Impossible Chocolate Flan

This is another recipe that falls into the I saw it and had to make it category. Despite it's polished finished look and delicious taste, it's actually remarkably easy to make. The most important part is to make sure you're using a deep enough pan (the original suggests a pan that's at least 2 inches deep). If you're using a springform pan, you'll probably want to line it to ensure there's no leakage. A silicone pan is ideal.

The most amazing thing about this recipe? It's flips while it's cooking. The chocolate layer is poured on the bottom, but rises above the flan while the dish cooks. The finished top didn't look too pretty, so I wasn't certain I'd succeeded:

I was also a little bit anxious about the liquid layer that seemed to be between the sides of the cake and the pan, but once I flipped it and sliced into it, I discovered the cake had turned out perfectly:

I made one major change to this recipe. Canadian evaporated milk is sold in smaller quantities than US evaporated milk. Rather than buying 2 cans, I figured the missing 2 ounces or so of evaporated milk wouldn't be missed. If you want, you could try to do the amounts correctly, but I don't think anyone minded. I also omitted the nut garnish ... who would mar this silky smoothness with nuts?

One year ago: Tostados

Impossible Chocolate Flan (from The Dog's Breakfast, originally My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson)

Ingredients
1 cup cajeta or dulce de leche
Cake
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Flan
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk (or use the Canadian size of 300ml)
1 (14-oz.) can condensed milk (or use the Canadian size)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 9 1/2 -inch diameter (2 inches deep) cake pan. 


2. Pour the cajeta over the bottom and sides of the cake pan using a brush or the back of a spoon (you can heat the cajeta very slightly in the microwave so that it is easier to spread).
3. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.
5. Add to the flour mixture, whisking until thoroughly combined.
6. Pour the cake batter into the pan and set aside.
7. Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt in a blender and blend until there are no visible lumps.
8. Pour gently over the cake batter.
9. Cover loosely with foil, place in a large baking dish, and fill the baking dish with hot water so that it comes halfway up the sides. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.


10. Remove the cake pan from the baking dish and allow to cool for at least 4 hours or refrigerate overnight. To unmold, lightly pass a warm knife around the edge, place a plate or dish on top, and carefully but rapidly flip over. Serve cold or at room temperature.