Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Tres Leches Cake

These Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Tres Leches Cakes combine a dark cocoa sponge with a creamy peanut butter milk soak. Each individual cake is chilled in its own container, then finished with peanut butter whipped cream, crushed Reese’s cups, and a peanut butter drizzle.

The contrast is what makes this dessert work: the cake stays deeply chocolatey after soaking, while the whipped topping balances the rich peanut butter. The individual portions are easy to chill, decorate, transport, and serve for parties or special occasions.

Why You’ll Love This Reese’s Tres Leches Cake

• Chocolate and peanut butter throughout: The flavor combination appears in the cocoa cake, peanut butter milk soak, whipped topping, candy, and drizzle.
• Individual servings: Each cake chills and serves in its own container, which makes portioning and transporting the dessert easier.
• Moist without losing chocolate flavor: The cocoa sponge absorbs the tres leches mixture while keeping its dark chocolate character.
• Layered texture: Soft soaked cake, whipped cream, crushed Reese’s cups, and peanut butter drizzle give each serving contrast.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake Base

• 1 3/4 (218g) cup All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 (75g) cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp (10g) Baking Soda
• 1 tsp (5g) Baking Powder
• 1 tsp (6g) Salt
• 2 tsp (4g) Espresso Powder (optional, for enhancing chocolate flavor)
• 1 3/4 cup (350g) cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp (10ml) Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup (240ml) Milk, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) Hot Water (or hot coffee for deeper flavor)

Peanut Butter Tres Leches Milk Soak

• 1 can (397g) Sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large can (354ml) Evaporated milk
• 1 cup (250g) Creamy peanut butter, melted
• 1 cup (240ml) Whole milk
• 1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

• 2 1/2 cups (600ml) Heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 cup (60g) Powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup (125g) Creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

Toppings

• 2 1/2 cups (312g) chopped Reese’s cups
• 1/2 cup (125g) creamy peanut butter, melted

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Cake Batter: Whisk together your dry ingredients in a large bowl then set aside. In a separate large bowl, whip the sugars, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Alternate incorporating dry ingredients with the milk and water until the cake batter is free of lumps and smooth.

2. Bake: Pour the batter into 25 individual baking tins 1/3 of the way (mini cake pans linked in my Amazon storefront) and bake on 350F for approximately 13 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. *I always recommend baking one test cake first and timing it*

3. Prepare the Milks: Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla and melted peanut butter until evenly incorporated. Make sure there is no peanut butter sticking to the bottom and all of it is mixed into the milks properly!

4. The Soak: While the cakes are still warm but not hot, poke holes across the surface. Pour your prepared tres leches milk mixture over each cake, allowing it to soak in completely. Cover with lids and chill 2-4 hours. 

5. Whip up Topping: Whip cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Incorporate peanut butter and whip again until stiff peaks form.

6. Top and Garnish: Top each chilled cake with whipped topping, Sprinkle generously with crushed Reese’s pieces and finish with a beautiful peanut butter drizzle.

Mini cake pans, a glass measuring cup for combining the milks, piping bags, vanilla extract, and more of my baking tools are linked in my Amazon Storefront.

Serving and Troubleshooting Notes

• Give the cakes the full chill: Keep the 2–4 hour chilling time already specified in the recipe. This gives the milk mixture time to settle into the cake before topping and serving.
• Mix the soak completely: The existing recipe calls for mixing until no peanut butter remains on the bottom. Check the mixture before pouring so every cake receives the same chocolate-peanut butter balance.
• Keep the finished cakes cold: The milk soak and whipped topping are dairy-based, so keep the covered cakes refrigerated until serving.
• Wait before decorating: Add the whipped topping only after the cakes have completed the chilling step in the original Instructions.

Common Questions

Why should the cakes be warm but not hot before soaking?

Warm cake can accept the milk mixture without immediately melting or destabilizing the dairy-based soak. Follow the temperature cue in the original Instructions before pouring.

Why does the peanut butter milk need thorough mixing?

Peanut butter can settle on the bottom of the container. Mix until the soak looks even before dividing it among the cakes, exactly as directed in the original Instructions.

How should the finished cakes be stored before serving?

Keep each cake covered and refrigerated because both the milk soak and whipped topping contain dairy. Serve them chilled.

More Chocolate and Tres Leches Desserts

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Cookies
• Cappuccino Tres Leches Cake
• Lotus Biscoff Tres Leches Cake