Choco-Flan

Flan...pure caramely, custardy goodness.  On top of a chocolate cake.  I know, right?!  I'm not sure it gets better than that either!

I've eaten my fair share of flan and choc-flan since being married to Handsome Mexican, but only recently have I tried experimenting and making my own.  So, while it's not the most beautiful choc-flan you've probably seen...it is pretty tasty!

Choco-Flan

Chocolate Cake
You can use your favorite homemade chocolate cake mix or a box...I used a box this time since it was the first time I had tried making this recipe (the less steps, the better when it's an experiment!)

1 box of chocolate cake mix
Butter
Eggs
Milk
---I substitute melted butter for the oil and milk for the water in any boxed cake mix I use.  It gives it a lighter, and better, taste. I use the same measurements as called for on the box.

Flan

Caramel for the top of the flan:
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar

Flan:
1pkg (8oz) cream cheese
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375.

Take the 1/4 cup of water and 1cup of sugar and add to a pot.  Stir just to mix and then let the sugar water come to a boil without stirring.  Once it's at a rolling boil (pic 1), turn the heat to med and let boil until it becomes a golden color (takes about 5-10 min...just keep watch but resist the urge to stir...if you have such urges. I do.)  Once it is golden in color, remove immediately from heat and pour into the bottom of your pan (you don't have to have foil on the bottom like I do...use a casserole dish, or cake pan, or ramekins...do NOT use a cheesecake pan like me...it will leak.  Yes, I know.  Duh.  Not exactly my brightest, shining moment in cooking.)

 

Mix your cake mix ingredients together and pour on top of the sugar, now caramel, mixture.  Don't freak about the end result being the caramel on the cake instead of the flan!  I know...I freaked the first time I was told to pour the cake mix on the caramel instead of the flan on top of the caramel.  But, get this, the cake will float to the top!!!  I know!  It's kinda magical!  Just wait and see.

 

Mix together all the ingredients for the flan.  Mix well, really well.  Cream cheese and eggs don't tend to want to always mix super well, so be sure you get it really incorporated with everything else.  Then pour the flan mix on top of the cake mix.  You can see that the flan mix started to sink into the cake mix.  Don't worry...it will look like a mess.  You will then want to sit the pan into a much larger pan (I used our turkey pan).  Add enough HOT water to the larger pan to come up 1/2 way on your choco-flan pan.  Bake at 375F for about 1-1 1/2hrs or until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. 

This is how mine looked when it came out...not the most beautiful, but I totally blame my moment of "genius" (said sarcastically) in using a cheesecake pan.  Take the choco-flan out of the pan of water and let it cool (dump the water).  Once cooled, refrigerate for about 2 hrs.  Take out and flip onto a plate or cookie sheet,  or whatever flat dish you plan to serve it on.  You will then see all the yummy caramel ooze out over the flan, which magically set on the bottom.

See...this is what it looks like flipped over!  I have no idea how I put the cake mix in first with the flan mix on top and it reversed itself while cooking, but it did!  The flan is really good by itself also, if you ever want to just make the flan sans chocolate cake.  Just skip the cake portion of the recipe and do all the other steps.  You would cook it for a little less time also.  So, there ya have it!  Choco-flan!  Enjoy!!

 

 

Happily Homemade

Sandra