The Chocoflan, also known as the Impossible Cake or “Pastel Imposible” in Spanish, is an easy and budget-friendly dessert that will blow you away! Two layers , a liquid flan mixture and a thick chocolate batter are poured together and baked, yet they magically switch places without mixing.
During baking, the magic happens to create two distinct layers, like a magic cake, a soft chocolate cake with a caramel flan on top.
Chocoflan – impossible cake
The chocoflan has everything to please! It’s a delight that consists of an incredibly soft chocolate cake topped with a generous flan covered in caramel. Each bite is a real delight moment for all chocolate and flan lovers. f you enjoyed the coconut flan recipe but find the coconut off-putting, this cake is made for you.
It’s also a very easy pastry recipe, that everyone can try. Even if you’ve never baked before, you’ll make this recipe with your eyes closed. The only thing that might seem complicated is the caramel, but you can easily use ready-made caramel.
Why is it called an impossible-cake?
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This chocolate and flan cake is called the “impossible cake” because of the amazing phenomenon that occurs during its baking. There are two ways to prepare this chocoflan, and both produce a surprising effect.
If you are asked, after showing the two preparations poured one over the other, the thick chocolate cake batter poured over the liquid flan mixture, which one will end up at the bottom of the pan, you will answer that it is the chocolate batter because it is heavier.
But during baking, physics comes into play and causes a change in the density of the mixtures. The flan becomes denser (heavier), while the cake becomes lighter as it bakes. Thus, if you pour the batter into the pan first, and then the flan on top, during baking, the preparations will reverse. The lighter preparation rises to the top, in this case, it’s the chocolate cake.
The second method is also surprising: the flan mixture is poured first, followed by the chocolate batter on top. You might think that the heavier chocolate batter would settle at the bottom of the mold, but in reality, this isn’t the case at all. During baking, the chocolate cake becomes lighter and rises on top.
The result is a chocoflan, with a moist chocolate cake as the base and a light vanilla flan topped with caramel.
Origin of chocoflan
From what I’ve read here and there, this cake is of Mexican origin, and it is quite popular there. Now he’s famous all over the world, and not for nothing. We appreciate its easy preparation, the combination of chocolate and flan in one, its beautiful appearance, and most of all, the magic that happens during baking.
Impossible-cake with or without condensed milk
You can make the flan mixture using milk only (which is what I do), or replace part of it with sweetened condensed milk (400g /14 oz) and remove the sugar. I used 1 liter of whole milk for this recipe.
If you want to use sweetened condensed milk, complete the rest with whole milk, which means 600 ml / 21 oz. Personally, I opt to use only milk, which we usually have at home all the time.
Delicious slice of chocoflan
3 easy preparation steps
- Dry caramel is prepared and immediately poured into the cake pan.
- Prepare the flan mixture and pour into the cake pan over the caramel.
- Next, prepare the chocolate cake batter and pour it into the center of the cake pan over the flan mixture. The batter will float and not sink to the bottom of the pan.
You can reverse the order, pouring the chocolate batter over the caramel first, then the flan mixture. While the baking, the mixtures will flip. In both cases, the cake batter will end up at the top of the pan.
Recipe on video
How do you make chocoflan ?
NB: You’ll find all the ingredients in the recipe-card below, which you can also print out.
For a 24 cm x 6 cm round cake pan (9.5 inches x 2.5 inches, 2 liter capacity).
grease the sides of the pan to prevent the chocolate cake from sticking.
Prepare the dry caramel :
Pour the sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Leave the sugar to melt without stirring it.
Stir the saucepan from time to time, lifting it from the heat. The sugar will start to caramelize.
When the sugar has almost completely melted, stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to melt any stubborn pieces of sugar. Remove it from the heat when it has reached a nice amber color.
You can deglaze it with a tablespoon of hot water, but it’s not necessary. Pour the water in and immediately cover the pot with a lid to avoid splattering.
Immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of the mold, moving it around to evenly spread the caramel Set it aside.
Flan custard mixture :
Flan custard mixture :Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F), conventional oven.
In a mixing bowl, lightly whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla. Don’t try to whiten the mixture. If you’re using vanilla beans, cut them in half, scrape out the seeds and infuse in hot milk for 15 minutes or more before starting.
Add the cold or hot milk to the mixture, stirring as you go.
Strain and set aside.
Moist chocolate cake :
Cream the butter with the sugar and add the eggs one at a time, whisking continuously.
Add the milk while continuing to mix, then sift the cocoa, flour, and baking powder on top. You can sift them together beforehand.
Whisk well to smooth the batter.
Place the pan in a large dish with high edges (for the water bath).
Pour the flan mixture over the caramel, then pour the cake batter over it in the center.
