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Mocha Tres Leches

A rich, luxurious mocha twist on a classic tres leches with a moist chocolate cake soaked in an espresso milk and topped with a light coffee whipped cream. This cake is really special.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12 servings

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