Apr 27 2010
Mini Chocoflan
Chocoflan is a classic Mexican dessert that combines a rich decadent layer of chocolate cake, a creamy layer of flan, and topped with caramel sauce. It is traditionally made in a Bundt pan, but we wanted to make individual Chocoflans so we bought a mini Bundt pan that makes 12 separate cakes. Because of the delicate flan, this cake is cooked in a hot water bath in the oven. This was our first time attempting to make this dessert, and we think it turned out pretty good – especially the different textures and flavors, as well as the wonderful presentation of these Mini Chocoflans. We brought a batch to our friends’ Engagement Party and surprisingly, they were gone almost immediately! For those who were lucky enough to try these, you can now see what we went through to satisfy your sweet tooth! Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid from Food Network.
For the chocolate cake batter, we mixed 10 tbsp of butter (Yes, 10!) and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Then in goes 1 egg. Finally, the dry ingredients gets incorporated, which consists of 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. In between adding the dry ingredients, 1 1/4 cups buttermilk gets blended in the mixture. This completes the chocolate cake batter.
For the flan, combine 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature, 3 eggs, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract. We actually used vanilla bean instead of the extract! You'll see why later.
We sprayed the mini Bundt pan with butter, then added the cake batter half-way full.
Then we poured the flan mixture over the cake batter.
We placed the mini Bundt pan over a roasting pan filled with water and baked this for 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch.
The cake has to cool completely at room temperature (about 1 hour) before it can be inverted. Just jiggle the pan a bit and it should pop out easily.
The small pocket on top of each cake is meant for the caramel sauce, which you can buy or make from scratch at home. As you can see, the cake and flan is completely separated in its own layers even though they appear to mix when you pour them into the pan to cook. The pretty specs of vanilla bean in the flan is a nice touch! We're just glad that we were able to get rid--oops, I mean share--all 30 Mini Chocoflans that we made from this batch!
To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Marcela Valladolid’s Chocoflan
The Chocoflan looks so beautiful and delicious!!! Fabulous!!!
This was soo good!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
That’s so cute and colourful and looks very delicious…..mmmm
.-= MaryMoh´s last blog ..Beautiful Mt Kinabalu – Malaysia =-.
love love love chocoflan, usually make rick bayless version, but these mini ones are super cute..my girls would flip..did I say I love chocoflan..haha
sweetlife
.-= sweetlife´s last blog ..Pretty Pancakes =-.
I made some mini steamed cakes recently with similar shape like this too
…..your mini chocoflan are so irresistible.
.-= tigerfish´s last blog ..CSN Stores $60 Gift Certificate Giveaway – you buy what you want from CSN Stores =-.
this is the finest flan i’ve ever seen. frankly, i usually find it to be unattractive and not so tasty, but yours is gorgeous and the fact that chocolate is involved thrills me!
.-= grace´s last blog ..ruefully ridiculous standards* =-.
That looks absolutely beautiful!
.-= Emily @Cleanliness´s last blog ..Steamed Broccoli =-.
Damn, I wish I knew your engaged friends. Knew them well enough to be invited to the party, anyway
.-= Conor @ HoldtheBeef´s last blog ..Master Farter turns 1 (and so does something else) =-.
I’m so jealous that I was late to that party and missed your dessert! Dammit. Looks like I definitely missed out!
These look heavenly! Love that you made mini’s – so cute! Love that mini bundt pan.
.-= Reeni´s last blog ..Rosemary Potato Onion Bread =-.
I love the mini versions of this flan. What a great job you did on these!
They look so cute! Must taste great too!
.-= Cinda´s last blog ..Fish Croquettes =-.
What cute little flans and fun to serve for a party!
.-= Patty Price´s last blog ..Banana Yeast Bread =-.
Goodness, that looks amazing!!
That looks really good. It reminds me of a cake my mom makes with a chiffon cake on the bottom and a flan on top.
thanks so much for bringing it to the party…these were the perfect little addition after dinner!! just sad i only had ONE!! ha!
Wow, marvelous presentation!
.-= Alisa´s last blog ..BSI Sunflower Seeds – Don’t Miss Recipes and a Winner! =-.
These are absolutely the sweetest little delectable treats I have seen in ages. I really must make them because I truly want to taste them. First of all, anything chocolate is for me, but the little orange disc at the top is begging your guests to bite into this treat.
Thank you for the great idea, recipe and clear instructions.
Valerie
.-= A Canadian Foodie´s last blog ..The Bertinet Kitchen Cooking School in Bath =-.
this looks awesome! your baking prowess is relly shining through!
