Double Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Name: Double Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: ~12 slices servings
Cuisine: Chocolate

Prep time20 minutes

Cook time25 minutes

Rest time2+ hours

Total time~3 hours

DifficultyMedium

Servings~12 slices

A cocoa-rich twist on a Latin classic. Airy chocolate sponge soaked in chocolate milk and finished with whipped cream and melted chocolate. Decadent, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying.

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What we love about this cake

This is tres leches reimagined for chocolate lovers. The airy sponge absorbs the cocoa-infused milk soak beautifully, and the whipped cream keeps everything light. It is indulgent, comforting, and celebration-ready.

Where’s it from?

Tres leches is a beloved dessert across Latin America and often appears at birthdays, Sunday lunches, and family gatherings. The name means “three milks” because the sponge is soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream. The soak is what turns a simple sponge into something special.

Why cocoa?

Most tres leches focus on milk, but this version layers chocolate into the sponge and the soak. The cocoa adds bitterness and depth, balancing the sweetness and making the cake taste grown up. It brings together Latin roots and cacao history in a way that feels both nostalgic and new.

Cocoa Recommendation

What cocoa should I use?

Use alkalised cocoa powder for the sponge and milk soak. It disperses smoothly, deepens colour, and adds the bittersweet edge tres leches needs. Use dark cocoa drops for the final drizzle so it melts and sets glossy without turning grainy.

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The Recipe

Follow these steps to create your masterpiece

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge cake

4 eggs, room temperature
150g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g all-purpose flour
30g alkalised cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
60ml milk

For the chocolate tres leches soak

200ml evaporated milk
200ml sweetened condensed milk
200ml whole milk
2 tbsp alkalised cocoa powder

For the topping

250ml heavy cream, chilled2 tbsp powdered sugar½ tsp vanilla extract50g dark cocoa drops, melted (for drizzle)

Method

Make the chocolate sponge

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a 20 x 30cm baking dish with parchment. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until pale and tripled in volume, about five minutes. Add the vanilla. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Warm the milk slightly and fold it into the batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and poke holes all over the cake.

Prepare the soak

Whisk the evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, and cocoa powder until smooth. Pour slowly over the warm cake in stages, letting it absorb between pours. Cover and chill for at least two hours or overnight.

Whip and finish

Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread over the chilled cake. Drizzle with melted cocoa drops and slice to serve.

Chef's Background

Hyram De La Paz is the creative force behind The Cocoa Circle's recipe magic. A professionally trained bonbon specialist with over six years of experience in high-energy kitchens, Hyram knows his way around cocoa like nobody else. His sweet spot is baking. In our kitchen, he blends world-class technique with a dash of imagination to turn cocoa into something spectacular.

The Cocoa Circle