Chocoflan

            Chocoflan

This rich Mexican dessert features layers of a dense chocolate cake and a creamy vanilla flan. It’s known as the “impossible cake” because the cake and flan batters are poured into the pan in one order, and then switch positions while baking in the oven. It’s typically baked in a bundt pan, but I prefer the look when baked in a loaf pan. You can find Mexican vanilla at many online food shops including Well.ca and Gourmet Trading Co. (gourmettrading.com) Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

Caramel
2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) water

Cake
2/3 cup (150 mL) hot brewed coffee
2/3 cup (150 mL) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (60 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup (80 mL) avocado or canola oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) full-fat sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (150 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) table salt

Flan
1/2 cup (125 mL) Philly-style cream cheese, at room temperature
1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup (175 mL) evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1 tsp (5 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) table salt.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease sides of a 5 × 9-inch (12 × 23 cm, 1.9-L) loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over top of pan. Grease one side of parchment and set aside.

For the caramel, heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over high. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil, watching closely, until mixture turns deep amber, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour into bottom of prepared pan. Set aside to cool and harden, at least 10 minutes.

For the cake, whisk hot coffee, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl until smooth. Vigorously whisk in oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and sugar.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and soda. Stir in salt. 

Stir dry mix into wet mix until batter is clump-free. Pour batter over caramel in an even layer.

For the flan, blend cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a blender until smooth. Add evaporated milk, eggs, yolk, vanilla and salt. Blend until evenly combined. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl, then pour over chocolate batter, working from one side to other to form an even layer. (The flan batter will sink into cake batter.) Leave a 1-inch (2.5-cm) space below the top edge of the loaf pan to allow for rising. Depending on the capacity of your loaf pan, you may have a few tablespoons of flan batter left over. Discard.

Boil about 4 cups (1 L) water. Place loaf pan in baking pan large enough to hold it. Pour enough boiling water into baking pan to come about 1-inch (2.5-cm) up sides of loaf pan. Drape reserved piece of greased parchment over loaf pan, greased side down. Cover whole baking pan tightly with foil.

Bake on middle rack until a skewer inserted in center of chocolate cake comes out clean, about 85 minutes.

Remove from oven. Carefully remove foil and parchment then transfer loaf pan to a cooling rack. Cool then cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

To serve, run a paring knife along the edges of the pan to loosen cake. Swiftly flip the loaf onto a rimmed plate. Slice and serve.