This flan, when inverted, rests on a rich chocolate cake layer and is topped with melted caramel.
Be careful when inverting hot cake onto serving plate. Place plate upside down on top of pan, place another cooling rack on top, then invert.
Seriously...this flan turned out great! I've never made a flan, ever , much less one sitting on top of a chocolate cake. I didn't even have a pan for it, so I picked one up at Kroger's for like $8. It worked out great. I cooked it for 1 hour 30 minutes, and like Kathy F. Suggested, I left the flan in the roasting pan 10 minutes 1st and then put it on a wire rack to cool an additional 15 minutes before transferring it to a plate. It's going to work out nicely for my dinner party tomorrow night. ;)
Read MoreI did leave it for 2 hours as the recipe said and the flan did not go to bottom and cake mixture did not rise... Also cake mixture did not cook or set it was still batter. And I have a relatively new oven that normally cooks things rather fast, I also have made several cheese flans in my lifetime.
Read More Seriously...this flan turned out great! I've never made a flan, ever , much less one sitting on top of a chocolate cake. I didn't even have a pan for it, so I picked one up at Kroger's for like $8. It worked out great. I cooked it for 1 hour 30 minutes, and like Kathy F. Suggested, I left the flan in the roasting pan 10 minutes 1st and then put it on a wire rack to cool an additional 15 minutes before transferring it to a plate. It's going to work out nicely for my dinner party tomorrow night. ;)
This cake is sooooooooo good !!! Made it exactly as written. Used a rose pattern bunt cake pan. Only had to bake it for 1 hour and 25 min, I let it sit in the hot water after I took it out of oven for another 10 min like I do when making regular flan. I then transferred the bunt pan to a wire rack let cool for about 15 min then inverted. I made this for a picnic we were having the next day so letting it cool and sit overnight worked perfect for me. I bought a foil roasting pan to hold the water and the bunt pan worked out perfect. You wont be disappointed in this flan cake !!
Wonderful! Did as the others suggested,left it in pan with water for 10 min and had no trouble taking it out. Family and friends loved it; will be making again very soon.
This cake is fantastic almost exactly how the directions say to do it. People that are saying it's done in an hour...I just don't see how they're getting the flan cooked through at 350? Maybe they don't realize their flan isn't cooked like it should be. Bake it for 2 hours exactly like the recipe says to do! The key is that water at 2". Get your ruler out! If you put your cake pan in a roasting pan (I used the roasting pan we use for our turkey during Thanksgiving) 2" of water will actually be enough, so that the cake pan floats in the water. It's almost impossible to burn something at 350 when it's floating in water. That nice slow bake makes everything turn out PERFECT in texture. Don't skimp on the time! One other key is to make sure you pour everything slow into the cake pan and evenly distribute it. If you pour to fast or everything in one spot it won't settle like it should to get that nice separation. The only change I made to the recipe was I used Cajeta instead of Caramel sauce. It's like a Mexican caramel made from goats milk that can usually be found at most major grocery stores. I highly recommend it instead of the smuckers for that legitimate Mexican feel!
This cake is delicious! Very moist, and the flan gives it the perfect sweetness. Perfect the way it is. I didn't change a thing in this recipe. I feel that people who rate and then change ingredients are not being accurate or fair to the cook who sends it in.
Easy Recipe with Amazing Results! I combined this recipe with the Cola Cake recipe on this website. It requires less ingredients and the cake mix floats a lot quicker due to carbonation. I also recommend liquifying the cream cheese. That way you don't have to deal with a chunky flan mix. Lastly,put aside that American Caramel and replace it with Dulce de Leche. You'll be glad you did.
If you ever hope to bring anything else to any potluck or event EVER, do not make this cake! It is so easy, and so good, you will be asked for every event to make this cake. That being said, it is VERY good, and I always get comments and requests for the recipe.
Delicious but more of a cheesecake than a flan. Traditional flan does not include cream cheese so this made the flan part more dense and creamy. It was still a huge hit with everyone, myself included. I wish that the flan part and the chocolate part was more incorporated, like a marble cake, because it felt like I was eating two separate cakes because you'd have to take a bite of each separately because the layers are so thick that you can't get them both in one bite. If you're making this for the first time, a few things that surprised me: when you pour the flan batter in the pan, it'll look like it's mixing into the chocolate batter. It's not, the flan batter will sink to the bottom and the layers will still look great. Also, I didn't have a roasting pan big enough for my bundt pan for the water bath so I used my biggest and deepest skillet and it worked great. And I thing I'm the only one whose cake required the full two hours! The only thing about the recipe that I changed was that I didn't use caramel for the topping, I made a traditional flan topping of caramelized sugar. I would not recommend this because it was a PITA cleaning it out of the curves of the pan. Next time I'll do the caramel!
