Decadent chocolate cake drenched in a moist layer of three types of sweetened milk and finished off with decadent mousse layer, this chocolate tres lesches cake is every chocolate lover’s dream cake.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts and the milk just begins to boil but is not boiling.
Take it off the flame and set aside.
In another bowl, sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the yogurt, sugar and vanilla essence until homogenous in a separate bowl.
Add 1/3 of your dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture and fold. When you can still see some bits of flour left out add 1/2 of your milk+butter mixture and fold again.
Basically alternating between the dry ingredients and Milk+Butter mixture combine everything into a cake batter. Always start and end with dry ingredients so you would be adding the flour mixture in 3 batches and the hot milk+butter mixture in 2 batches.
Once the batter is ready, pour it into your prepared cake pan and bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 35-45 mins until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Let it sit in the pan itself for 3-5 mins. Release the edges using a knife and invert the cake pan onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and allow the cake to cool completely.
Step 2 - Preparing the Three Milk Layer
Onto a bowl, add in the chopped chocolate followed by Hot Milk (Milk that is heated enough to melt the chocolate).
Whisk to combine. Then whisking continuously add in the whipping cream followed by condensed milk until homogenous. And your chocolate milk is ready.
Put the now cooled cake back into the cake pan and poke some holes on top using a skewer or fork.
Pour the chocolate milk on top. Refrigerate the cake for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to absorb all the chocolate milk that you have added
Please note: If you are using a spring form pan then make sure to line it with a parchement paper so that the milk doesn't flow out.
In a bowl add in the chopped chocolate and 30 ml of Whipping Cream and then melt the microwave in an interval of 30 seconds until the chocolate melts and combines with the cream. Set aside to cool and thicken. This is your chocolate ganache
Onto another bowl, take the remaining cream and whip till soft peaks.
Add the cooled ganache and whip until stiff peaks to make the chocolate mousse frosting.
Use this frosting on top of cake and smoothen the top. Put it back into the fridge for 30 mins to allow the cream to set.
After 30 minutes, trim the edges of the cake (optional). Dust some cocoa powder. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
This is not an authentic Tres Leches Cake as I have not used eggs and evaporated milk in this recipe. Also have added chocolate to make a chocolate version.
If you like to use eggs in your cake then in this recipe you can use 2 eggs in place of yogurt for making the chocolate cake.
You can use a round, square, rectangle cake pan or even a casserole to bake this cake. I have used an 8 inches square tin here.
Make sure to use a butter-based cake base recipe to ensure that the cake absorbs all the chocolate milk that you are adding.
To make the chocolate milk, feel free to use any chocolate that you like. I have used Whittaker's Dark Chocolate.
The authentic recipe calls for the addition of evaporated milk but I understand for some of my reader it won't be available easily so I am using plain regular milk instead. You can use any that you like.
In place of making a chocolate mousse frosting, you can simply whip the cream with some cocoa powder and use it. Click here for the detailed basic chocolate whipped cream frosting recipe.
Use a cream with 35% or more fat content as only those cream would whip beautifully to stiff peaks.
Basic tips like not over-mixing the cake batter, not over-beating the cream apply to this recipe as well.
Don't forget to check my Top tips to make the Chocolate Tres Leches Cake from above.
How to Store the Cake?
You can store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.Find details on how to make a layered cake using this recipe, how to serve chocolate tres leches cake, when to make the cake etc from the post.