Ready in 3 hours (plus 3+ hours chilling) · Serves 12-16 · Technique: Water Bath & Inversion · Storage: Refrigerator for 3 days.
If you're looking for a true "showstopper" dessert for the holidays, a treat that will have your guests absolutely baffled and begging for the recipe, this is the one. This Chocoflan is my go-to for Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's pure baking magic. It's an "impossible cake" where you layer a rich, dark chocolate cake batter and a light, liquidy flan custard, and in the oven... they miraculously switch places. The result is a stunning, two-layer dessert: a base of moist, coffee-infused chocolate cake, and a top layer of silky, perfect vanilla flan, all drenched in the caramel sauce you started with.
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The moment of truth is the flip! My non-negotiable trick is to let the cake chill overnight, and then, right before flipping, I place the 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan in a large bowl or roasting pan of very hot water for 5-10 minutes. This gently melts the caramel at the bottom, ensuring the Chocoflan slides out in one perfect, glorious, caramel-drenched piece.
A Show-Stopping Holiday Dessert
This isn't just a cake; it's a culinary magic trick. It's the perfect, impressive centerpiece for a holiday party. The dark, rich, almost-devil's-food cake (made with Dutch-processed cocoa powder and coffee) is the perfect, slightly bitter contrast to the sweet, creamy, traditional flan. Because it must be made ahead of time to chill, it's a completely stress-free dessert for the day of your event.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Pure Baking Magic: It's an "impossible" cake! You pour the flan on top of the cake batter, and it sinks to the bottom, creating two perfect layers.
- The Best of Both Worlds: You get a rich, moist chocolate cake and a silky, creamy vanilla flan in every single bite.
- The Perfect Make-Ahead: This dessert must be made at least one day in advance, freeing up your oven and your time on the day of the party.
- Show-Stopping Presentation: It inverts from the Bundt pan with a built-in, gorgeous caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for this magical dessert. For the full list with precise measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post!
For the Cake Batter
- Butter: Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan.
- Caramel Sauce: Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce for the bottom of the pan.
- Sugar: Lightly packed dark brown sugar.
- Egg: One large egg, at room temperature.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives a darker, smoother chocolate flavour.
- Leavening: Baking powder and baking soda.
- Salt: Kosher salt to balance the sweetness.
- Liquids: Room temperature brewed coffee (or water) and room temperature buttermilk.
For the Flan Custard
- Eggs: 5 large eggs.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: One 14-ounce can. This is the traditional flan base.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract.
- Milk: Whole milk or half-and-half for richness.
How to Make Chocoflan
This recipe is all about trusting the process. The layering seems wrong, but the result is magic!
Step 1: Prepare the Pan and Cake Batter
First, I preheat my oven to 350°F (177°C). I arrange a rack in the middle. I take my 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan and grease it generously with 2 tablespoons of softened butter, making sure to get into every single crevice. I pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of the pan and set it aside.
In a large bowl, I use a stand mixer to beat the brown sugar and remaining ½ cup of butter on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until it's very light and fluffy. I beat in the room-temperature egg.
In a separate medium bowl, I whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I add half of these dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating on low until just combined. I pour in the room-temperature coffee and beat until incorporated. Finally, I add the remaining dry ingredients and the buttermilk, mixing on low until just combined.
I pour this thick, dark chocolate batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading it evenly on top of the caramel.
Step 2: Make the Flan and Layer
In a large bowl, I whisk the 5 large eggs, the sweetened condensed milk, and the vanilla extract until combined. I add the whole milk and whisk until it's all incorporated (a few bubbles are fine).
Now for the magic step: I slowly pour the liquid flan mixture over the back of a large spoon onto the cake batter. This is a crucial step! It allows the flan mixture to sit on top of the batter without disturbing it or mixing them.
Step 3: Bake in a Water Bath
I tightly cover the Bundt pan with aluminum foil. I place the foil-wrapped pan inside a large roasting pan.
I carefully transfer the pans to the oven. Then, I pour boiling water into the larger roasting pan until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the Bundt pan. This is called a bain-marie or water bath, and it's the secret to a silky, smooth, un-cracked flan.
I bake the Chocoflan for 60 to 70 minutes. It's done when a tester (like a long wooden skewer) inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.
Step 4: Cool and Chill (Do Not Skip!)
I carefully transfer the Bundt pan (out of the water bath) to a wire rack and remove the foil. I let it cool on the counter for 1 hour.
Then, I cover the pan with foil again and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. This step is essential for the flan to set completely.
Step 5: The Grand Finale (The Flip!)
When I'm ready to serve, I fill a large bowl (or my sink) with very hot tap water. I place the cold Bundt pan into the hot water for 5-10 minutes. This gently melts the caramel at the bottom.
I place a large, rimmed serving platter upside down on top of the Bundt pan. In one quick, confident motion, I flip them both over. The cake should release and slide right out, with the caramel sauce dripping beautifully down the sides.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to Grease the Pan: Caramel is sticky! If you don't generously grease the Bundt pan with butter, your beautiful cake will not come out, no matter how much you pray.
