This easy Chocolate Tres Leches Cake starts with boxed Devil's Food cake mix for a rich, creamy dessert that's simple enough for any baker.
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake: What You Need to Know
If you've made my easy tres leches cake or strawberry tres leches cake, you already know I'm a big fan of taking this classic dessert and making it a little easier. This chocolate version uses the same simple cake-mix method, with a few tricks that help it soak up all that goodness while still holding together beautifully when sliced.
It's one of those recipes that looks like you spent way more time on it than you actually did-which is always a win in my book. 🙌🏻
Make Ahead
Best when chilled overnight.
Perfect for Parties
A 9x13" cake makes plenty for a crowd.
Beginner Friendly
No fancy decorating or advanced baking skills needed.
It looks impressive but takes very little effort…my favorite kind of recipe!
What Is Chocolate Tres Leches Cake?
Chocolate tres leches cake is a chocolate spin on the classic three-milk cake. After baking, the cake is poked with holes and soaked with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. While it chills, it absorbs the mixture and gets that soft, almost pudding-like texture tres leches is known for.
For this version, we're skipping the homemade sponge cake and using Devil's Food cake mix instead. I prepare the boxed mix a little differently so it can handle that milk mixture soak without turning mushy.
Why This Cake Mix Version Works
You don't need a homemade sponge cake to get a great tres leches cake. I make the boxed mix a little richer with whole milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs, then add the milk mixture gradually instead of pouring it on all at once.
That gives the cake time to absorb everything evenly. After you chill it, you get a soft, creamy texture that still holds together perfectly when sliced.
Ingredient Notes
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
For the Chocolate Cake
- Devil's Food cake mix - Any chocolate cake mix will work, but Devil's Food gives this cake a super rich chocolate flavor.
- Whole milk - I like to use milk instead of water to give the boxed cake a richer texture.
- Butter - Let it soften before mixing so it blends into the batter.
- Vanilla extract - Just a little bit helps round out the chocolate flavor.
- Large eggs - These give the cake structure so it can soak up that tres leches mixture.
For the Chocolate Tres Leches Mixture
- Heavy cream - This makes the milk mixture so rich and creamy. I don't recommend swapping it for regular milk if you can help it.
- Evaporated milk - One of the classic "three milks" in tres leches cake. You'll find it in the baking aisle with the canned milk.
- Sweetened condensed milk - This gives the milk soak its sweetness and that creamy texture.
- Instant chocolate pudding mix - This is my little shortcut for adding chocolate flavor to the milk mixture. We'll use the rest in the topping.
For the Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping
- Heavy cream - This is the base of our quick chocolate whipped cream (don't worry, it's easy!).
- Instant chocolate pudding mix - This adds chocolate flavor and helps the topping thicken quickly without any cooking.
- Whipped topping - Make sure this is thawed before folding it into the chocolate cream mixture.
- Chocolate bar - Use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or a combination for the curls on top.
Variations & Additions
- Add a little bit of coffee flavor. Stir a small amount of espresso powder into the milk mixture or dust a little bit over the finished cake. Coffee really brings out that chocolate flavor.
- Top it with strawberries. Fresh sliced strawberries are so yummy with the chocolate cake.
- Use different chocolate. Milk chocolate curls will make the cake sweeter; dark or semi-sweet chocolate gives it a little more bite.
- Add cocoa powder. A light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder over the whipped topping gives it a pretty finish.
- Keep the topping simple. If you don't want quite as much chocolate, use plain whipped cream on top instead.
- Try another tres leches flavor. Once you get the method down, try my Pumpkin Tres Leches, too!
How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
This recipe is pretty simple, but don't rush that soaking step. Giving the cake time to absorb the milk mixture is what gives tres leches cake that amazing texture.
- Make the chocolate cake batter. Combine the Devil's Food cake mix, whole milk, softened butter, vanilla extract, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend everything until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and bake according to the cake mix package directions. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the cake. Use a fork, wooden skewer, or chopstick to make holes across the entire surface. Don't be shy with them - you want plenty of places for that milk mixture to soak in!
- Make the chocolate tres leches mixture. Whisk together the heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and part of the chocolate pudding mix until smooth.
- Slowly soak the cake. Pour the milk mixture over the cake a little at a time. I usually add about a cup, give it a minute to soak in, then add more. Continue until you've used all of the mixture.
