Flan Imposible

Name: Flan Imposible
Yield: serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 1 cup cajeta, homemade (page 151) or store-bought; 3/4 cup sugar; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; Pinch of salt; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 egg, at room temperature; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk; 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk; 4 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts, for garnish

December 14, 2011

This dessert, also called chocoflan, gets its name from a magical thing that occurs in the oven. You cover the mold with some cajeta, pour in the chocolate cake batter, pour a layer of flan on top, and cover it lightly. It goes into the oven in a bigger dish with some hot water, and when you check whether it’s done a little while later, you find that the flan is hidden somewhere and all you see is chocolate cake! You wait for it to cool, unmold it, and there is the flan! This is a sticky, rich, sweet dessert that is not for the faint of heart. Although you can make it in individual ramekins, there is something quite exciting about slicing a full-size one. It never ceases to amaze me.

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