Chocoflan

When it comes to baking, it doesn’t get much more fun than chocoflan—which sounds like a superhero (and like it should be followed by an exclamation point). This sweet Mexican dessert is also a cool kitchen science experiment: Two of the dessert’s layers switch places while baking, which puts it in the “impossible” or “magic” cake category.

Our easy chocoflan recipe uses shortcut staples like boxed cake mix and prepared caramel sundae syrup, so you can make this chocolate cake-caramel flan combo for a potluck, party, or whenever you need an unfussy, unique dessert.

What is chocoflan?

Chocoflan consists of caramel sauce (traditionally cajeta or dulce de leche), custard and chocolate cake layered and baked together. The caramel goes into the pan first, then the chocolate cake batter, and then the custard base. While it bakes, the custard and cake switch places, so when it’s inverted, there’s cake on the bottom layer, then custard topped with caramel. It’s like magic! But in reality, cake batter is less dense than the flan, thanks to leaveners and an acidic element that creates gas, so it rises while the denser custard layer sinks. Making chocoflan in a water bath is key to this old switcheroo.

As with many dishes, there are plenty of tales about the chocoflan’s origins, but nothing conclusive. Flan originated in ancient Rome, was popular throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and spread to Latin America with the arrival of the conquistadors. Chocoflan, however, most likely originated in Mexico.

Chocoflan Ingredients

• Caramel sundae syrup: Used as a coating for the flan pan, the caramel flows over the finished dessert as it’s inverted, giving it a lovely sheen. If you can find an artisanal caramel made with cream and sugar rather than corn syrup, your dessert will taste even better. Dulce de leche is another good substitute.
• Chocolate cake mix: A great chocolate cake mix—like one from Ghirardelli—results in the best, most decadent chocolate flavor.
• Canola oil: Canola is a neutral-flavored oil that moistens your cake batter without detracting from its chocolatey taste.
• Eggs: For the best results, use room-temperature eggs when baking.
• Sweetened condensed milk: A thick, lightly caramelized combination of sugar and dairy that comes in a can, condensed milk helps give the chocoflan’s custard layer its characteristic flavor and texture.
• Whole milk: Whole milk lends the right creaminess to the custard. You can get away with 2%, but avoid skim milk, as it will probably make the custard too watery.
• Vanilla extract: Use the best vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla, for baking.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pan

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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Pour the caramel sundae syrup into the bottom of the pan.

Step 2: Prepare the cake mix

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In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, water, oil and eggs at medium speed for two to three minutes. Pour the batter on top of the caramel in the prepared pan.

Step 3: Make the flan

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In a medium bowl, beat the sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, eggs and vanilla until they’re smooth. Slowly and evenly pour the flan mixture over the chocolate cake batter.

Step 4: Bake the chocoflan

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Place the tube pan in a roasting pan, and pour enough water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the tube pan. Grease one side of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan loosely, greased side down. Bake the chocoflan until a toothpick inserted into the center of the ring comes out clean, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Carefully remove the tube pan from the roasting pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 5: Refrigerate and serve the chocoflan

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Refrigerate the chocoflan for two hours. Slide a thin knife between the chocoflan and the pan to loosen it, place a serving dish on top of the pan, and flip the two dishes over to invert the dessert onto the plate.

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Flan Variations

• Make it Mexican chocolate: If you like some zing, add ground cinnamon and either cayenne or chipotle chili powder to the cake mix. The cake will be spicy, the flan will be cooling, and they’ll go perfectly together. You could also add some espresso powder to the mix.
• Go vanilla: If you prefer, use a vanilla cake mix or cake batter instead of chocolate, and you’ll have made a flancocho instead of a chocoflan.
• DIY it: You don’t have to buy a cake mix if you’d prefer to make the batter from scratch. Our highly rated cocoa cake should do the trick! You can also make your own caramel sauce.

How to Store Chocoflan

Cover the chocoflan and its serving plate with a layer of plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator. Or, if you don’t have much left, slide it into a container with a tight-fitting lid.

How long does chocoflan last?

Chocoflan will last for up to four days in the fridge. Unfortunately, this isn’t a dessert that can be frozen.

Chocoflan Tips

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What’s the best pan for chocoflan?

The recipe calls for a fluted tube pan (aka a Bundt pan), which will give the dessert a pretty shape and help it cook evenly. You could use a standard cake pan if you don’t have a fluted pan. When working with a water bath, it can be nice to use a deep pan, since it will protect the contents from splashes as you move them in and out of the oven.

How do you know when chocoflan is done cooking?

As the chocoflan bakes, the chocolate layer will float to the top. If the cake looks and feels set, that’s one good indication that the dessert is done, and the toothpick test mentioned in the recipe is another way to tell. You can also use an instant thermometer, like a Thermopen One. Inserted into the cake layer (which requires a higher temperature than the flan layer), look for a reading between 194° and 204°.

What can you serve with chocoflan?

Serve chocoflan as part of a Mexican meal. You could make a batch of pozole, try some crispy sopes, or put together some chicken tamales. If you live a dessert-first lifestyle, serve chocoflan with Mexican hot chocolate or horchata.