You can reverse the process, pouring the chocolate batter over the caramel first, then pouring the flan mixture over it. The result will be the same.
Place the dish on the rack in the middle of the oven and fill with hot water to a height of 2 cm / 0.8 inch.
In the video, I filled the dish with hot water before putting it in the oven. It was somehow risky to move it. I proceeded this way to shoot the video.
Bake for about 1 hour. Check the doneness by inserting a skewer into the center of the chocoflan It must come out dry. The cake on top is firm and doesn’t move.
Remove the cake pan from the oven and run a tiny knife blade or skewer around the edge to unstick the cake a little bit. This will prevent cracks. 
Let it cool for 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate Let it cool for at least 4 hours before unmolding. I prefer to prepare it the day before so that it can be unmolded easily the next day. It will be well chilled and firm.
Turn out onto a plate, preferably let it to come to room temperature before serving. The chocolate cake will be softer and more melting in the mouth.
I removed the caramel that dripped onto the plate just by tilting it and holding the flan with my hand. If you like a pretty visual impression, like an entremet on the plate, do it just before serving.
Indeed, to preserve the softness of the chocolate cake, it’s best to leave it in the caramel.
As you can see, there’s nothing “impossible “about this cake. I guarantee you it’s super delicious.
Other dessert recipes
Chocoflan, Impossible Cake Recipe.
Ingredients :
For a 24 cm x 6 cm round cake pan (9.5 x 2.4 inches, 2 liter capacity)
For the caramel:
- 120 g sugar (4.2 oz)
For the flan:
- 1 liter whole milk (34 oz) or 400 g sweetened condensed milk (14 oz) and 600 ml milk (20 oz)
- 6 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 120 g sugar (4.2 oz)
- 1 packet vanilla sugar or the seeds from one vanilla bean
For the moist chocolate cake:
- 2 eggs
- 100 g sugar (3.5 oz)
- 100 g soft butter (3.5 oz)
- 100 ml milk (3.5 oz)
- 1 packet of baking powder (7 g / 0.25 oz)
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder (0.9 oz)
- 125 g all-purpose flour (4.4 oz)
Instructions :
- Grease the sides of the pan to prevent the chocolate cake from sticking.
Prepare the dry caramel :
- Pour the sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Leave the sugar to melt without stirring it.
- Stir the saucepan from time to time, lifting it from the heat. The sugar will start to caramelize.
- When the sugar has almost completely melted, stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to melt any stubborn pieces of sugar. Remove it from the heat when it has reached a nice amber color.
- You can deglaze it with a tablespoon of hot water, but it's not necessary. Pour the water in and immediately cover the pot with a lid to avoid splattering.
- Immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of the mold, moving it around to evenly spread the caramel Set it aside.
Flan custard mixture :
- Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F), conventional oven.
- In a mixing bowl, lightly whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla. Don't try to whiten the mixture. If you're using vanilla beans, cut them in half, scrape out the seeds and infuse in hot milk for 15 minutes or more before starting.
- Add the cold or hot milk to the mixture, stirring as you go.
- Strain and set aside.
Moist chocolate cake :
- Cream the butter with the sugar and add the eggs one at a time, whisking continuously.
- Add the milk while continuing to mix, then sift the cocoa, flour, and baking powder on top. You can sift them together beforehand.
- Whisk well to smooth the batter.
- Place the pan in a large dish with high edges (for the water bath).
- Pour the flan mixture over the caramel, then pour the cake batter over it in the center.
- You can reverse the process, pouring the chocolate batter over the caramel first, then pouring the flan mixture over it. The result will be the same.
- Place the dish on the rack in the middle of the oven and fill with hot water to a height of 2 cm / 0.8 inch.
- In the video, I filled the dish with hot water before putting it in the oven. It was somehow risky to move it. I proceeded this way to shoot the video.
- Bake for about 1 hour. Check the doneness by inserting a skewer into the center of the chocoflan It must come out dry. The cake on top is firm and doesn't move.
- Remove the cake pan from the oven and run a tiny knife blade or skewer around the edge to unstick the cake a little bit. This will prevent cracks.
- Let it cool for 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate Let it cool for at least 4 hours before unmolding. I prefer to prepare it the day before so that it can be unmolded easily the next day. It will be well chilled and firm.
- Turn out onto a plate, preferably let it to come to room temperature before serving. The chocolate cake will be softer and more melting in the mouth.
- I removed the caramel that dripped onto the plate just by tilting it and holding the flan with my hand. If you like a pretty visual impression, like an entremet on the plate, do it just before serving.
- Indeed, to preserve the softness of the chocolate cake, it's best to leave it in the caramel.
- As you can see, there's nothing "impossible "about this cake. I guarantee you it's super delicious.
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