Chocoflan

Chocoflan. This sweet is as fun to eat as it to make. Being of Latin origin, it was often on my dessert table during the holidays, particularly New Year’s Eve. I remember the expressions of joy on my relatives’ faces as they spotted it amongst the plethora of sweets being served. When it comes to dessert, it is simply the epitome of indulgence. Half créme caramel, half fudgy and rich chocolate cake, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. An additional dulce de leche or caramel drizzle only adds to the decadence.

There is something so gratifying about inverting the pan only to find that the flan and chocolate layers traded places during the magic of baking. Slicing through this cake results in a beautiful, smooth, and symmetrical cake that will be sure to impress. You may find it difficult not to eat half of it yourself.

As with many of my chocolate recipes, I love adding a hint of espresso to the chocolate batter for intensity. An extra drizzle of dulce de leche after inverting the cake is a must.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do. And if you give it a try, I would love to know how you liked it. Share your photo with me on Instagram – I love seeing your creations!

INGREDIENTS

For the Flan
1 can/12 oz. evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
4 oz/113 gr. cream cheese (1/2 bar), softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

For the Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup full fat milk

Additional butter for greasing
Dulce de leche, for topping

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9 in. bundt cake pan with butter. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of dulce de leche onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

For the chocolate cake batter, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and espresso powder in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low, alternate between the milk and the flour mixture just until well combined. Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, evenly spoon the batter into the cake pan.

For the flan batter, combine flan ingredients (evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs) in a blender and pulse until smooth. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until there are no more visible lumps. Gently pour the flan mixture over the chocolate batter. Don’t worry about the two layers mixing, they will separate beautifully while baking!

Place the pan in a water bath (inside a larger pan filled halfway with hot water) and cover the top of the cake pan with loose layer of aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 hour and 25-30 minutes – a skewer inserted into the center of the chocolate cake should come out clean or with some crumbs on it. You can also test doneness by gently pressing the cake – it should spring back if fully baked. Remove from the water bath and leave to cool for at least an hour before inverting onto a serving dish. Loosen edges with an offset spatula or flat baking paddle and gently jiggle the pan to see if the cake has come away from the pan before flipping. Have confidence, it will result in a beautiful, foolproof cake. Once, you have flipped the cake flan, drizzle with extra dulce de leche and serve.

Keep covered and refrigerated for best flavor.

Tip: After the flan has cooled, refrigerate for at least four hours for a better shape. Gently loosen the edges with a knife or serrated spatula and allow to loosen before inverting the cake onto a serving plate.