Impossible Chocolate Flan Cake is easy to make and sure to wow the crowd. A luscious combination of caramel, chocolate cake, and (leche) flan, it's the ultimate baked treat!
Hello, once again! I am Sanna, and I am here to share another fantastic recipe with you.
If you love a moist chocolate cake and a creamy flan, you are in luck. I am going to show you how to make a stunning Impossible flan cake that combines these two dessert favorites in one delectable treat!
What is magic chocoflan
The cake is made up of three components and baked in a bundt pan. The layering starts with the dulce de leche, followed by the chocolate batter and, finally, the flan. As it bakes, the cake rises to the top, and the custard sinks to the bottom.
Once the cake is released from the pan and inverted the cake on the serving platter, you'll find that the chocolate and flan layer have magically switched places! You get a gorgeous cake with a luscious caramel glaze sitting on top.
How to make
Chocolate cake layer
- To prevent lumps in the batter, make sure that the milk and eggs are at room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy.
- Add the egg and continue to beat.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and add half of the mixture into the mixing bowl.
- Add half of the milk. Beat the mixture until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
- Add the remaining half of the dry mixture and the milk and beat just until the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix as it will result in a dense cake.
Flan layer
- In a mixing bowl, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well incorporated.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a spouted container.
Assembling layers
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter and add the dulce de leche, swirling to cover the bottom of the bundt pan.
- Spoon the chocolate batter on top of the dulce de leche, making sure to fill the pan evenly. Using an angled spatula, smoothen the top.
- Carefully pour the flan mixture over the chocolate batter.
- Cover the bundt pan with aluminum foil, securing the edges.
Baking the cake
- Set the bundt pan on a roasting pan and place inside the oven. Carefully pour about two inches of hot water into the roasting pan to create steam inside the oven as the cake bakes.
- In a 350 F oven, bake the cake for about 60 minutes without opening the oven door to keep the steam from escaping.
- After 60 minutes, check the cake by inserting a skewer in the middle. The cake is ready if the skewer comes out with some soft chocolate cake crumbs.
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely on the roasting pan.
- To release the cake, gently shake the roasting pan from side to side to loosen the cake.
- Invert a cake serving plate over the bundt pan and carefully turn it over. Gently lift the bundt pan from the plate, releasing the cake.
- Serve the flan cake right away or refrigerate to chill completely.
And here you have it, layers of decadence in one ultimate treat. Caramel, flan, and chocolate in every slice!
I hope you try this chocoflan for your next baking project. You can also check out my black forest swiss roll and floating island dessert recipes. Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce butter, softened (for greasing the pan)
- ยผ cup dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)
For the Chocolate Cake
- ยพ cup sugar
- 5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 ยพ cup flour
- ยพ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 ยผ cup milk, room temperature
For the Flan
- 1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 4 eggs
- ยฝ tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
Making the Chocolate Cake Layer
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until thick and fluffy.
- Add the egg and continue to beat.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add half of the milk.
- Beat the mixture until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Add the remaining half of the dry mixture and of the milk. Beat just until the ingredients are incorporated.
Making the Leche Flan Layer
- In a mixing bowl, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well incorporated.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a spouted container.
Baking the Chocoflan
- Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter.
- Add the dulce de leche, swirling to cover the bottom of the bundt pan. Set aside.
- Spoon the chocolate batter into the bundt pan on top of the dulce de leche, making sure to fill the pan evenly. Using an angled spatula, smoothen the top.
- Carefully pour the flan mixture into the bundt pan over the chocolate batter.
- Cover the bundt pan with aluminum foil, securing the edges.
- Set the bundt pan on a roasting pan and place it inside the oven. Carefully pour about two inches of hot water into the roasting pan.
- In a 350 F oven, bake the cake for about 60 minutes without opening the oven door to keep the steam from escaping. After 60 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out with some soft chocolate cake crumbs, the cake is ready.
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely on the roasting pan. To release the cake, gently shake the roasting pan from side to side to loosen the cake.
- Invert a serving plate over the bundt pan and carefully turn it over. Gently lift the bundt pan from the plate, releasing the cake.
- Serve the flan cake right away or refrigerate to completely chill.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Carla says
Can i steam it instead of putting it in the oven?
lea says
Question po, the first layer was dulce de leche then the chocolate cake and then the flan, did the flan settled at the bottom while baking because when you removed the foil the chocolate cake was on top. Thanks ๐
Diana Stephens says
Ive had this recipe for about 6 months now and was so nervous as it looked so difficult, also it is pretty hard to get hold of dulche de Leche where I live! Iโve just made this 2 hours ago and it smells AMAZING and the chocolate part is INCREDIBLE (a bit of cake stuck to the foil so I nibbled it!) however Iโm certain and really hoping that it wonโt be stuck to the pan!! I think it is unfortunately and Iโm really nervous๐คฃ but so far that tiny taste I had of the sponge proves this recipe is amazing!! I love Kawalingpinoy posts and you are my go to for all Pinoy recipes!!
Dian says
Hi.. can i use the ready made chocolate cake mixture for this?
Lalaine Manalo says
I am sorry but I haven't tried it ๐
Lizzy says
this looks amazing! I am going to make a gluten free version!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you! Let me know how the gluten-free version works ๐
Lizzy says
this looks amazing! I am going to make a gluten free version!
Cathleen says
I made it but when I inverted the cake the flan was soft and didnโt harden. What did I do wrong?
Lalaine Manalo says
Did you measure the ingredients properly? One cause of the flan not setting well is using more liquid than called for in the recipe ๐
Ivana says
Hi! I made another batch of chocoflan yesterday. Some of the chocolate cake mixed up with the flan on top. Do you know whatโs the cause? The first batch I made was perfect tho.
Lalaine Manalo says
I am not sure if you did anything differently this second time around?
Mary says
Hi Lalaine!
I'm confused about the ingredients for the chocolate cake. There are two 3/4 cups sugar in it, the first one to be creamed with the butter and sugar. Where does the second 3/4 cup of sugar go, together with the dry ingredients or is it a typo?
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Mary. Yes, it's a typo. Sorry about that. Just 3/4 cup sugar ๐
Yesha Secaro says
wow
Lalaine Manalo says
Wow, indeed! ๐
Lyndawn rit says
Hi, do you have the procedure on making the dulce de leche pls?
Lalaine Manalo says
We used store-bought dulce de leche but you can make at home by boiling an unopened can of condensed milk in water for about 3 hours. Make sure it is fully submerged in water. ๐
Yolanda Ting says
Genious! Thank you for sharing this awesome cake. I will try making this on Thanksgiving Day๐๐๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks Yolanda! I'm sure it will be a big hit!
Jack says
Just wondering why thereโs 2 3/4 cup sugar cause in the procedure looks like only one 3/4 cup sugar is mentioned
Lalaine Manalo says
I am sorry but I am not seeing the 2 3/4 cup of sugar? The ingredient list states 3/4 cup.
Deborah Sargent says
The cake seems easy to make. Can a sugar substitute be used for the sugar in the cake ?
Lalaine Manalo says
I've never tried it but I think it would be work.
Angeli says
I'm so curious! I would love to try this. But how come the leche flan part came out on top? Cause when you invert the bundt pan wouldn't the chocolate cake come out on top? I'm a little bit confused
Lalaine Manalo says
That's why it's called Impossible Chocoflan; the two layers magically switch places as they bake ๐
Riena says
How to make the dulce de leche?
Lalaine Manalo says
You can buy it ready-made at grocery stores or make it by boiling unopened can of condensed milk in water for about 2 to 3 hours.
Yani says
Hello! Can this be successfully made using a different type of pan?