This cake is part delicious dessert and part science experiment. I was watching the Food Network one morning and I watched Marcela Valladolid make this cake, she called it Chocoflan, and it amazed me. You pour this cake into a pan – caramel sauce, cake batter, flan mixture. But when it bakes, the cake ends up on the bottom and the flan rises to the top. They don’t combine, they switch places.
Insane.
I have no idea how it works. I sort of forgot about this cake until I was flipping through this month’s Cook’s Country magazine and there is was again. I put the magazine down, walked into the kitchen and made it. Magic. Pure magic.
I also love this cake because it needs to be made a day before you want to serve it. I love anything that you can make ahead of time. I also love it because it makes a gorgeous presentation. I love black and white. It is so pretty on a plate. And it tastes great. Everybody wins.
Cake:
1/2 cup caramel sauce (store bought is just fine)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Flan:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Add butter and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes at 50% power, or until melted.
Add buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the chocolate. Whisk until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Pretend that this picture is of flour, not buttermilk.
Pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of the pan.
Spread the batter over the caramel layer.
Blend sweetened condensed milk, milk, cream cheese, eggs, yolks, and vanilla for 1 minute.
Pour flan over cake batter. Place the cake pan in a roasting pan.
Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
Bake for 75 to 90 minutes, a toothpick will come out clean, or you can take an internal temp, it should register 180 degrees.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Let come to room temperature, transfer to fridge and chill for at least 8 hours. To unmold, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for one minute. Place cake plate over cake pan and flip over. The cake will release and the caramel will drip down the sides.
This post is sponsored by Gold Medal Flour, but all opinions are mine.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Gold Medal all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4-ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake with baking spray with flour. Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl, heat until melted, 2 minutes at 50% power. Whisk buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into chocolate until incorporated. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter over caramel.
- Add sweetened condensed milk. milk, cream cheese, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla to a blender, Blend for one minute, or until very smooth. Slowly pour over cake batter.
- Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the pan and bake for 75 to 90 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours.
- To unmold, place the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for 1 minute. Place a cake plate over the cake pan and flip over. Slowly remove pan and serve.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
[...] December 16, 2012 By bakedbree Leave a Comment [...]
It looks perfectly perfect! I would love to serve this up!
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..Peppermint Meringue Cookies
thank you Katrina! It is truly magical when you flip it out and the bottom is on the top!
This is so pretty, yet so cool too! It’s like the chocolate cake is like a sponge floating in water
Becca – Cookie Jar Treats recently posted..Sugar-Dusted Drop Sugar Cookies
Isn’t it? I was convinced that it would not work and that it would never come out of the pan, but it did!
Whoa, man….science. This is so neat!
Katie @ Blonde Ambition recently posted..Meatless Monday: Curried Cauliflower Soup
I know!!!
Oh my – I’ve never made a flan before but you’re totally inspiring me to give it a try! I think I just found my Christmas dessert!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Blurb Giveaway!
Really? It was fun to make, and I think that my family was impressed with me.
Such an original flan! It looks wonderful, thanks for sharing
You are welcome Lucia!
This looks and sounds DEVINE!!!
thank you!
Oh, this reminds me of a Portuguese dessert that Lenny’s cousins mother in-law makes. Part cake part flan. They would never use chocolate, but I would. I love this recipe already – cannot wait to make it!!!
Denise recently posted..Kale Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
Really? I wonder what it is called? This is fun to make, you say a Hail Mary before flipping it out!
Oh my goodness! What an incredibly gorgeous cake. I’m loving all those tiny holes in the flan layer!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen recently posted..Bittersweet Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Thank you Loretta! This cake is so much fun to make!
Hi Bree,
Thanks for the recipe, I was looking out for it for a long time! I hope you don’t mind that I shared it with my readers
Hey! Love love love the idea of this cake but was wondering does the top (or base rather) have to be made with chocolate cake? Or can I change flavours? Thank you!
I don’t know, I have only ever made it with chocolate.
also, do I have to use a bundt tin? Or can a normal cake tin be okay??
thank you!
I think so. This recipe uses a lot of science, so I would not change it. I have only ever seen it made in a bundt pan.
When should you flip the cake out of the mold? Right before serving or can it be removed several hours before serving? I would like to make it for a party so wanted to know the timing and specifics for presentation.
I wouldn’t let it sit in the pan for too long, or it might not come out easily.
I love this recipe. I’ve made it twice now and both times my guests loved it! I love that you can make it the night before which frees you up to focus on the food on the day of. I love your recipes and your blog. It’s definitely one of the first place I start looking when I need inspiration for gatherings. Thanks Bree!
I am so glad!!
Do you have a version of the flan cake that is not chocolate. My daughter cannot eat chocolate but I would love to try this!
I have not make it that way, but I bet a Google search will lead you in the right direction.