Tags
chocoflan, Cinco de Mayo, dessert, Fiesta Friday, Fiesta Friday #38, flan, Mexican cuisine, recipe
As you know, my Crepas de Mole recipe, posted two weeks ago, came out of a failed Cinco de Mayo post. Judging from the responses I got, however, it didn’t seem to bother anybody much that a Cinco de Mayo recipe was posted in October.
Come to think of it, the stores have been in Christmas mode since like what, July? If a store can get away with celebrating Christmas in Summer, so can a blog with celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Autumn.
If not, just look at it this way – I’m not late for Cinco de Mayo, I’m just super early for the next one. So, with that, I’m bringing you another Mexican recipe. This time, a dessert, called Chocoflan. It is, no doubt, the perfect dessert for Cinco de Mayo. However, I think you should really find excuses to enjoy it any time of the year. It’s really, really, really, really, really….gooood! Really! 🙂
Okay, silliness aside, Chocoflan, which also goes by Pastel Imposible (The Impossible Cake) is possibly the best dessert there is. How can it not? It’s part cake and part flan, in one. Ingenious, isn’t it?
It is dubbed The Impossible Cake because of the intriguing way the cake and flan layers flip themselves while being baked. You pour the cake batter first into the pan, then the flan batter on top of it, but while the whole thing is baking, somehow the cake will rise to the top and the flan will sink to the bottom. Neat, isn’t it? Anybody out there a scientist? Explain this to us, please!
Chocoflan
The caramel layer
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1. In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and the water.
2. Heat, on medium-high, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling.
3. Stop stirring and allow syrup to continue boiling until it turns amber (about 6 minutes).
4. Remove from heat immediately and pour about a tablespoon into 4-oz custard cups and roll around to coat the sides of the cups. Set aside.
The cake layer
2 oz (1/3 cup) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tbsp (half a stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter and microwave for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Add sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until everything is well-blended.
4. Add flour mixture and stir until incorporated.
5. Pour into custard cups, on top of the caramel.
The flan layer
2 whole large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
1. You can either place all the flan ingredients in a blender and process until smooth or use a whisk or hand-held mixer.
2. Strain to avoid any lumps.
3. Pour slowly and carefully over the cake batter.
Place the cups in a large roasting pan. Pour hot water around the cups to come halfway up their sides. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove custard cups from the hot water bath and place them on a rack to cool. When completely cool, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To unmold, run a small metal spatula around the sides of each cup. Place a flat serving plate on top and invert Chocoflan onto the plate. Lift off the cups. The caramel sauce will flow down the sides of the Chocoflan, or drizzle more caramel before serving. Decorate with candied nuts or fruits.
Makes 8-9 mini (4-oz.) chocoflans.
***
Features from FF37 are:
Celebration Cake from Melissa @The Glen House.
How could anybody not fall for this cake? Four layers of chocolate sponge cake, with crispy chocolate rice cereal and whipped cream in between! Sounds and looks divine, doesn’t it? And Melissa worked so hard to make it. Only to be met by rude guests who either refused it or threw an unfinished piece in the bin. Sacrilege! I think these people were insane! I would have taken two slices, I tell you. Take heart, Melissa. We at Fiesta Friday loved it!
Halloween Treats from Juju @cookingwithauntjuju.
How cute are these treats? Especially “The Wicked Witch of the East” cupcake. Julianna agrees with me. She says, “I loved this post, packed with so many cute and creative ideas for Halloween. So many of the ideas are brilliant and easy. Judi’s feature photo of the witch’s legs coming out of cupcakes would be a HUGE hit at any Halloween event. This post was a party unto itself!”
Creamy Baked Cauliflower “Mac” & Cheese from Lina @Strictly Delicious.
This is ridiculously mouth-watering! I didn’t think vegetables could do that to me. But it really made me super hungry looking at it. All that melty cheese! I wish I could taste this, Lina. I guess I’ll have to make it on my own. This is when I really wish someone had invented a teleporter so I could just beam me up some of these dishes you guys brought to the Fiesta!
Lobster and Avocado Ravioli from Petra @Food Eat Love.
In Hilda’s words, “Why settle for just lobster when you can serve it prepared in lobster butter with peas and avocado wrapped in a delicate wonton wrapper? Petra’s creativity is a real inspiration and credit to Fiesta Friday smorgasbord.”
In Julianna’s words, “The combination of lobster and avocado in ravioli just seemed so exotic and elegant to me. Petra’s presentation was so beautiful, and my palate was telling me that this pasta dish rocked with flavour! This would be stunning at any dinner party!”
Need I say more? This is one of those recipes that makes you go, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Avocado to add creaminess to a dish without the guilt is such a brilliant idea! Bravo, Petra! Will give this a try, for sure!
***
Thank you, Hilda and Julianna, for helping me select these features, and for agreeing to stick around and co-host FF38. What would I do without you? Probably not hosting a fiesta, that’s what!
Now let’s party, people!
Click on the button below to join the party. If you’re new to Fiesta Friday, please read the guidelines.
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The Novice Gardener 
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Your cool layered choco flan looks out of this World: it is like fine art, really!
Waw!!!!!! I,must make this special dessert very soon!
Thanks, girlfriend!! It really wasn’t all that hard to make. If you follow the directions, it’s pretty easy! 🙂
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