Dreamy. Completely and utterly without fail the most dreamy dessert I’ve tasted since indulging my sweet tooth in a creamy coconut ice cream fudge sundae about one month ago.
I don’t eat many sweets. There’s a good reason for this. Mostly because once I start, I can’t stop.
And second, I’m too lazy to make dessert. I’d rather spend my time in the kitchen creating some sort of fabulously tasty concoction for dinner.
So I usually leave the dessert making to my two sassy gals. Or mooch off my friends, who are ever so clever at baking and pastry.
However, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo I thought I’d pull myself out of my self-imposed ban from baking and whip up something special.
This is special indeed. I’m not the biggest fan of flan, unless it’s a flan my brother or sister-in-law prepare. Combine their flan with a most decadent and moist cake topped with a rich caramel sauce and words cease to flow from my mouth. Meaning… I’m speechless. Which doesn’t happen often. I assure you.
I’m so excited to post this recipe. It comes from my beautiful sister-in-law’s Mother, Nelly Rodriguez de Galofre in Colombia, South America. A beautiful and gracious lady who has so kindly shared her family recipe with me. I am honored. Mis mas sinceras gracias a usted dona Nelly!
Nelly’s Chocoflan
Three delightful layers. Caramel sauce, chocolate cake and flan. Once this cake is baked, the flan will fall to the bottom of the pan and the cake will rise to the top. Flip it over and you have Chocoflan!
I know this recipe looks long, but I’ve been very detailed about each step. Once you make this cake, you’ll think it a breeze! Have fun!
*Use a deep 9 or 10 inch round or square cake pan or a 9 – 10 inch deep bundt pan. Grease the pan with a little oil.
Ingredients
Pre-heat the oven to 350F
For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
In a heavy bottom sauce pan add the sugar and water and heat on medium heat. No need to stir, just swirl the pan around a bit while it’s heating up. Let the syrup come to a boil and this will allow the water to evaporate and syrup to caramelize. This may take a little time so just hang out in the kitchen and be patient because when the sugar begins to caramelize it does so quickly. (And before you know it, you’ve burnt the caramel sauce. Yes, I did this)
Once the color has turned to a rich golden brown pour the liquid into the bottom of the cake pan and swirl it around until it has coated half way up the sides and bottom of the pan.
Set it aside while you prepare the cake batter.
For the Cake:
2 sticks of butter (or 1/2 lb)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice
In an electric mixer blend the butter with the sugar until it’s light and fluffy, almost white. Whisk in the eggs, one at time until incorporated. Sift together the 2 cups flour and teaspoon of baking powder and then slowly add this to the creamed sugar. Once the flour has been added, stir in the cocoa powder.
Next mix in the orange juice and vanilla. Once it’s well mixed, pour the cake batter into the cake pan on top of the caramel sauce.
For the Flan:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
In that same can (sweetened condensed milk), add whole milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of instant coffee
In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend well. Pour this mixture on top of the cake batter, very carefully so you don’t disturb the cake batter.
To Bake:
Place a larger cake pan or baking dish in the oven and fill it with about 1 inch of water. Then place the chocoflan pan in the water bath (bain-marie or bano de maria). Let the cake bake for about 75 – 90 minutes or until the cake is done.
Let the cake cool for about an hour. Then when you are ready to flip the chocoflan, pour some hot water into the larger pan and set the chocoflan pan in the hot water for about 30 seconds. This will loosen the caramel sauce.
Flip the chocoflan onto a cake plate and serve. This cake holds well in the frig for several days. Although I guarantee it won’t last that long. Happy Baking!
Recipe compliments of Nelly Rodriguez de Galofre
Great post!
Thanks Cam!!
This is one of the most creative desserts I have seen in a long time. I am passing it along to a couple of my flan-loving friends. The picture of Paula and Nelly is just beautiful!
Thank you so much! I feel so blessed to have Paula and her family in my life. Hope you enjoy!
That sounds amazing, Karista, and the family story is great, too. I might have to invite some friends over as an excuse to try this!
One question: A whole can-full of whole milk?
Thank you! And yes, take the sweet condensed milk can and fill it up with whole milk. I think it ends up being about 1 1/2 cups whole milk. But this is the way Nelly wrote the recipe and I didn’t want to deviate. Happy Baking!
One things for certain, when you do bake it’s something extraordinary and that’s better than something (which isn’t great, yet all the time!)
The flan looks very moreish and it’s wonderful that you describe the cake and flan swapping layers in the pan, who’d have thought! 🙂
Thanks! I know, it’s so cool. Put the chocoflan in the oven with the flan liquid on top and pull it out with the cake on top. And the cake recipe is so good I could eat it all by itself with a can of chocolate frosting!
Karista! That looks utterly fantastic. Seriously beautiful.
