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
Erin says
What did you use to drizzle over top the cake, as seen in the pictures?
Chloe Elasio says
About to try this. Can I use cupcake pan instead?
Lalaine Manalo says
I haven't tried it in a muffin pan, and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out.
Su says
Fail recipe. Flan was soft. So put it back in oven for another 15 mins. Still not right. Now just put it in oven for another 15 mins. :/. The shape is ruined anyway now. Guests tomorow :/
Randolf says
HI, Does it have to be baked in a bundt pan? Can I use an ordinary round cake pan?
Jennie says
Hi Lalaine,
I cant find dulce de leche in any of the stores, and i dont have time to make the homemade one. Can i sub it with caramel instead?
Giselle S. says
Loved this recipe! Would this work with Ube cake instead of chocolate?
Camille A Guerrero says
can i use an ordinary pan for this?or is it required to use bundt pan?
Liz says
Hi there! This looks royal! One thing though, my husband won't eat chocolate or anything with cocoa ๐๐๐ any suggestion to alter the cocoa powder? Thanks heaps!
anna segaf says
I already tried this recipe, but it's failed, the cake is still down, nothing changes. FYI, I used the both(top-bottom) fire & put it in the bottom rack.. Is it wrong or right?? Could u help, In baking this chocoflan cake which fire did you use - the top / bottom/ both fire and where did you put it in the middle/bottom rack?? I am very grateful before if you can help for more detailed..
Cynthia Scott says
I bought a can of dulche de leche. It was so thick when I opened the can, I had to scoup it out. Like hard mashed potatoes. Even after heating it in the microwave it wasn't sauce like, I didn't use it. I had a scant 1/2 cup of sugar left, put that on the stove in a pot to make a caramel topping. There wasn't enough but everyone loved the cake. Should I have used the d d leche? I used whipped cream with the cake as there was no caramel sauce on the bottom to flow so nicely and it needed it. Thanks...all who enjoyed the caged
Joanne says
Can I use a round pan for this? I dont have a bundt pan and I want to try this. Thanks
Jesmin says
Can I use a normal round cake pan? What size?
Irene says
How to make dulce de leche
Stephani Lazo says
Made this today and came okay! Hoping that it would taste better though. Even though my Bundt pan is over used so the flan got stuck a little. I really liked it but I thought the chocolate cake part was a little bland with airy but dense taste to it. Maybe my oven is hotter than itโs say Iโm not. But other than that it would have been a dessert I would love to share.
Thess says
Can I use different pan instead of bundt?