I did leave it for 2 hours as the recipe said and the flan did not go to bottom and cake mixture did not rise... Also cake mixture did not cook or set it was still batter. And I have a relatively new oven that normally cooks things rather fast, I also have made several cheese flans in my lifetime.
This is my first flan cake. We don't have caramel topping in my area, so I prepared a homemade one following a recipe from another website. I didn't find devil cake mix so I used the fudge cake mix instead. This cake turned out great and I loved the balance of the flan to cake amount. I made one large cake. You can check the photo. This is so good and will make again for sure.
It's my first one so I have nothing to compare too but it was awesome! I was scared following directions thinking how's the milk gonna meet the caramel but it did and was funny to watch lol it all worked out beautifully and my Mexican friend I made it for really liked it too :) oh and we ate it warm and it was still good. I tried it this morning and still yummy!
Super moist and delicious! Made this just like the recipe said and it came out amazing. The only change was I only left it in the over for 1 hour and 30 minutes and it was more than ready. I had not problem getting it out of the pan. Definitely recommend eating it chilled so the flan is firmer. My boyfriend doesn't really like chocolate cake but for some reason he has not been able to stop eating this one. Turns out he loves flan too :)
I don't usually throw up 5 stars, but this recipe definitely deserves it. I followed the recipe as is but baked at 350 for 125-130 minutes. Removed from oven and let sit in the pan/water bath for 10 mins, removed and placed on rack for 10 more mins. Removed foil and inverted onto a plate without issue. Chilled overnight. I couldn't resist eating a big slice for breakfast. Delicious! Even my husband who dislikes flan loved this cake.
I made this yesterday. I only had a Pampered Chef stoneware flute plan and was concerned about using that in the oven in a pan of water. But no problems. Mine did not take 2 hours to bake; only 1:20. I made the cake with the exact ingredients - no changes. The cake came out great. It is a beautiful presentation. It looks just like the photo. I took it to work today. Everyone loved it. I especially like how moist it came out.
The only reason I’m giving this recipe five stars is because the OWNER of that picture is part of my family. Her Instagram is @sweetsbyyolyy and it upsets me that’s somebody would steal her art and passion without even crediting her ?? She works too hard to have somebody steal her stuff like this.
This was delicious. The only thing I did differently was I cooled it on a wire rack for 1 hr (foil removed). I refrigerated it overnight in the pan and unmolded it the next day. I did dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to help loosen the caramel topping and it slid right out of the pan. ***Note that they have down sized the box of cake mixes since this recipe was written. I used a standard box of D.H. Butter Recipe Fudge cake mix, I think it's a little over 15 oz. now.
I followed this recipe to a T, I didn't add or subtract anything, I Baked it for 1-1/2 hr and let it cool per instructions. It turned out exactly like the picture, and I was sooo excited to taste it! I had guests and we ate a piece, waiting for that umm umm good experience. We never got it. Even though the cake was moist and beautiful, it tasted like an ordinary packaged cake mix cake, and the fab looking flan was just okay, I thought. I wasn't impressed! I might make a scratch cake, and a bit more of a cream cheese type flan if i did it again.
This was a really good cake. I made it for my colleague’s Birthday at work. (Easy to transport and no frosting to worry about). Everyone liked it a lot and complimented it even days after. I followed the recipe exactly, cooking it for the full two hours in a disposable roasting pan with two inches of water. The cake was very moist and the flan part was perfectly done. Making it again for my family. It is not difficult but you have to have a good chunk of time to make, cook, cool and then chill this cake.
I only cooked cake 1hr 40 mintues. Started checking about 1.5 hrs into cooking, I was afraid it would over cook chocolate cake. It was done by this time. I made my own caramel sauce (1/2c heavy cream 1/2 2% milk, 2c packed brown sugar and 8 Tbl spoons butter, 2 Tbl vanilla and a pinch of salt) cook on stove top med hi heat, stir constantly for 10-12mins or desired thickness is achieved. There is plenty left over for ice cream topping later. I also made a whipped cream to top off this cake. 1 cup heavy cream and some of the caramel sauce that I made mix with beaters. Whipped cream makes everything better!
I was looking for a recipe that was comparable to my father in-law's famous "choco-flan". This was it! Easy to make and super tasty!!!
