What could be better than a single desert that combines the best of Mexico and Spain? This easy to make recipe is two desserts in one. Mexican chocolate is presented in a cake topped by cajeta, a sweet caramel-like topping. The bottom of the same cake is a creamy flan, the same custardy flan introduced to Mexico by the Spanish conquistadors. This irresistible 2-in-1 desert may seem impossible to do. It’s not!

Chocoflan- Pastel Imposible

Mexican Chocoflan is an interesting presentation of a creamy flan with a caramelized top over a rich chocolate cake. The flan is poured over the cake in a bundt pan and then rises to the top, switching places with the flan during cooking. After it cools, it is then inverted onto a plate. So the inverted desert gets inverted so that you get an desert that ends as it started. Imposible (Eim-poe-see-blay)! This recipe has been updated and simplified so it can be made at home without losing it's unique flavor or interesting presentation.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Central Mexican, Mexican

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

12-inch bundt cake pan
Roasting pan with high sides
Stand mixer or whisk
Food Processor or blender

Ingredients

2 tbsp Butter, softened for greasing (or spray)
¾ cup Cajeta (or caramel sauce or Dulce de Leche)
1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1¼ cup Water
½ cup Vegetable oil
6 large Eggs
14 oz Can of condensed milk, sweetened
10 oz Can of evaporated milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
4 oz Cream cheese, softened

Instructions

Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Boil about 8 cups water. Move rack to middle of oven. Lightly grease inside of bundt pan with butter or spray. Swirl cajeta along bottom of bundt pan.
Make Cake Batter – In the mixing bowl or a stand mixer, combine the cake mix with 1¼ cup water, oil, and 3 eggs. Beat on low speed to combine, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and mix for another 3 minutes. Cake batter will become thick and creamy. Gently layer over cajeta in bundt pan. Don't stir!
Make Flan Filling – In a blender, puree the sweetened condensed milk, 3 eggs, evaporated milk, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth Gently pour the flan batter evenly over the cake batter. Again, don't stir!
Cook Chocoflan – Place roasting pan on middle rack in preheated oven. Carefully place filled bundt pan in middle and fill about half-way with boiling water to create a Bain Marie. Cook for 45 minutes without opening the oven door. Remove and let cool completely.
Serve – When cooled, place flat serving platter over bundt pan, wiggle it a bit to loosen the sides and then flip pan and platter over so that chocoflan now sits in all its splendor on the platter. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

The chocolate cake may be made from scratch by creaming 10 tbsp softened unsalted butter and in an electric mixer, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 1/3 flour, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 3/4 tsp baking soda. Add 1/3 dry mixture to butter/sugar then 1/3 of butter milk. Repeat 2 more times finishing with 1/2 cup of buttermilk (1 1/4 cups total). Mix well and complete assembly as described above.