Turn up the heat with this decadent Mexican Chocolate Tres Leches Cake! When a traditional tres leches cake just won't do, add a bit of chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper for a spicy surprise everyone will love!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chocolate tres leches cake
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Chilling Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 16
Calories 440kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
Mexican Chocolate Cake
1(15 ounce) box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 ¼cupshot coffeeor water or milk
½cupvegetable oilor canola or avocado oil
3large eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspooncayenne pepper
Tres Leches Milk
1(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1(12 ounce) can evaporated milk
½cupheavy whipping cream
½cupcocoa powder
Pinchkosher salt
Chocolate Whipped Cream
2cupsheavy whipping cream
¼cuppowdered sugar
¼cupcocoa powder
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Mexican Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of a 9x13-inch pan with butter or baking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, coffee, canola oil, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper with an electric hand mixer on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and continue beating 2 minutes until combined. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and, using a skewer or fork, poke holes in the cake, all the way to the bottom.
Tres Leches Milk
While cake is baking, heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and salt, stirring until well blended. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cocoa powder dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large heatproof measuring cup.
While the cake is still hot, pour the milk mixture slowly over the cake, starting at the edges and pausing to let it soak in before adding more. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cake is well chilled, 2-24 hours (the longer, the better!).
Chocolate Whipped Cream
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer on medium speed. When it begins to thicken, add the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Continue to beat 3-4 minutes, until firm peaks begin to form (being careful not to over-mix).
Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake. Dust with cayenne and cinnamon, if desired, or sprinkle with chocolate curls. Serve chilled, refrigerating leftovers in a sealed container.