Chocolate Flan Recipes

CHOCOLATE FLAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 12-cup fluted tube pan with no-stick cooking spray. Place piece of rolled up foil in tube of pan to prevent cake from baking over top. Pour caramel topping into prepared pan.
• Prepare cake mix according to package directions using the water, oil and eggs. Pour evenly over caramel topping.
• Combine cream cheese, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla in blender container. Process until blended. Pour slowly over cake batter. NOTE: While baking, the cake rises and the milk mixture goes to the bottom.
• 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.
• Bake 2 hours or until toothpick in center still has a few moist crumbs. Place cake on cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes. Remove foil and invert onto serving plate. Cool 1 hour at room temperature. Chill 4 hours or overnight.

CHOCOFLAN

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a 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.
• Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading 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 1 hour, 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 1 hour.
• 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 and serve!

CHOCOLATE WINTER FLAN

Steps:

• In a blender, blend together the eggs, evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, cocoa, allspice and cinnamon until well incorporated and creamy. Bake either using the water bath or double boiler method below.
• To bake using the water bath method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Caramelize the sugar in a pan over the stovetop until a light golden brown, using a wooden spoon to stir. This is the trickiest part as sugar burns easily, so don't let it get too dark and keep mixing the sugar with the spoon. Don't step away from this process; once the sugar gets hot, it browns quickly. Once it is completely liquefied, pour into an ovensafe 6- to 8-inch round mold (a tempered glass pie dish works well) and coat the bottom and sides three-quarters of the way up.
• Fill an oven roasting pan or baking dish with about 1 inch of water and place the sugar-coated pie dish inside. Add the flan mixture to the pie dish and bake until the top is firm and the flan starts to pull away from the sides, about 45 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• To transfer the flan to a serving plate, make sure the sides are loose (you can run a thin knife around the edges to make sure it is not sticking to the sides), put a plate on top and in one fluid motion, invert the flan onto the plate and remove the pie dish. Refrigerate to chill before slicing and serving.
• To bake using the double boiler method: If you have a double boiler pan (which is what I typically use and is easier!), caramelize the sugar in the double boiler insert on the stovetop using the same method as above. Remove from the heat and, using a wooden spoon and by tilting and rotating the pan, coat all sides of the pan three-quarters of the way up.
• Fill the other double boiler pan with water about one-quarter full and bring to a boil while the sugar is caramelizing.
• Pour the flan mixture into the caramel and put the double boiler insert over the pan with the hot water. Cover and cook over medium low until the flan appears more solid and pulls away from the sides, about 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature for about 2 hours before inverting onto a serving plate using the same method as above. Refrigerate and serve cold.

CHOCOLATE FLAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Spray a large 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick coating.
• Soften the cajeta in the jar in the microwave and pour into the prepared pan.
• Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
• Pour the cake batter into the cake pan over the cajeta.
• To make the flan: Pour condensed, evaporated and fresh milks into a blender with the cream cheese, vanilla and eggs.
• Mix well.
• Pour the flan mixture very slowly over the cake batter.
• Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray (like Pam);.
• cover the pan TIGHTLY with aluminum foil.
• (Covering tightly is very important.) Set the Bundt pan into a large pan and set on the oven rack and slide into the oven.
• Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 2 inches (The Bundt pan will be sitting in 2 inches of water).
• Bake cake for 2 hours (test); do not uncover during this time.
• After two hours, remove cake from water and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the aluminum foil.
• Invert cake onto a large plate with rim.
• The cajeta will drip down the sides of the cake.
• Cool completely then refrigerate. Refrigerate leftovers.
• Note: Even though the flan is poured on top of the cake batter, it will sink to the bottom of the pan.

MODERN MEXICAN CHOCOLATE FLAN

Steps:

• In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar with 1/3 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, using a pastry brush dipped in cold water to wash down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pot, then lower the heat and simmer, without stirring, until the syrup begins to color. Swirl the pan continually until the syrup is an even, deep amber color. Immediately divide the caramel among the ramekins, swirling so it coats the bottom of each.
• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, process the chocolate until it resembles small pebbles. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the half-and-half, milk, cinnamon stick, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place over moderate heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, coffee liqueur, and the vanilla and almond extracts and whisk to combine. Slowly pour about 1 1/2 cups of the hot milk/half-and-half mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add in the rest of the hot milk and whisk to combine. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl and divide evenly among the 8 ramekins. Discard solids.
• Transfer ramekins to a large roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Loosely cover the pan with foil and bake until the custard has barely set (a knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center should come out clean), 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the water bath, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. DO AHEAD: The flans can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
• Just before serving, run a small thin knife around each flan, then invert onto small plates and serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FLAN

Steps:

• Combine white and brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar completely, but stop stirring once the mixture comes to a boil to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
• Swirl the pan gently to redistribute the caramel as the sugar begins to darken. Cook to about 310 degrees F (160 degrees C), or until the sugar turns light golden brown. Remove from heat immediately, as sugar will continue to darken.
• Pour the caramel in an 8-inch baking dish, coating the bottom and sides of the dish. Let caramel harden, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.
• Cream together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and melted white chocolate in a bowl until smooth.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture over the hardened caramel.
• Place baking dish in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with about 1-inch water.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Refrigerate until completely chilled, 5 to 6 hours. To serve, run a paring knife along the edges of the baking dish to loosen the flan. Cover the baking dish with a plate, and invert it to tip the flan out of the pan and onto the plate.

CHOCOLATE FLAN

Steps:

• Cook ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to melt and turn brown around the edges. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, pull melted sugar at edges toward center of unmelted sugar. Continue cooking, pulling in melted sugar, until all the sugar is melted and caramel is uniformly dark brown (it should smell toasty but not burnt), 10-12 minutes total (if you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir off heat until they melt). Pour caramel into 8"-diameter cake pan to create an even, ⅛"-¼" deep layer. Let cool.
• Bring 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder until no lumps remain, then add cream, milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Purée eggs with sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth and sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain chocolate mixture into egg mixture and blend at low speed to combine, discard solids. Skim foam off the top and transfer to prepared baking dish.
• Line a roasting pan with a thick kitchen towel; this will keep baking dish from sliding and will insulate flan, preventing it from overcooking. Set dishes on towel and place roasting pan in oven. Pour boiling water into pan until it reaches the same level as flan in baking dishes. Bake flan until it looks set like Jell-O (it will wobble when gently shaken), 35-45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cover with plastic and chill until set and cold, at least 3 hours and up to 24.
• Meanwhile, increase oven to 350°. Toss sesame seeds, syrup, and ¼ teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Scrape onto a silpat- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in a even layer. Bake brittle until sesame are golden brown and syrup is bubbly, 15-20 minutes. Let cool until hardened, then break up into small pieces; discard any dark brown, bitter pieces.
• Run a small knife around edges of flan to loosen. Invert onto a platter and top with crushed candy.
• Do Ahead: Flan can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Unmold and serve.