I made this for the 2nd time today. this time I subbed buttermilk for the water and butter for the oil and only used 3 eggs. After 1 hour of baking, the chocolate cake was not set in the middle. I baked it for 40 more minutes and it came out perfect. Per other reviews, I let the cake sit in the water bath for 10 minutes and then put on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Inverted, topped with almonds and put in the fridge. I did use carjeta instead of the caramel topping, which is awesome stuff! I sprayed my pan with Bakers Joy, even though it said the pan was non stick. I just wanted to be sure!
Epic fail when removing from the pan! I baked the cake for 1 hour 15 min as others suggested. It tested done so I removed it from the oven and put it on a rack for 15 minutes then inverted it onto a plate. When I did, the cake cracked apart. I really think there needs to be a longer cooling period before removing from the pan. Next time I'll cool the cake in the pan for an hour, then place it in the refrigerator overnight in the pan. Maybe before serving set the pan in some warm water to loosen the caramel before inverting onto a plate.
We had some guests over. They loved it. The children didn't like the flan. I followed the recipe, except it only took 55 minutes to cook the cake. I left the flan to cook in the hot water for 20 minutes after taking it out of the oven.
I have made this with the chocolate cake and with just the flan. My husband is from Mexico and so are all of his friends. I made this one night and he took the leftovers to work. No one believes I made it that's how good it is. I made it for his father's birthday, the flan only, and his father said it is restaurant good. His step mother thought there is no way a white girl made this. They said their people (Mexicans) can not make it that good. This is the highest compliment I can give this reciepe. It is so very easy to make and it is so good no one believes it's not from a restaurant or bakery.
Excellent base recipe that you can make your own. I made my own chocolate chip bundt cake recipe (remember to mix chips with a bit of flour before adding to batter) and followed flan recipe exactly. the flan turns out dense which works well as a cake layer. The way the flan sinks to bottom is amazing! Presentation is gorgeous and tastes just as good. Baked 1 hour 25 min was perfect. Easy to remove from pan and delicious.
Mine took the two full hours. I made it last night so it could be ready today for my Husband's birthday. I followed the instructions pretty much to the T and it came out great! Will be making more of these soon.
So I have made this recipe many times now. I have tried it in several different shaped pans, and it has come out great every time! The first few times I used the devil's food cake mix, but have also used others. They all work. I have especially loved the carrot cake; it's like having the ultimate cream cheese icing. For Valentines day, I tried it with red velvet cake. It dyed the flan portion pink! Kind of a fun and unexpected side effect for the holiday. Next time I make this recipe, I'll be sure to post a picture.
My flan mixture didn't seep down to the bottom of the pan and it was just a mixture of chocolate cake and flan.
Delicious!! My mother-in-law went to a party that had this cake and asked me to find a recipe. This was it! The cale was so moist and even though I'm not a fan of flan I enjoyed it as did my kids & husband. I know she'll be asking me to make this again soon.
I love this recipe, I needed to be creative and figure out how I could make this for three different events... So I took out my vintage Jello metal molds 6.5 cups (3) and measured out for each 2 cups of cake batter and 2 cups of egg, milks ect... had some left over of each (made chocolate flan muffins was a little work but worth it.) I put the Carmel on later ( drizzle ) look nicer. !!!! I SPRAYED THE PANS REAL REAL GOOD!!!. put in the water bath like said (use hot water) and they cooked like in 45-55 minutes.(the pan for the bath was glass cooks quicker I think) let cool and able to cut into about 25-30 pieces depending how you cut. I was glad to feed 90 people, we are going to make this for a fundraiser soon. ENJOY. OH, ONE LAST THINK I use Dr. pepper in place of water for the cake mix. have fun baking
Just used normal cake mix and melted down my own sugar instead of he dulce de leche.
This is an excellent recipe!!! I followed the instructions completely and it turned out great! My only suggestion is to make sure it cools completely because it will fall apart when you invert the cake on the plate. I was crushed when I saw it fall apart but the cake still tasted great and my guests loved it and wanted seconds and thirds. Even the next day, guests were asking if there was any cake left!!!
Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect!! I even had to transfer pans before baking because I forgot to grease it! Such a great recipe and will definitely use again!
This is one of the best cakes that I've ever made. I worried about the flan but it turned out beautifully. The only change that I'd make is preparing the Devil's food cake from scratch the next time.
This recipe was awesome. I did exactly as directed and it came out perfect. My niece has requested this cake for her birthday. I will definitely be making this again!
This turned out amazing and was a big hit. The flan sunk perfectly. It only took a little over an hour to bake, not the 2 it says in the direction.
