Our September Bundt of the Month is a true showstopper! Using Nordic Ware’s Elegant Party Bundt® Pan, this Chocolate-Citrus Chocoflan combines the creamy richness of flan with a truly decadent chocolate cake layer. Aptly nicknamed pastel imposible in Spanish, or “impossible cake,” the Chocoflan is originally from Mexico and is one of its most prized variations of flan. In this recipe, a spike of orange zest and the addition of a little cream cheese in the flan layer make for a lusciously smooth and slightly tart, citrusy flan. Meanwhile, the addition of espresso powder and a splash of coffee liqueur give the cake layer a bold and bright cocoa flavor. However, the true wonder of this Bundt isn’t simply its magically married flavor profile but what occurs as the Bundt bakes. Watch in awe as the velvety flan layer miraculously swaps places with the indulgent chocolate cake layer, creating a striking two-toned masterpiece. To tie it all together, we topped this beauty with another classic aspect of flan: a rich dulce de leche glaze. It’s the perfect sweet finish to this blissful Bundt.
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Chocolate-Citrus Chocoflan
Makes 1 (10-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
- Flan:
- ½ (12-ounce) can (184 grams) evaporated milk (about ¾ cup)
- ¾ (14-ounce) can (190 grams) sweetened condensed milk (about ⅔ cup)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 2 ounces (57 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) tightly packed orange zest
Batter:- 1¼ cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup (73 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (2 grams) instant espresso powder
- ¾ teaspoon (3.75 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (160 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) water, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) coffee liqueur*
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
Topping:- ½ cup (140 grams) dulce de leche
- 4 teaspoons (20 grams) fresh orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) coffee liqueur
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- For flan: In the container of a blender, combine milks, eggs, cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and orange zest; process until smooth and well combined, about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or glass measuring cup.
- For batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, and baking powder, pressing through any solids with a silicone spatula. Whisk in salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together sour cream, oil, eggs, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) room temperature water, liqueur, and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture just until combined.
- Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to settle batter and release any air bubbles. Place Bundt pan in a 13x9-inch baking pan.
- Hold a regular spoon about 1 inch above batter in pan; pour flan mixture into spoon, letting it overflow gently and evenly onto batter. (It’s OK if batter and flan mixture mix just slightly). Loosely cover Bundt pan with a greased sheet of foil. Carefully place baking pan in oven; add enough hot water to come 1 inch up sides of Bundt pan.
- Bake until cake is firm to the touch, a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 194°F (90°C) to 200°F (93°C), 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes. (Do not check cake too early or often.) Remove Bundt pan from baking pan; uncover and let cake cool in Bundt pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Loosely cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. Place Bundt pan in a 13x9-inch baking pan; fill with enough very hot water to come 1 inch up sides of Bundt pan. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, gently loosen center and edges of cake, only going about halfway down pan. Loosen 3 to 4 scalloped edges by reaching offset spatula almost all the way down and gently pushing inward to help loosen flan portion. (The aim is to break the seal and allow the cake to release; it’s OK to have minor dings in the flan portion.) Invert pan onto a cake plate. Shake, tap, and jiggle pan vigorously until you feel cake release; continue to loosen edges as needed. Remove pan.
- For topping: In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat dulce de leche, orange juice, and salt on high in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth, loose, and drizzle-consistency. Stir in liqueur. Spoon topping on top of flan; serve immediately.
Notes
*We used Kahlúa.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Convert This Recipe into Bundtlettes
These sweet bundtlettes are the answer to all your single-serving needs. Follow the recipe below and get ready to share!
Chocolate-Citrus Chocoflan Bundtlettes
Makes 6 Bundtlettes
Ingredients
- Flan:
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup (97.5 grams) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
- 1 ounce (28 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon packed orange zest
Batter:- ⅔ cup (83 grams) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (72 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (21 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2½ tablespoons (35 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 gram) instant espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) coffee liqueur*
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
Topping:- ½ cup (140 grams) dulce de leche
- 4 teaspoons (20 grams) fresh orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) coffee liqueur
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- For flan: In the container of a blender, combine milks, egg, cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and orange zest; process until smooth and well combined, about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or glass measuring cup.
- For batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, and baking powder, pressing through any solids with a silicone spatula. Whisk in salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, oil, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) room temperature water, liqueur, and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture just until combined.
- Spray a 5-cup Bundtlette pan (see Note) with baking spray with flour. Divide batter among prepared wells. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to settle batter and release any air bubbles. Gently pour enough flan mixture over batter in each well to come up about ½ inch from top edge. (It’s OK if batter and flan mixture mix just slightly). Loosely cover pan with a greased sheet of foil.
- Place a 13x9-inch baking pan in oven; pour hot water to a depth of 1½ to 1¾ inches. Place Bundtlette pan in prepared baking pan.
- Bake until cakes are firm to the touch, a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 194°F (90°C) to 200°F (93°C), 50 minutes to 1 hour. (Do not check cakes too early or often.) Remove Bundtlette pan from baking pan; uncover and let cool in Bundtlette pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Loosely cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- In a 13x9-inch baking pan, pour very hot water to a depth of 1½ to 1¾ inches; place Bundtlette pan in hot water bath. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, gently loosen centers and edges of Bundtlettes, only going about halfway down pan. On one edge, reach all the way down with offset spatula, and gently push inward to help loosen flan portion. (The aim is to break the seal and allow the cake to release; it’s OK to have minor dings in the flan portion.) Invert Bundtlette pan onto a serving plate. Shake, tap, and jiggle pan vigorously until you feel cakes release.
- For topping: In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat dulce de leche, orange juice, and salt on high in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth, loose, and drizzle-consistency. Stir in liqueur. Spoon topping on top of flan; serve immediately.
Notes
*We used Kahlúa.
Note: A more open, less intricately designed Bundtlette pan is ideal for these cakes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Bundtology
Our Bundtologists share their expert tips to help master our September Bundt. Click the image to enlarge. Note that each of these tips is specific to this recipe and the Elegant Party Bundt Pan. Results may vary for other recipes and other pans.
Wow! this looks delicious
No words, It’s delicious
thanks for sharing
Delicious cake component, overall excellent cake. Rather than buy another pan spray, I buttered and floured the pan traditionally and the cake released beautifully. I increased the Kahlua in the dulce de leche topping by 50 % and preferred that result. My dulce de leche must have been looser than the writer’s because, with only 10 seconds in the microwave, the topping was far too pourable and ran right off the cake.
Regardless, the flavor combination was spot-on and the cake was delicious and easy to prepare.
those are amazing!
Wow! this looks delicious
thanks for sharing
this looks delicious
thanks for sharing