This is a magic cake! If you like flan and chocolate cake, this is the dessert for you.

The magic comes into play when the cake bakes. You use a bundt pan, and first you pour your chocolate cake batter into the pan, you smooth it out, then top it with the liquid flan mixture. Now logic says that when you flip the cake out of the pan, the chocolate layer will be on top, and the flan at the bottom, just as you layered them into the pan, but no! During the baking process, the flan layer, because it is denser, seeps through the chocolate cake layer and you end up with a beautiful cake that has the silky flan at the top. It’s really amazing.

A few comments about the cake – it’s really delicious. The flan is on the sweet side, and the chocolate cake reminds me of a Devil Dog (anyone remember those?) If you’re going to try this recipe, I recommend a bundt pan that’s fairly simple in design. The first time I made this cake, I used a pan that looked like this. The cake was impossible to get out of the pan. It’s best to stick to a simple bundt pan like this – it’s easier to grease, and it’s easier to get the cake out of the pan in one piece. The recipe calls for room temperature cream cheese. It really does help to have the cream cheese at room temperature for easy blending.

This cake is not hard to make, but it takes quite some time. I’d allow about two hours to assemble and bake it, then some additional time (perhaps another two hours) to bring it to room temperature so you can successfully get it out of the pam.
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My family inhales this cake when I make it. I hope yours does too.

Chocoflan
Recipe by Marcela Valladolid of FoodNetwork

For the pan:

• Softened butter, to coat pan
• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

For the cake:

• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:

• One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:

• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)

For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.

For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.

Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake anywhere from 75-90 minutes, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, jiggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake, garnish with chopped pecans (if using) and extra caramel sauce (if desired), and serve!

Yield: 10 servings