27 March, 2014

Chocoflan

Comments : 9 Posted in : Dessert on March 27, 2014 by : Cook Plate Fork Tags: Baking, Bundt cake, Bundt pan, Cajeta, Cake, Caramel, Chocolate cake, Condensed milk, dessert, roasting pan, Room temperature

This cake is two desserts in one. How so? Will as you see in the image there is a chocolate cake on the bottom and a Spanish Custard or Flan on the top. But it did not start out that way. This dessert is also known by the name…Impossible Cake.

The reason it goes by that name is because you make the chocolate cake first and pour it into the mold, and then you make the flan or custard part and pour it over the chocolate cake. No, the egg mixture does not go to the bottom.

But….while it is baking, the custard part does pass to the bottom while the chocolate mixture floats to the top. Therefore, the name Impossible Cake. But how does that happen, one might ask? My explanation is, that oil and water do not mix. Oil floats to the top while water stays at the bottom.

The cake has oil or fat in it, were as the custard part has water. How is that, you ask? No water was added to the egg mixture. Eggs are 75% moisture or water.

The header image to this article shows the Flan or custard a bit dry. But it wasn’t. I made that cake in Mexico using a propane burning stove, not natural gas. My experience shows that the two gases bake your desserts differently. It was very delicious.

To the left side of the image you should see a bottle that is brown and with the name Cajeta Envinada. It is like sweeten condensed milk with caramel sauce mixed in. The Cajeta was made with goats milk, wow so yummy!!

Chocoflan

Mold:

12-cup capacity Bundt pan
2-3 tablespoons butter, room temperature, to coat pan
1/2 cup cajeta or caramel sauce; divided

Cake:
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
Flan:
1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil a tea kettle full of water for a water bath. Coat Bundt pan with butter, then coat the bottom with ¼ cup cajeta and set aside.

Flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.

Cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and ½ of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat ending with the flour mixture. Making sure all cake ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan; spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and put into a roasting pan. Add hot water to the roasting pan, half ways up the outside of Bunt pan.

Place the roasting pan into the oven on center rack; bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath. Remove foil and cool about 30 minutes. Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together and flip over. Plate and serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

If your Chocolate Flan should be a bit dry, not to worry. Just pour some extra Cajeta on each plated dessert served. You and your guests will enjoy this, unless you keep it all to yourself!!