Description
The Sweetest Twist: Magic Melt Chocoflan is a delightful Mexican dessert that combines rich chocolate cake with creamy flan in a magical layered treat. This unique dessert features a moist, cinnamon-infused chocolate cake base topped with a luscious cream cheese flan, all beautifully caramelized with cajeta. Baked in a water bath, the flan creates a smooth, custardy layer that magically appears on top when inverted, making it as stunning as it is delicious. Perfect for special occasions or a decadent treat, this recipe yields twelve generous servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Flan
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract (Mexican if possible)
Cake
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ cups buttermilk
Additional
- 2 tablespoons softened butter (for greasing the pan)
- ¼ cup cajeta (caramel sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your baking pan thoroughly with the softened butter, then evenly spread the ¼ cup of cajeta caramel sauce over the bottom. This will create a sweet base layer that enhances the flan’s caramel flavor.
- Make the Flan Mixture: In a blender or large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, softened cream cheese, 3 large eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend or whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and set aside to use later.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the 10 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step aerates the mixture, contributing to a tender cake texture. Then, beat in the single large egg until fully incorporated.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Sifting ensures an even distribution of leavening agents and prevents lumps in the batter.
- Combine Cake Batter: Alternate adding the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until combined to avoid overworking the batter, which could make the cake dense.
- Assemble Cake Layer: Pour the prepared chocolate cake batter evenly over the cajeta layer in the greased pan. Smooth the top gently to create an even layer.
- Layer the Flan Mixture: Carefully pour the flan mixture over the chocolate cake batter. Don’t worry if it sinks during baking—that’s the magic of chocoflan layering.
- Prepare Water Bath: Place the filled pan into a larger baking dish. Pour hot water into the outer dish until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. This bain-marie helps the flan cook evenly and prevents cracking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the flan is set and the cake is fully cooked through (test with a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs).
- Cool and Chill: Remove the chocoflan from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Once room temperature is reached, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the layers to set fully and flavors to meld.
- Unmold and Serve: To serve, carefully invert the chilled chocoflan onto a serving plate. The flan layer will be gloriously on top with the caramelized cajeta coating it, revealing the chocolate cake underneath. Slice and enjoy this luscious Mexican dessert!
Notes
- Using Mexican vanilla extract enhances the flavor authenticity of the flan.
- Be sure to soften the cream cheese and butter to room temperature for smooth mixing.
- The water bath is crucial to avoid curdling and cracking of the flan.
- Refrigeration overnight improves the texture and flavor development.
- Use a pan with high sides to prevent water from leaking into the chocoflan batter during baking.