I think the trick is the water, the flan can't over cook. I made this and it was about as good as it gets. I have never tried anything like this before and it worked perfect. Super Nummy!
I made it , and like how some of you said to keep checking on it . AnD mine was done in an hour and a half. I tried sharing a pic but error on it . no complaining here , it came out better than id imagine . looks like a matter piece , so simple to make . and really not time consuming . I did not use a name brand cake product , I went with a generic brand .
This cake was exceptional. I made this for the first time for my husband's birthday. Everyone at the party raved over the cake. I will definitely be making this again.
I made this exactly as the recipe says and didn't make any changes for high altitude. It was sooooo good. My company enjoyed every bite and all requested the recipe. It's a keeper!
Turned out perfectly on the first try. Easy to make. Definitely a dependable excellent dessert. This will stay in my recipe book for ongoing future use.
So easy to make. Followed directions to a T and it turned out perfect. This is a simple good tasting cake that's kinda impressive with the (like) flan on top. I would make this again.
I followed the exact recipe, except for one difference while baking it - I added the flan mix to the pan first and baked it at 425 for 20 minutes. I then added a 15 oz Devil's food cake mix (added butter instead of vegetable oil) and baked the whole things at 350 for about 1 hr 20 mins. I also made my own caramel with sugar and water. The cake turned out AMAZING! It was a party pleaser and a stunner to top that!
OMG!!! First time I've ever made flan. This was actually very easy to make despite the intimidating recipe. LOVE IT!!
Just made this for my Pregnant Daughter at her request for Mother’s Day. Turned out awesome. So easy to make too. Will definitely be a staple in my house from now on.
Everyone loves when I bake this cake. This cake recipe has become one of my favorites to make.
This came out sooo good even though I forgot to cover it Instead of using the Smuckers caramel suace I made my own caramel syrup like my grandma does for her Flan. 1/2 a cup of suagr in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Keep stirring til sugar turns into syrup and then pour in your baking pan. When you invert it this syrup is to die for my favorite part of flan!
omit the cream cheese, its not necessary and adds an odd flavor. do not use caramel topping instead slowly cook sugar on low heat in a non stick pan until melted and golden (stirring constantly) , immediately pour into baking dish. then add the flan mix. cook the flan by itself for 30 minutes then add the chocolate cake mix and bake for remainder time.
I did it this cake tonight and it look good. I just following the recipe and how to cook. I made it good.
Best flan cake ever. Cook as directed full 2 hrs. I see that the recipe writer wrote the cake mix box size and amt of oil to use in cake incorrect, but just follow recipe on the cake box for the cake part. My kids and friends love this cake. I've only made it 8 times but every time its perfect.
What a great cake and a crowd pleaser! I used my Bundt pan that looks like a castle and not only did it turn out perfect with the flan on top and completely separated, but it is one of the most delicious cakes I have ever eaten. 5 stars all around for this one
What does this mean? Place piece of rolled up foil in tube of pan to prevent cake from baking over top. Coat piece of foil with no-stick cooking spray. Cover pan, coated side down, tightly with foil. Place pan in large roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan to a depth of 2 inches.
I’ve made this 3 times now. The first was because my son volunteered it for Spanish class! Gotta love those last minute “hey mom, I need.....” But it came out great and I take mine out around an hour and a half if the toothpick comes clean from the cake.
I've made this twice now. The first time I made it in a regular tube pan, did not let it rest in the water after I took it out of the over and the flan had lots of air bubbles. Second time I made it in a bundt pan and followed the instructions exactly. PERFECTION! Looks just like the picture!
This cake is the party! Such a great surprise presentation, and easy to make. Haven’t met anyone who didn’t love this chocoflan at first taste. Showstopper at first glance! Delicious
A little too sweet for my taste but really good and I used cottage cheese instead of cream cheese because that is what I had on hand. Easy to make.
I just took it out of the oven and turned it over from the bundy pan it looks beautiful! As far as presentation I give it a 5. Tomorrow night we are having a dinner party and I'm sure it will be delicious. Keep you posted. Posted a pic.
I've made this flan cake a few times. It's a great recipe, and creates a beautiful and very tasty dessert. :) I use a simple bundt cake pan. I think the one major thing I have to remember when making this, is to give adequate time for the cream cheese to really soften, so that it will completely incorporate when mixing together the flan. Otherwise, the cream cheese will be lumpy and inconsistent. I try not to overly mix the flan to prevent air bubbles or a grainy texture after baking. I've had small cracking on the very top and towards the center of the flan, which I believe is due to the very top of the flan getting too hot (closer to the pan), so I need to add just a little more water to the roasting pan to prevent the custard from cracking. If it does a little, I spoon in just a touch of caramel sauce to fill in and disguise. My electric oven cooks more on the slow side, so I think a good cooking time is about 1 hour 20 minutes. I know that everyone's ovens vary in temperature, so it's probably wise to check in maybe an hour or so. I hope this helps!! Enjoy making and eating this amazing chocolate cake flan.
