the cake! This area is usually the driest, so it needs to soak up lots of the espresso milk soak.
At first, it may seem that you have too much of the espresso milk mixture, but just keep adding it a bit at a time until all of it has been added. This is what mine looks like before I chill it and after an hour in the refrigerator, it is almost all fully absorbed.
Cover the cake pan and chill for an hour or more before adding the whipped cream topping.
See how most of the soak has been absorbed? You just see a little bit hanging around the edges of the cake, which is exactly what you want before adding the coffee whipped cream.
To make the coffee whipped cream, combine 2 cups of very cold heavy cream, 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer to blend on medium speed until everything is combined.
Use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure that everything is brought off of the bottom of the bowl and then increase the mixer speed to medium high and whip until you have a thick, firm whipped cream consistency.
Spread the coffee whipped cream evenly over the entire cake and if you want to dress it up a little, add some chocolate shavings or some fresh strawberries.
This cake is incredible. It has the same feel as a classic tres leches, but the chocolate, coffee and espresso flavors just push the dessert way over the top.
I am not saying I have lost my love for an OG tres leches, but if this version was on the table, I would chose it every time.
Mocha Tres Leches
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of a neutral oil or sour cream
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee, hot
Tres Leches Soak
- 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces of evaporated milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder
Coffee Whipped Cream
- 2 cups of heavy cream, cold
- 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the cake...
- Preheat your oven to 350° and grease a 9”x13” deep cake dish
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 1/2 cup of a neutral oil, 1 cup of whole milk and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until completely combined
- Add 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar and whisk vigorously to combine
- Sift 2 cups of all purpose flour, 3/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bowl and mix until mostly combined (it’s ok to see a bit of the dry ingredients unincorporated at this stage)
- Add a cup of freshly brewed coffee and mix until just combined
- Transfer the batter into the greased 9“x13” cake dish and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean
- Set the cake aside to cool for an hour
Make the tres leches soak...
- Whisk 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk with 12 ounces of evaporated milk, 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder until completely combined
- Poke holes all over the cooled cake using a toothpick or the narrow end of a chopstick
- Pour the soak mixture over the entire cake, cover and chill for an hour or more before topping and serving
Make the coffee whipped cream...
- Combine 2 cups of cold heavy cream, 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons of espresso powder, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract in a food processor, stand mixer or large bowl of mixing with an electric hand mixer
- Blend of medium speed for 60 seconds and then use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixer down
- Continue blending until stiff peaks develop but keep an eye on the consistency and don’t blend past the stiff peak stage or you risk separating the cream
Assemble and serve...
- Spread the coffee whipped cream evenly over the cake and optionally garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings
- Serve chilled and chill leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days
