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What makes this Peppermint Mocha Tres Leches Cake stand out from the rest is that it’s moist and full of peppermint and chocolate flavor. This cake recipe screams Christmas, and it’s the perfect dessert to share.
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Delicious Peppermint Mocha Tres Leches Cake
Peppermint is a flavor that I crave all year long. When you combine chocolate cake and peppermint mocha, dessert dreams really do come true.
Knowing that each bite of mocha cake with peppermint is moist and delicious is all the reason that you need to make this dessert. Nobody has time for dry cake around here – nobody!
No matter if you’re making this for a holiday party or just as a simple weekend dessert for the family, there’s no doubt that this is going to be a huge hit every single time. And when I say it’s LOADED with peppermint flavor, trust me!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is a great go-to Tres Leches Christmas Cake
- The flavor of this mocha tres leches cake is unlike anything you’ll ever eat
- It’s made from a box cake mix – which means it’s super simple!
Ingredients to make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake from a Box Cake Mix
- Chocolate cake mix – Choose your favorite brand of cake mix.
- Eggs – I always use large eggs when baking.
- Vegetable oil – Coconut oil could be used as well.
- Peppermint mocha coffee creamer – This is where the peppermint and mocha flavoring comes from!
- Sweetened condensed milk – The secret to making the best and most moist cake.
- Chocolate milk – Because everyone knows that adding chocolate milk creates a crazy good chocolate flavor.
- Cool Whip – You can also use fresh whipped cream or whipped cream frosting as well.
- Crushed candy canes for garnish – This is optional but delicious.
How to make Tres Leches Cake with a Box Cake Mix
This chocolate tres leches cake is so simple and easy to do! You’re going to go crazy for the flavor!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 pan with nonstick spray. (If you have some that has flour in it, use that!)
- Whisk the cake mix, eggs, oil, and 1 ¼ cups of cream until it’s smooth. Pour into the pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes.
- Mix the condensed milk, the chocolate milk, and the rest of the creamer in a measuring cup. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick and pour the mixture over the top.
- Let that cool down all the way before adding the frosting. You can also top with whipped cream and crushed candy canes as well.
Pro Tip
This Tres Leche cake recipe box cake mixture will actually get better as it soaks! I love making it the day before and then storing it covered in the fridge to serve later.
FAQs
The best way to store this simple box cake recipe is to store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days.
You might be able to, but I really recommend eating it fresh. The moistness of the cake is something that needs to be enjoyed within three days of making it.
The biggest difference between the two is that a poke cake has BIG holes poked into it, typically by the end of a spoon handle. A Tres Leche cake has smaller holes made, typically with a toothpick.
Poke Cakes also tend to use jello or gelatin in their cake mixture to add and vary the flavors.
More Peppermint Recipes
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Peppermint Mocha Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (79ml) vegetable oil
- 2 ¼ cups (533ml) peppermint mocha coffee creamer divided
- 1 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk (regular or fat free)
- 1 cup (237ml) chocolate milk
- 1 8 ounce container Cool Whip (or about 2-3 cups freshly whipped cream)
- Crushed candy canes for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray. Use the kind with flour, if you have it.
- Whisk (or mix using a hand mixer) the cake mix, eggs, oil, and 1 1/4 cups of creamer until smooth (a couple of minutes). Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate milk, and remaining 1 cup of creamer in a large measuring cup. Use a toothpick to poke several holes all over the top of the slightly cooled cake, then pour the tres leches mixture all over the top. Let it cool completely before frosting and serving. The longer it soaks the better (you can make it the day before, store covered in the refrigerator).
- Before serving, frost with cool whip or whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed candy canes. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. (It’ll last longer with Cool Whip than whipped cream.)
Recipe Nutrition
EASY Chocolate Tres Leches Cake with cake mix and Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer! This is the perfect Tres Leches Christmas Cake – chocolate and peppermint flavors – the perfect holiday recipe.
There’s just nothing like that combo of peppermint, chocolate and of course this tres leches goodness! So crave-worthy and beautiful! xo
This peppermint flavored cake looks tempting and I never came across any blog with so many drooling desserts…I see desserts everywhere and I have bookmarked your blog to try out International desserts and cakes…Thanks for giving us wonderful recipes…
Are you for real? I so need this in my life!! And if anyone knows tres leches.. it’s our girl Averie for sure! 🙂
LOL, the phone thing… gotta love kids. I’d end that night with a giant slab of this (and of course some wine to wash it down??). Truly though, this looks so good!
what’s the difference between a poke cake and tres leches? <— Poke cakes for me are with a sweetened cond milk + caramel sauce or SCM + chocolate syrup that are then poked in. Whereas with tres leches you're using 3 milks and just 3 milks, rather than the caramel/syrups, etc. But when I was making my scratch tres leches last spring, I remember writing that I feel like tres leches cakes were the original poke cakes. Not sure if you really wanted a full answer to that but that's my .02 only of course!
Glad you found the phone. And I hope you ate a ton of this cake after that debacle bc it looks amazing! You are soooo creative!
Awesome recipe! Glad the lost phone was found. Like you said, at least the room is now clean!
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