Easy Chocolate Tres Leches Cake (with Boxed Cake Mix)

4.91 from 22 votes

Make a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake with boxed cake mix - it's easy and so delicious! Rich chocolate cake soaked in three milks, then topped with chocolate whipped cream and chocolate curls.

chocolate tres leches cake on a plate with a fork.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I've taken a traditional Tres Leches cake and simplified it down to the easiest preparation method possible. It has store-bought ingredients to take the guesswork out of the recipe. If you can stir cake batter, you can make this cake!
This one is great to make the night before an event. It's best when refrigerated overnight.
No kitchen experience is required to make a really yummy, sinfully decadent chocolate dessert that your guests will remember long after they try it.

Try more cool chocolate cakes - you'll love this Boston Creme Pie Poke Cake and my No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake!

Ingredients

For The Chocolate Cake Base

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix - Use any variety of chocolate cake mix; however, I prefer Devil's Food because it's super rich and chocolatey.
1 cup whole milk - It's best to use whole milk for a really hearty chocolate cake.
1 stick butter - Make sure your butter is at room temperature when you're ready to cook.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

For The Tres Leches Milk Mixture

8 oz heavy cream - You might be tempted to use half and half or even milk instead of heavy cream; don't! The cream makes it rich and velvety.
12 oz evaporated milk - The canned variety is exactly what you need.
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
3oz chocolate pudding mix - This is what we're going to use to make the tres leches and whipped topping chocolate-flavored. It's a great way to add flavor to ingredients! (Use half of a family-sized box; if it doesn't exactly match 3oz, that's ok, give or take an ounce.)

For The Whipped Cream Topping

8oz heavy cream - You're going to be shocked at how quickly the heavy cream and chocolate pudding mix will make a soft, fluffy chocolate icing! I'm talking within a matter of seconds.
3oz chocolate pudding mix
8oz whipped topping - Yes, the packaged frozen kind. If you'd like to make your own whipped cream, go for it - just whip together a cup of heavy cream and a cup of powdered sugar. Make sure your whipped topping is thawed when you're ready to "frost" the cake.
1.5oz chocolate bar - We'll use this to top the cake with chocolate shavings at the end. You can use semi-sweet for more of a bite, or milk chocolate for more sweetness. I like to use both.

Variations & Additions

Change the flavor - it's so simple to change the chocolate flavor of this cake; simply change the cake mix and the pudding mix! You could do strawberry tres leches, lemon tres leches, banana tres leches - the possibilities are endless.
Lighten it up - now, I don't necessarily recommend this, but you can lighten this recipe up a little if needed. Use skim milk in the cake, half and half instead of heavy cream, and light whipped topping.
Give it a bite - top your cake with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or even espresso powder for an extra chocolatey bite. You could even sprinkle a little bit of cayenne pepper on the top of the cake for an unexpected spicy kick!

Make it a Mexican meal - serve this tres leches cake with my Instant Pot Mexican Rice and copycat restaurant salsa! 💃

How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

poking holes in a chocolate sheet cake with a fork.

pouring tres leches milk mixture over chocolate cake.

spooning chocolate whipped cream over cake.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 cup of whole milk, 1 stick of softened butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 4 eggs. Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until smooth and fully incorporated. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
Bake the cake according to the directions on the box. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. After the cake has cooled slightly, use a fork to poke holes evenly across the entire surface. This helps the milk mixture absorb deeply into the cake.
While the cake cools, prepare the soaking mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together 8oz heavy cream, 12oz evaporated milk, 14oz sweetened condensed milk, and half of the chocolate pudding mix (about 3 oz) until smooth and fully blended.
Once the cake has cooled and the holes have been poked, slowly pour the chocolate milk mixture over the top of the cake. Work in small amounts, about one cup at a time, allowing each addition to fully absorb before adding more. This gradual process ensures the cake soaks up as much of the mixture as possible without becoming soggy on top.
Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least one hour to chill and set - overnight is even better for best results.
When ready to serve, prepare the topping. In a clean bowl, combine the remaining 3oz of chocolate pudding mix with 8 ounces of heavy cream. Use a hand mixer to beat until thickened, then gently fold in 8oz of whipped topping. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix and deflate the whipped topping.
Spread the chocolate whipped cream topping evenly over the chilled cake. Finish by shaving a chocolate bar over the top for garnish. Serve chilled.

chocolate tres leches cake in a baking pan, with pieces missing, and piece on a plate.

More Helpful Tips & Tricks

If you want to get the three milk mixture into the cake quicker, poke holes in your cake with a wooden skewer or chopstick.
If you can let it soak overnight, do it! The cake and milk mixture combines into a rich, pudding-like deliciousness the longer it sits.
Store leftover cake in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-4 days; serve chilled, no reheating needed.
To freeze, wrap the cake (before adding whipped cream and toppings) and freeze up to 6 months; thaw in the fridge, then add whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

FAQs

This probably means the holes in your cake aren't big enough. Try poking additional holes with a wooden skewer or a chopstick.

Tres leches cake can sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, but I wouldn't push it much past that. It's best to refrigerate the cake because of the high milk content.

No, it should be almost a pudding-like consistency, but not soggy. You should see just a little bit of the tres leches mixture at the bottom of the cake after cutting a piece.

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 17 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.

4.91 from 22 votes (21 ratings without comment)

7 Comments

K says:

at

Do I make the cake with whatever ingredients it says on the box and also 4 more eggs, milk, stick of butter etc?

1. Leslie Lambert says:
  
  at
  
  Instead of using what's recommend on the box (water, vegetable oil, etc), you'll use the 4 eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and butter written into the recipe!
  
Naomi says:

at

This is a chocolate poke cake. Not Tres leches. Pudding shouldn’t be used in the milk. It shouldn’t set up or get thicker as it sits, Tres leches doesn’t thicken that way. The cake itself is good. But def a poke cake.

Teri says:

at

I have someone that wants this recipe for the wedding cake it is one tier but 3 layers Will this be stable enough to stack?

1. Leslie Lambert says:
  
  at
  
  I don't think I'd recommend stacking it. It becomes very soft after adding the milk mixture.
  
Becky soto says:

at

Is says use a glass baking dish, can a different baking dish be used ?

1. Leslie Lambert says:
  
  at
  
  Sure! Just follow the recommended cooking times on the cake mix box for any adjustments to the baking dish (the cook time will vary for glass, metal, etc.).

Easy Chocolate Tres Leches Cake (with Boxed Cake Mix)

Why You'll Love This Recipe