This decadent dessert is perfect for sharing with friends and family and an excellent idea to keep in your back pocket for a last minute dessert. Made with a boxed cake mix, it is simple and easy to put together but still unique enough to stand out.
This chocolate spice tres leches has all the flavors of a chocolate cake and a tres leches cake but is elevated by adding cinnamon and allspice for a holiday inspired version.
To make this cake, start by following the instructions on a chocolate boxed cake mix and make the cake batter. Usually it is a mixture of cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. If you want a more decadent cake, replace the water with milk and the oil with melted butter.
Then to create the “spiced” version, add a good amount of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger powder. These flavors with make the cake taste and feel more suited to the holidays! Give that a good mix then pour the cake into a baking tray and bake according to package directions.
While that is baking, prepare the rest of the components. Start by mixing together the tres leches-this is just a combination of a can of condensed milk, a can of evaporated milk, and heavy cream. I was in a pinch with heavy cream and decided to experiment with oat milk-and it still came out very delicious! Add more cinnamon and allspice so the flavor really comes through and set aside.
Next pour the heavy cream in a bowl and add cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk well and whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don’t over mix or it will separate and curdle! Once it reaches stiff peaks, set aside.
When the cake is fully baked (insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean) remove from oven and place in the freezer to cool it down quickly. I only leave it for 10 minutes. Then poke holes all over the cake with a large fork to make lots of holes for the tres leches to soak through.
Pour the tres leches all over the cake evenly and place back in the freezer to cool a little more for another 10 minutes. If you have time, you can place it in the fridge instead.
Once the top is cool to the touch, layer the whipped cream over the top. I like to use a star too and pipe swirls!
To decorate the cake, top with fruits or berries and an extra sprinkling of cinnamon or powdered sugar. Keep cake in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate boxed cake mix*
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp allspice
- 1/2 tbsp ginger powder
For the Tres Leches
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ginger
For the Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°
Follow cake package directions and make chocolate cake batter by mixing together cake mix, water, oil, and eggs
Pour cake batter into a 9×13 cake pan and bake according to package directions
Once cake is cooked, cool completely then poke holes with a fork all over
Prepare the tres leches by mixing together the cream, condensed milk, carnation milk, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Pour over the cake
In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whip until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cake*
Decorate with fruits or berries, and a sprinkling of cinnamon
Refrigerate cake to cool completely before serving
Notes
* For a more decadent cake, replace oil with melted butter and water with milk
** Optionally, you can pipe the whipped cream over the cake for a fancier look