Dulce de leche chocoflan a Mexican staple
Unmolding a chocoflan feels like a great feat: A Bundt pan is lifted to reveal a creamy flan atop a rich chocolate cake — but the two layers swapped places in the oven. It’s no wonder this celebratory Mexican staple is known as el pastel imposible (the impossible cake), but this recipe is surprisingly simple. The key is in liberally greasing the pan and letting the cake firm up in the refrigerator.
DULCE DE LECHE CHOCOFLAN
Recipe from Esteban Castillo
Adapted by Genevieve Ko Also known as el pastel imposible (the impossible cake), chocoflan is a baking wonder, its layers of chocolate cake batter and dulce de leche flan swapping places in the oven and coming out as a tiered two-desserts-in-one showstopper. This Mexican staple is often served at birthday parties and other celebrations, but comes together easily enough to enjoy as a sweet treat at home. — Genevieve Ko
Yield: 12 servings (one 10-inch cake)
Total time: 2 ½ hours, plus cooling
For the flan: 1 (13-ounce/380-gram) can dulce de leche (1 ½ cups)
1 (12-ounce/355milliliter) can
evaporated milk 4 ounces/115 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla
extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 5 large eggs
For the chocolate cake:
1 ⅓ cups/160 grams allpurpose flour 1 cup/200 grams sugar ½ cup/50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground
cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature ½ cup/120 milliliters
brewed coffee ½ cup/120 milliliters
buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
Nonstick cooking spray
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the flan: In a blender, combine the dulce de leche, evaporated milk, cream cheese, vanilla extract and salt, and blend until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds. Pour in the eggs and blend for another 10 seconds until smooth.
3. Make the chocolate cake: Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt directly into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on the lowest setting until just combined, then add the butter and continue mixing on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the coffee, buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract, then slowly pour it into the flour-butter mixture with the mixer running on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the mixture on high for 1 full minute.
5. Liberally coat a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Add the cake batter, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or spoon. Carefully ladle in the flan mixture so you disturb the cake batter as little as possible. Transfer the Bundt pan to a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to fit the Bundt pan. Grease a piece of foil and place it onto the Bundt pan, greased side down, folding it over the edges to loosely seal it. Transfer to the oven. Pour enough water into the roasting pan or baking dish to come up 2 to 3 inches (tap water is fine).
6. Bake until a skewer inserted in the cake part comes out with few to no crumbs, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
7. Carefully remove the Bundt pan from the roasting pan and uncover. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 2 hours.
8. Once you’re ready to serve, carefully run a knife around any edges that are still sticking, then invert onto a serving platter, gently shaking it up and down if it’s being difficult. (If it was greased properly, you shouldn’t have any major issues.) The chocoflan can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days.