This recipe is AMAZING!! I took off a star due to the cooking time being seriously off. Do yourself a favor and make this and start checking at 1 hour.
All Recipes is my “go to” for many different recipes, and I found another, RIGHT HERE! This recipe is amazing, delicious and simple, yet when done properly, it’s a VERY impressive fancy dessert! I’ve made it in many different cake flavors, with fantastic results. Always pleases. Never disappoints, especially those flan lovers!
This is amazing! Was afraid it was not going to turn out, and it was perfect and even looked amazing. Baked for 1.5 hours.
Great recipe, the first time I made it everything came out perfect. The next 2 times I made it, it split in 4 pieces after inverting it. Don't know what went wrong.
This was very easy to make and a great change from just flan by itself. I will make it again
I've made a version of this before. With this recipe I found the cake to be too dry. It was done in 1 hr 20 mins.
AWESOME AND EASY DESSERT. I also baked for 1 hour 30 minutes as others recommended and it was done. Let sit for 10 minutes in the hot water bath with foil off and another 15-20 on a cooling rack before turning over. Came out perfect.
FAN.TAS.TIC! I made this for a party and got rave reviews, inspired me to make it again to take on a camping trip and got raves from a whole new group of people! I don't normally make things that require a box cake, but this one is a keeper. Easy, delicious, and it keeps well - I think it's even better after a few days in the fridge.
Followed recipe except I used Duncan Hienes brand chocolate cake mix, switched out water for coffee, added cinnamon and vanilla extract, only needed to bake for an hour and a half and everything came out great. Would substitute caramel sauce for dulce de leche the next time. There will be a next time.
Perfect every time! I would like to know why some others appear more creamy, homogeneous and white than mine. I always follow the recipe to the letter. It tastes great and boyfriend loves it (he is Mexican), but I would like it to be even prettier.
My cake didn’t separate. Kinda looks like a marble cake on top. :(. I hope it taste amazing, because I was wanting the visual effect that is gone now.
first time I made this recipe I use brownie mix instead of cake mix came out delicious however the chocolate did not go where it was supposed to but it was really good. This time I made it as the recipe calls for and it came out perfect or close to.
After reading the reviews, I removed it from the oven at just over an hour. I left it covered in the water bath for about 20 minutes, then on the cooling rack covered in the pan for 10 minutes and uncovered for 10 mins. I lightly loosened it with angled icing spatula before inverting it on the plate. It came out so easily! Definitely glad I didn't bake this for full 2 hours, I think it would have been too overdone, Came out great! Nice texture. Used cajeta instead - I think next time I will use more that half a cup in the bottom of the pan.
Everyone loved this ! I had never made it before and took a chance for a birthday of a coworker.
Easy to follow instructions and I did everything as instructed. Thanks for sharing!
I loved this recipe. It turned out so well. Thank you for all the tips that helped get it out of the pan and unto the plate in one piece. It was a hit. It looked very much like the picture with the recipe.
I've made this cake for several years, and never had to bake it for more than an hour. It is amazingly good... so good that I've been asked to make it many times, once even for a charity auction! Just be sure you have a 12 cup pan or else you'll end up with a mess and not this delicious cake.
This was amazing. Turned out just like the picture. Everyone said the flan was the best they ever had and I agree.
Came out good! Cake part was slightly overbaked/dry at 1 hour 15 minutes. I would try to take it out at an hour next time. Flan was baked fine at 1hr 15 mins. Do bake this the night before because mine tasted even better the next day!! Will try again!!
This was fantastic! Not hard at all. I will make this my go to recipe for a company dessert. I did follow the recommendation to cook for an hour and half, then sit in water bath for 10 minutes and then rest for 15. I highly recommend this cake.
Just follow all of the instructions, cook time and tinfoil especially and this cake should be perfect!
Followed the directions pretty much exactly but since I had to purchase the caramel sauce for it I opted for Dulce Le Leche. Outstanding!! An amazing dessert and everyone raved about it ... easy to make as well. Don't understand how people had trouble with the flan not settling to bottom of pan ... mine started sinking as I was pouring it in ... will definitely make it again!!
Perfect! This is the best cake ever. I’ve made it many times and now it is highly requested by family and friends.
