Be amazed by this incredibly delightful "Impossible" Chocoflan Cake that will not only tickle your taste buds but will also blow your mind. With a luscious creamy flan and a sinfully delicious chocolate cake glazed with a rich caramel sauce, it is the ultimate dessert ever!
What is Chocoflan Cake?
Chocoflan or also known as the Impossible cake is a mouthwatering Mexican dessert consisting of three amazing layers of goodness. It has a chocolate cake for a base topped with a flan and a caramel sauce dripping over it. Traditionally, it is made with cajeta caramel sauce which is made from goat’s milk but nowadays, dulce de leche or caramel sauce is also used.
If you've tried our dessert recipes, you'll know am not a big fan of overly sweet food and with this recipe, you'll be surprised to find that it is that sweet at all. Just a heavenly dark chocolate cake, light and creamy whole-egg flan (no eggwhites wasted), and luscious caramel.
How is Chocoflan Cake made?
Despite its complicated façade, it is really quite easy to make.
The bundt pan is drizzled with the caramel sauce at the bottom, followed by the chocolate cake batter, and finally, the flan mixture is poured over it. As it bakes in the oven, the chocolate cake “magically” rises to the top. When the cake is inverted, you’ll find that the velvety flan is now on top of the chocolate cake and smothered with that delicious caramel sauce. And because of this wonderful phenomenon, this dessert has earned the name the "Impossible Cake".
The science behind
There really is no magic involved in baking this amazing Impossible Cake. The reason or science behind the switching of the two layers is all about the densities of the cake batter and flan mixture. While baking, the custard sinks to the bottom as it becomes heavier and more solid, while the cake rises to the top because of the leavening agent that makes it expands and becomes light and airy.
Tips on Cooking Chocoflan Cake:
- To save time, I used store-bought caramel that I really like because it is not too sweet. But you can make it yourself with our own caramel recipe.
- Alternatively, you can just use white sugar and turn it into sugar caramel. If so, try not to overcook the sugar. If burnt and overcooked, the caramelized sugar will have a bitter taste and darker color. Undercooking it, on the other hand, will give you a grainy texture that will show in the flan once cooked.
- Since this recipe uses a box cake mix, the cake batter is simpler to make. I used devil's food cake and recommend it. Just remember, do not overmix the batter as it will result in a dense cake. If you want to make the chocolate cake from scratch, we also have a moist chocolate cake recipe that is perfect for it.
- When mixing the ingredients for the flan, try to stir it gently and in one direction. This is to avoid the air bubbles in the mixture which causes “holes” to the flan when cooked.
- Run the flan mixture through a sieve to filter out lumps for a smooth and silky consistency.
- The bain-marie or water bath helps keep the direct heat from the oven off the flan. It also keeps it from curdling.
- Allow the Chocoflan cake to completely cool and set in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
How to Serve and Store
This Chocoflan Cake is an amazing dessert or snack. It would also be an impressive finish for any special occasion or holiday feast. You can make it up to 2 days ahead. Just leave it in the pan where it was baked and let it cool down then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
To serve, prepare a hot water bath and place the pan in it to make sure that the caramel is melted and does not stick to the pan. You can also just place the pan on top of a stove and warm it over low heat. Tap the pan several times from the sides to dislodge the cake and invert it into a cake plate.
Store leftover Chocoflan Cake in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Printable Recipe
Chocoflan Cake (Impossible Cake)
Ingredients
- butter softened, for greasing
- ⅔ cup caramel sauce or 1 cup white sugar
FLAN:
- 10 fl. oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 12 fl. oz evaporated milk (1 can)
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE CAKE:
- 1 box cake mix (devil’s food cake) 400-550g
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 medium eggs
- boiling water for bain marie
Instructions
- Grease a bundt pan with butter. Set aside. Preheat oven at 160°C/320°F.
- Pour ⅔ cup of caramel in the bundt pan. Tilt it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan with caramel. Set aside.Alternatively, place 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over medium-low heat until it turns into caramel and pour this into the bundt pan.
- Prepare the chocolate cake batter as directed in the box. Gently pour the batter into the pan on top of the caramel. Spread and flatten using a spatula.
- To make the flan, in a bowl, gently whisk the eggs (don’t beat, just mix to break and combine). Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract and gently stir until well combined.
- Slowly pour the flan mixture on top of the batter while running it through a sieve to filter out any lumps.
- Brush some butter on an aluminum foil. Cover the pan with the foil, butter side down, and tuck the edges in.
- Place the bundt pan in a roasting pan or any larger pan. Pour boiling water into the outer pan about 2 inch high.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered in foil or plastic wrap, for another 1-2 hours or until completely set.
- Remove the pan from the fridge and tap the sides to dislodge the cake. You can also run a thin metal spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Place a serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan. Turn both upside-down to invert then remove the pan.
Hi! Thank you for this recipe! The Devil's food cake mix of betty crocker suggests to add 3 eggs instead of 2. Will I follow your recipe for 2 eggs instead?
Hi Mylie, it seems Betty Crocker's mix requires more liquids and eggs and the yield is just a bit higher. You can follow the package direction but make sure you use a big bundt cake form or it might overflow. I would try this brand next time using my measurement to compare.
why the finish product showed the flan was at the bottom together with caramel sauce and interchange the chocolate batter?
Hi Lexie, this is explained in the article above.