Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the chocolate batter
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined, with a dry, cocoa-speckled mixture.
- In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with granulated sugar until pale and thicker in color.
- Beat in vegetable oil, whole milk, and vanilla extract until the yolk mixture looks smooth and glossy.
- Fold the dry flour mixture into the yolk mixture just until no dry streaks remain, keeping the batter thick.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold them into the batter gently to keep it airy.
- Pour the batter into a 9x13 baking dish and spread level; bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Soak and chill
- Combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and Mexican hot chocolate or strong coffee until you have a uniform, pourable mixture.
- Pierce the cooled cake all over with a fork or skewer so the milk mixture can soak in evenly.
- Pour the sweet milk mixture evenly over the cake, letting it settle into the holes.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the cake is fully saturated and sliceable.
Top and serve
- Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, forming soft ridges that hold their shape.
- Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake and dust with cinnamon for a warm, speckled finish.
- Serve chilled, with visible layers where the sponge absorbed the tres leches mixture.
Notes
Pro tip: cool the cake completely before pouring the tres leches so the soak spreads without turning the crumb gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze the baked, unwhipped cake soaked with milk for up to 2 months (add whipped topping after thawing). For a lighter version, use low-fat milk in the soak (note texture will be slightly less rich).