- Skipping the Water Bath: This is the #1 mistake. The water bath ensures the flan (which is an egg custard) cooks gently and evenly. Without it, the eggs will scramble, and the texture will be rubbery and full of holes.
- Flipping a Warm Cake: If you try to unmold this cake before it has chilled for at least 2-3 hours, the flan will not be set, and you will have a tragic, soupy mess. Patience is key!
- Pouring the Flan Directly: If you pour the liquid flan straight into the pan, it will punch a hole in the cake batter and mix. You must pour it gently over the back of a spoon.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the cake batter, using room-temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk is key to a light, fluffy, and even crumb.
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa: Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder (as the recipe calls for) gives the cake a darker color and a smoother, less acidic chocolate flavour that pairs perfectly with the sweet flan.
- The "Jiggle" Test: The cake is done when the center is mostly clean. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are fine; the flan will continue to set as it cools.
- The Hot Water Soak: Don't skip the 5-minute hot water bath for the pan just before you unmold it. This is the secret to getting a clean release and all that glorious caramel sauce out of the pan.
Variations
This recipe is a true showstopper, but you can add a twist!
- Add a Kick: Add 1-2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the chocolate cake batter for a "Mexican Chocolate" vibe.
- Add a Liqueur: Replace 2 tablespoons of the coffee/water in the cake batter with Kahlúa or a coffee liqueur.
- Different Sauce: If you can't find caramel sauce, a store-bought cajeta (goat's milk caramel) is a fantastic, authentic substitute for the bottom of the pan.
How to Serve
This Chocoflan is a rich, decadent dessert, perfect for the holidays.
- It must be served chilled, straight from the refrigerator, for the cleanest slices and best texture.
- It is the perfect centerpiece for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table, as it combines two desserts in one.
- It needs no garnish, but you can serve it with fresh berries (like raspberries) to cut the richness, or a dollop of whipped cream.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is the ultimate make-ahead dessert!
- Make Ahead: This cake must be made at least 4-6 hours in advance, but it is best made 1-3 days ahead. The flavours get even better as it sits.
- Storage: Store the Chocoflan, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this. The flan's delicate custard texture can become watery or grainy upon thawing.
Recipe Notes / What I Learned
The science of this cake is so much fun. The flan custard is denser (thanks to the eggs and condensed milk) than the aerated, leavened cake batter. Even though you pour the flan on top, it slowly sinks through the cake batter during the bake, while the lighter cake batter rises to the top. This is why they magically swap places! It's a fun, impressive trick to watch unfold.
Nutrition Snapshot
Estimated Nutrition Per Slice (1/12th of cake): ~450 calories · 9g protein · 68g carbs · 17g fat (This is an approximation and can vary based on the specific brands of ingredients used.)
Chocoflan
Equipment
- 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan
- Stand mixer or Hand mixer
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Large roasting pan (for water bath)
- Aluminum foil
- Wire rack
- Large bowl (for hot water bath to unmold)
- Platter
Ingredients
Group: Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup homemade or store-bought caramel sauce
- 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (215 g.)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180 g.)
- ¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ cup brewed coffee or water, room temperature (120 ml.)
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature (120 ml.)
Group: Flan
- 5 large eggs
- 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half (235 ml.)
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350º. Grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons butter, making sure to get all crevices. Pour caramel sauce in bottom of pan; set aside.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat brown sugar and remaining ½ cup butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in egg until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of dry ingredients to egg mixture, beating until just combined. Pour in coffee and beat until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and beat until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan on top of caramel.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, condensed milk, and vanilla until combined. Add milk and whisk until incorporated (some bubbles are okay). Slowly pour flan mixture over the back of a large spoon into Bundt pan (this reduces any disturbance to the cake batter).
- Tightly cover pan with foil and place in a large roasting pan. Carefully transfer pans to oven, then pour in boiling water (about 3 cups) until it reaches halfway up the sides of Bundt pan. If you don't have enough water because roasting pan is large, add more warm water from tap.
- Bake chocoflan until a tester inserted into the center of cake comes out mostly clean, 60 to 70 minutes. (A few crumbs is okay as flan will set more while cooling.)
- Carefully transfer Bundt pan to a wire rack and uncover. Let cool 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (if refrigerating longer than 2 hours, cover pan with foil).
- Loosen cake by placing Bundt pan in a large bowl of hot water. Place a platter upside down on cake pan, then flip to unmold cake. Spoon any remaining caramel from pan over top of cake.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Can I make this in a regular cake pan?
I would not recommend it. A Bundt pan is key for this. Its center tube helps the dense, wet cake cook evenly from the inside out. A regular 9x13 pan would likely be raw in the middle by the time the edges are done.
Why did my layers mix together?
This usually happens for one of two reasons: 1) You didn't pour the flan mixture gently over the back of a spoon, or 2) Your flan mixture was much warmer than your cake batter, or vice-versa.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! The flan is naturally gluten-free. For the cake layer, just substitute a high-quality 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (one that contains xanthan gum) for the all-purpose flour.
