Chocoflan, also known as “Impossible Cake,” is a unique dessert featuring layers of rich caramel, creamy flan, and moist chocolate cake. During baking, the flan and cake batter magically switch places, creating a stunning layered dessert. It begins with a caramel base, followed by a smooth flan mixture, and finishes with a chocolate cake batter. After baking in a water bath and chilling in the fridge, you’ll have an impressive treat that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
There are two ways to create this dessert: bake the layers all at once or bake the flan and cake layers separately. For this recipe, I took the safer route and baked each layer separately, ensuring a perfectly set flan and an evenly baked cake.
ChocoFlan
A unique dessert featuring layers of rich caramel, creamy flan, and moist chocolate cake.
Ingredients
For the Caramel Layer:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For the Flan Layer:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cream cheese about 4 oz
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk about 14 oz
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk about 12 oz
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Chocolate Cake Layer:
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or any flavorless oil
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 9-inch pan and set aside.
- Prepare a large roasting pan with high sides for a water bath, which will be used during baking.
Caramel Layer
- Heat the granulated sugar in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Allow the sugar to melt completely until it turns a deep amber color.
- Immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan, and let it set.
Flan Layer
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and salt, blending until everything is well combined. You may also use a blender.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps, then pour it over the hardened caramel in the bundt pan.
First Bake
- Cover the bundt pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place the bundt pan in the roasting pan and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the bundt pan.
- Carefully place it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Chocolate Cake Layer
- While the flan layer is baking, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth in a medium bowl.
- Add the oil, yogurt, and eggs, mixing until well combined.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the self-rising flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda.
- Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until smooth.
Second Bake
- After 45 minutes, remove the bundt pan from the oven. The flan will still be jiggly, which is normal.
- Carefully pour the chocolate cake batter over the flan layer.
- Re-cover the pan with foil, return it to the water bath, and bake for an additional 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- After 1 hour, remove the foil and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cooling and Serving
- Once the cake is fully baked, remove the bundt pan from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight.
- To serve, carefully unmold the chocoflan onto a plate, slice, and enjoy!