- Chill the cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. If you have time to leave it overnight, even better! The longer the cake sits, the more evenly that chocolate milk mixture works its way through the cake.
- Make the chocolate whipped cream. When you're ready to finish the cake, beat the remaining chocolate pudding mix with heavy cream until thick. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until everything is combined and fluffy.
- Top and serve. Spread the chocolate whipped cream over the cold cake, then shave a chocolate bar over the top. Slice and serve chilled.
Make It Ahead
Chocolate tres leches cake might actually be one of my favorite make-ahead desserts because you want it to sit in the refrigerator anyway. You can bake and soak the cake the day before you plan to serve it, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day, make the chocolate whipped cream topping, spread it over the cake, add your chocolate shavings, and you're ready to go! That makes this one so easy for parties, holidays, or anytime you don't want to be messing with dessert right before guests arrive.
Make it a Mexican meal - serve this tres leches cake with my Instant Pot Mexican Rice and copycat restaurant salsa! 💃
How to Store Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Storage: Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator. Because the cake is soaked with dairy and topped with whipped cream, it needs to stay chilled. It will keep well for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. As a matter of fact, I usually think the texture is best after it's had at least a night to sit.
Serving: Serve it straight from the fridge - there's no need to let it come to room temperature or warm it up.
Freezing: You can freeze this one, but I recommend freezing it before adding the whipped cream topping. Wrap the cake well and freeze it, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, add the chocolate whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.
Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Make plenty of holes. If the milk is sitting on top instead of soaking in, you might need more (or bigger) holes. If you need to make the holes bigger, a wooden skewer or chopstick works really well.
- Pour the milk slowly. Adding it a little bit at a time gives the cake a chance to absorb the mixture evenly.
- Don't skip the chill time. One hour works when you're in a rush, but overnight is my favorite. The texture gets so much better as everything sits together.
- Keep the cake cold. Between the milk soak and whipped topping, this is definitely a refrigerator dessert.
- Use a glass baking dish if possible. I like being able to see how the milk has soaked through the cake.
- Don't overmix the topping. Once you fold in the whipped topping, mix just until everything is combined so it stays light and fluffy.
FAQs
More Chocolate Treats
🍫 This one's sure to be a hit at your next party! I can't wait to see what you think of it. Let me know how it went with a comment or rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below.
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake Base
- 15.25 oz Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 stick butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
For the Chocolate Tres Leches Mixture
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 3 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 8 oz whipped topping (thawed)
- 3 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1.5 oz chocolate bar (for shaving)
Instructions
- Make the cake batter. Add the Devil's Food cake mix, whole milk, softened butter, vanilla extract, and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and fully combined.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake according to the cake mix package directions. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Poke the cake. Use a fork, wooden skewer, or chopstick to poke holes evenly across the entire cake, going almost all the way through.
- Make the chocolate tres leches mixture. Whisk together the heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and instant chocolate pudding mix until smooth.
- Soak the cake. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake, about 1 cup at a time. Let each addition soak in before adding more. Continue until all of the milk mixture has been added.
- Chill. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best texture, refrigerate overnight.
- Make the chocolate whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream and instant chocolate pudding mix with a hand mixer until thickened. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping just until combined.
- Finish the cake. Spread the chocolate whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake. Shave the chocolate bar over the top, then slice and serve cold.
Notes
- Don't use the ingredients listed on the cake mix box. Prepare the mix with the milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs listed in this recipe.
- Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve. It thickens the milk mixture and whipped topping without cooking.
- Pour the milk mixture slowly. Adding it a little at a time helps the cake absorb it evenly.
- Make plenty of holes. If the milk isn't soaking in well, use a wooden skewer or chopstick to make slightly larger holes.
- Let it chill overnight if possible. The texture gets even better as the cake sits.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze, freeze the cake before adding the whipped topping. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add the topping and chocolate shavings before serving.
Nutrition Facts
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.
Do I make the cake with whatever ingredients it says on the box and also 4 more eggs, milk, stick of butter etc?
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!
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.
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?
I don't think I'd recommend stacking it. It becomes very soft after adding the milk mixture.
Is says use a glass baking dish, can a different baking dish be used ?
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.).
I followed the recipe. My milk pudding mixture would not soak in. Tried using bigger holes. It was a flop.