Chocoflan

I remember the first time I tasted Chocoflan. I must have been around 12 years old at my best friend Misha’s birthday celebration. I grew up in south Texas right on the border of Mexico, so I was no stranger to delicious Mexican cuisine. I was always a fan of flan on its own, and of course, chocolate cake. When I tasted this magnificent creation, I think I had an out of body experience. I remember thinking it was the best dessert I’d ever tasted in my whole life! I would think about Chocoflan all year until Misha’s birthday on March 14th, then I would get the glorious pleasure of eating it once again. When I became really interested in learning how to cook, specifically, cook my favorite things, I was determined to find a recipe that tasted just like that first memory. I tried a few different ones, and this one was the winner. I have been making this recipe for years now, usually around Christmastime. My family asks for it and people ooh and ahh about how cool it is that the flan is on top of the cake. I don’t do anything special, it’s just a magical creation all on its own. Well, scientifically, the volume of the flan mixture is more dense than the cake batter, therefore it sinks to the bottom of the bundt during the baking process, and when flipped after baking, it is on top. Food science, magic, same difference. I am so excited to finally make this for my blog and share it with all of you, it truly is one of my all time favorite recipes and something very near and dear to my heart. I hope all of you enjoy the holiday season with those you love, eating, laughing, and being merry!

Ingredients

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix and ingredients according to cake instructions (eggs, oil, water)
• ½ cup of jarred caramel
• 4 eggs
• 4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and put rack in the middle. Oil or spray a large (14.5 cup) Bundt pan.
2. Pour caramel in the pan and tilt side to side to evenly coat. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix chocolate cake according to package instructions with an electric mixer and set aside.
4. To soften the cream cheese, microwave unwrapped 15 seconds.
5. In a blender or food processor blend the 4 eggs, cream cheese, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla to make the flan.
6. Pour chocolate cake batter over the caramel.
7. Pour flan on top of cake batter. While baking, the flan will sink between the chocolate cake and caramel.
8. Place the pan inside a roasting pan or large baking dish. Pour hot water in the roasting pan so it’s 1 inch deep (to make a water bath).
9. Cover Bundt pan with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover and cook 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove cake from the roasting pan and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.
10. Put a large plate or cake plate inverted over the top of the Bundt pan. Grip the two together and flip over. Store in refrigerator. Serve chilled.