Description
The Sweetest Twist: Magic Melt Chocoflan is a decadent dessert featuring a rich chocolate cake base topped with a smooth, creamy flan layer. This classic Mexican treat combines the luscious flavors of cajeta caramel, cocoa, and cinnamon, all baked together in a water bath to produce a beautifully layered and irresistible dessert perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Flan Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract (Mexican if possible)
Cake Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ cups buttermilk
Other
- 2 tablespoons softened butter (for greasing)
- ¼ cup cajeta (caramel sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your baking pan thoroughly with softened butter, then evenly pour the cajeta caramel sauce onto the bottom to create a sweet base layer.
- Make the Flan Mixture: In a blender, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, softened cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Then, beat in the single egg until fully incorporated.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to ensure even distribution and no lumps.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix after each addition until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Assemble Cake Layer: Pour the prepared chocolate cake batter evenly over the cajeta layer in the greased pan.
- Add the Flan Layer: Carefully pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. During baking, the flan will sink to the bottom while the cake rises, creating the signature two-layer effect.
- Prepare Water Bath: Place the prepared pan inside a larger baking dish. Pour about 1 inch of hot water into the outer baking dish to create a bain-marie or water bath, which helps the flan cook gently and evenly.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The flan should be set and the cake fully cooked when done, which you can test by inserting a toothpick into the cake layer (it should come out clean).
- Cool and Chill: Allow the chocoflan to cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to let the layers firm up and flavors meld together.
- Serve: To serve, invert the cake carefully onto a serving plate so the caramel layer is on top, revealing the beautiful chocoflan layers. Slice and enjoy this delicious Mexican dessert.
Notes
- Using softened butter for greasing ensures the cajeta and batter don’t stick to the pan and release easily.
- The traditional Mexican vanilla extract enhances the authentic flavor but can be substituted with pure vanilla extract if unavailable.
- The water bath is crucial to gently cook the flan portion without cracking — don’t skip this step.
- Refrigerating the chocoflan overnight improves texture and makes slicing easier.
- If cajeta is unavailable, dulce de leche is a suitable alternative caramel sauce.
- Make sure to blend the flan mixture thoroughly to avoid lumps and achieve a smooth custard.
