Chocolate Tres Leches cake

 

Every year during Ramadhan, someone always messages me asking for either Tres leches cake or a chocolate version of it. I made Tres Leches cake and shared it a long time ago, you can check it out here. As for the chocolate version, it took me some time to find the perfect recipe. I wanted to make one that was fuss-free and came across a recipe where boxed cake was used instead of going through the trouble of getting ingredients to make a chocolate sponge cake.

I used Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge cake mix.  Instead of using the whole box I used half of it to make a small 8x8 cake. You can use any type of chocolate fudge or German chocolate cake mixes. I have a recipe coming up on what to do with the remaining cake mix so don't throw it away.

Recipe Adapted from Practically home made's easy Tres leches cake recipe and Betty Crocker's chocolate Tres leches cake recipe

Recipe Chocolate Tres Leches cake

To make the sponge cake

• 1/2 packet (220g) of Boxed chocolate fudge cake (total weight of the box is 440g)
• 56g butter
• 3/4 cups milk
• 3 small eggs 
• extra butter to grease the pan.

Milk mixture for soaking

• 1/2 can condensed milk ( gerikiru)
• 3/4 cup chocolate milk
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

For the topping

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup icing sugar
• a few drops of vanilla essence
• small bar of dark chocolate
• fresh strawberries (if available)

Instructions

Sponge cake:

• Lightly butter an 8x8 square baking pan or an 8-inch round pan. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
• Place the required amount of cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter, cool slightly, and mix with milk. Pour this into the cake mix, stir it in and then mix in the eggs and beat until smooth and well mixed. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake until a skewer comes out clean when you insert it into the cake. 

Soaking.

• While the cake is baking, prepare the soaking mixture. Mix condensed milk, chocolate milk and cream and set aside. 
• Once the cake is baked, poke the warm cake with holes all over the cake using a toothpick or bamboo skewer. 
• Pour the prepared milk mixture over the cake and let it soak. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 

Topping.

• Keep the chocolate bar in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Before serving, whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla essence until soft peaks. It's easier to whip when the cream is cold so make sure to chill the cream before whipping. Another thing to be mindful of is not to overwhip or you will end up with butter instead. 
• Anyway, spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake, 
• Grate the frozen chocolate bar over the cake so you get a sprinkle of chocolate. You can also use a vegetable peeler and shave curls to sprinkle over the cake.
• If you are using fresh strawberries, slice them thinly and or chop them up and arrange them on top of the cake along with the chocolate shavings.