Description
Chocoflan is a decadent Mexican dessert featuring a rich chocolate cake base topped with a creamy flan layer. The luscious combination is baked in a water bath to achieve a smooth, custard-like flan that perfectly complements the moist, chocolaty cake beneath. Finished with a drizzle of cajeta caramel sauce, this treat balances sweet, creamy, and chocolatey flavors for a delightful indulgence.
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup cajeta or caramel sauce (plus extra for drizzling at the end)
Cake Batter
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup Mexican Coca-Cola
- ½ cup buttermilk
Flan Mixture
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 4 large eggs
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 10-15 cup bundt pan using a nonstick spray with flour like Baker’s Joy to ensure easy release.
- Add Cajeta to Pan: Drizzle the bottom and sides of the prepared bundt pan with ½ cup of cajeta, spreading it evenly. Set the pan aside to allow the caramel to form a base layer.
- Make Cake Batter – Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is smooth and well combined, creating a creamy base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until the mixture is fully incorporated and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon to the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add Liquids for Cake Batter: Pour in 1 cup Mexican Coca-Cola and ½ cup buttermilk. Stir until the batter is uniform and smooth.
- Pour Cake Batter into Pan: Transfer the prepared cake batter into the bundt pan over the cajeta layer, spreading it evenly.
- Prepare Flan Mixture: In a blender, combine softened cream cheese and 4 large eggs. Blend until smooth and well mixed.
- Add Milk and Flavoring to Flan: Blend in the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
- Pour Flan over Cake Batter: Gently pour the flan mixture over the cake batter in the bundt pan. It’s okay if some of the flan swirls into the cake batter during this step.
- Cover and Prepare Water Bath: Cover the bundt pan tightly with aluminum foil to prevent steam from escaping. Place the covered bundt pan into a larger baking pan.
- Add Water for Water Bath: Pour about 1 inch of hot (not boiling) water into the larger pan around the bundt pan. This water bath ensures even, gentle cooking.
- Bake the Chocoflan: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: After baking, remove the bundt pan from the water bath, uncover, and allow the cake to cool inside the pan for 1 hour.
- Serve Warm or Chilled: Serve the chocoflan warm, or chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours and serve cold according to your preference.
- Finish with Cajeta Drizzle: Just before serving, drizzle additional cajeta caramel sauce over the top for an extra layer of sweet flavor.
Notes
- Using Mexican Coca-Cola gives the cake a unique flavor due to its cane sugar content; however, you can substitute it with regular cola if necessary.
- Ensure cream cheese is softened to blend smoothly into the flan mixture.
- The water bath is critical to achieve a silky flan texture without cracking.
- Covering the pan tightly with foil helps to trap moisture during baking.
- This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated for enhanced flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