Awww…. thanks Frugal! It is seriously delicious too. I’ve eaten way too much chocoflan this week. Hazards of testing recipes. 🙂
Oh my Karista…. You know how I am about desserts! And this one looks EXCEPTIONAL!!! I really can’t wait to make it…. Seriously…. It’s a showstopper!
Thanks Heidi! I LOVE this recipe. The cake is so good I could eat it without the flan. 🙂
So amazing. Honestly, I could feel myself getting hungry just looking at the wonderful texture of this – can’t wait to make it!
Thank you! It is a fun dessert to make and even more fun to eat 🙂
The cake is beautiful! I typically do not have a sweet tooth, but wow! I want some.
Haha! Thank you. It’s a rich and decadent cake and so not low fat. 🙁 I think I’ve given away most of both the cakes I tested. Haha! Or I’d be tempted to sneak upstairs for a midnight snack.
It looks decadent. Great for a special occasion. Too funny! Good idea to give away.
That’s what I told my family, this dessert is for special occasions. Otherwise I’d be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 🙂 Happy Weekend!
LOL! Have a good weekend too! 🙂
Gorgeous! I am like you and prefer to skip making sweets (as I will eat them!) to creating savory dishes….but I am sure this would be a worthy exception! Nicely done Karista!
Thanks Shira! I’ve given away most of both test cakes. 🙂 I knew I’d be sneaking into the kitchen for midnight spoonfuls of chocoflan if I didn’t. Happy Weekend!
Oh. My. Word. And the word is dreamy, you expressed it perfectly! (On a side note: I don’t like coconut all that much, but you even made that sound appealing to me!) More than coconut, however, I dislike flan. The Hubs and I used to be regular attenders at El Torito Grille, and on our birthdays they would bring out the customary dessert, which, as you know is flan. Watching it wiggle and pulse, alight with a single candle made me . . . not want to eat, let’s just say that. Your SIS’s mother, Nelly’s recipe, sounds terrific! Lovely pictures, too, Karista! 🙂
“I don’t eat many sweets. There’s a good reason for this. Mostly because once I start, I can’t stop.” LOL! We are made of the same cloth, my friend!
Happy Saturday to you.
Haha! I don’t like the jiggly kind of dessert either but I do love this cake flan. And I simply adore my sister in law and her family. The most gracious people! Got back from a little overnight R&R on one of the islands and indulged (twice in one month!) in the most decdent peach and blueberry pie! Ugh! An extra 30 on the treadmill tomorrow. 🙁 Have a great week friend!
Stunning. Truly can’t wait to try this recipe, Karista, and yours looks so completely beautiful!! You may not bake often, but when you do… 😀 Please thank Nelly for allowing you to share this with us!
Oh how sweet.. I will pass along your thanks to Nelly. The sweetest most gracious lady. Have a fabulous week Deb!
Dreamy is right…that is one very special looking dessert. I’m bookmarking this because it would be pretty spectacular to serve to company one day. Thanks for sharing this special recipe.
You are so welcome! It’s an impressive dessert and would be fabulous for dinner guests. Happy Baking!
It looks so moist, but yet not too dense. I’m the same way as you with dessert, though. This would be gone in one night between the boyfriend and me.
Haha! It didn’t last long in my house and I’m getting requests to prepare another one. 🙂
Karista, I can’t wait to try it! Looks so good. I am sure we will love it.
Thanks Niza! Hope you and your family are doing well! Delicious Wishes 🙂
I think the best recipes are those family ones that are passed down from generation to generation. I can see that this one is special just from your photos! If only I could have a little taste!
Haha! I wish I could send you a little taste! I love family recipes and this one is definitely very special. 🙂
Oh my, this is for the sweet toothed people out there! I also prefer cooking to baking 🙂
wow….what a beautiful recipe, looks so perfect that makes me hungry…….lovely pictures to……:)
Katyarich, I just saw your comment. Hope you are doing well!
Hi. I am about to try this delicious recipe but I am wondering if you meant that we are supposed to cool the cake for an hour. The directions under the baking section state to bake the cake for 75-90 minutes but the next paragraph says to bake for an hour. I suppose that sentence is the instructions for cooling. Just checking to be sure that I am not making a mistake. Thank so much.
Oh thank you for pointing this out! Yes, it’s cool for about an hour. I will make the correction. Thanks so much and wishing you a happy holiday season!
Oh yum this looks awesome! Definitely have to try this one
The picture shows the flan portion on top of the chocolate cake so it should be placed in the baking pan first. Is that not the case?
This was my first time making carmel sauce and…I made hard candy! I only discovered that fact when I flipped the cake out. I learned a lesson – the sauce needs more patience . I will do this receipe again — the family loved it even sans carmel.
Hi Dot, Oh no! I certainly know what you mean because I’ve done the same thing. Yes, caramel sauce does require patience, and for this recipe, it’s so worth it! I’m happy you love the recipe despite making candy. 🙂 I will certainly tell my sister-in-law and her mom. They are the loveliest ladies and will be happy to know you liked the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! Warmest Wishes, Karista