.-= ravenouscouple´s last blog ..California Avocados and Too Hot Tamales =-.
Oh, wow, those little flans look amazing!
.-= 5 Star Foodie´s last blog ..Basque-Style Grilled Cheese with Etorki, Piquillo Peppers, and Chorizo =-.
really love the end results … the colours are stunning!
.-= noobcook´s last blog ..Stir-fried Egg Noodles =-.
Hi
I like your website very much, I also have a special Chinese food website, and could we exchange website link each other?
my website is http://www.chinesefoodfans.com/
Thanks!
Wow, the mini chocoflans look delicious!! Great Recipe!
.-= Sara´s last blog ..~Low-Fat Green Mango & Saffron Smoothie~ =-.
Oh and Congrats on the Top 9!!!
.-= Sara´s last blog ..~Low-Fat Green Mango & Saffron Smoothie~ =-.
Why have I never heard of these before! Oh my gosh, they look amazing!
My goodness! And all these while I’ve been thinking hard on how to bake 2 different texture layers and this is one that I can try on! Thank you so much for the recipe
. I’m seriously going to try it after my bike challenge. Love miniature desserts 
But on the other hand, did the layers separate by themselves? That is so amazing as you poured the chocolate in first and then the flan…do let me know
.-= Gjin´s last blog ..Chocolate Truffles… =-.
This looks spectacular!
Great recipe. Those little chocoflan look so yummy.
.-= chandani´s last blog ..Chocolate Waffel =-.
I almost squealed. I had this recently at a favorite restaurant and am so thrilled I can now make it at home!
.-= Beverly´s last blog ..I’m from Texas. I eat chili. =-.
Wow, this little cakes with flan look so yummie, love it…what a great idea…Love the pictures as well
I love the idea of the mini versions, and I am thinking a puddle of dulce de leche in the middle might just send them over the top. Great post!
Thanks,
Dan
mmm, chocoflan. What a delicacy!
Nisrine
.-= Dinners and Dreams´s last blog ..Culinary Dictionary: Letter M =-.
This is so cool! I’m amazed by how the flan seperates into layers so perfectly. Buenissimo!
Congrats on the Top 9! Love the mini chocoflan! They are so adorable and look so scrumptious! – Judy
Thanks guys! It’s always nice to be Top 9 on Foodbuzz
Thanks for your support!
That looks absolutely delicious!!
.-= Kung Food Panda´s last blog ..Yakitori Totto – A Step Above The Rest! (New York City) =-.
Oh, those are indeed mini mini pans. Very cute and what a great idea to indulge and yet control your consumption of something so yummy.
.-= The Chocolate Priestess´s last blog ..Fresh Chocolate from Madison =-.
I baked them yesterday.
It’s was so delicius.
If you want, you could see them with this link : http://loulaoups.over-blog.com/article-mini-choco-flan-49611213.html
Thank you so much for this good recipe.
Have a good day!
Loul@
Hi Loul! Great job on the mini chocoflans! I wish I could read French so I can understand your post, but the pictures will do! I can tell that you made the desserts look like roses. That’s so cool. We are glad you were inspired to make them!!
Krissy, you did a great job on these! They look so adorable…I wonder where to start first! thanks for this wonderful recipe. Have a nice weekend, dear!
Cheers, Kristy
[...] for a party. So then I noticed the mini version on Krissy and Daniel’s fun site, The Food Addicts, and then I thought, the time is nearing when I will now make a smallish version of the [...]
thanks for the recipe this was just what i was looking for. I already had a recipe and honestly only wanted the approx time to bake.but this is so much better ill let u know how it turned out.
Wow, the mini chocoflans look delicious!! Thanks so much for sharing
These look amazing! I wanna try this!
.-= Trinidad Pena´s last blog ..TBS Gives it up! A 25 dollar restaurantcom gift card that is! =-.
Wow, that looks amazing! It’s an array of colors, and that white crust from the flan is just beautiful. Quick question, though: What cocoa do you prefer using for the best results?
.-= Edmund Mokhtarian´s last blog ..Cannoli at Mike’s Pastry =-.
Edmund,
We use Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder, unsweetened. You can view their website here http://www.scharffenberger.com
Daniel@ The Food Addicts
I love flan cakes! I make them all the time. Another secret, if you don’t want to make the caramel, buy what’s called “Cajeta Quemada”, a goat-milk based caramel sauce, and squeeze it on the bottom of the bundt pan before the cake and flan mixes. Caramel sauce just pours all over!
Very cute, I have made flan cakes with vanilla cake before, but usually you add the flan first and then the cake mix, and the cake mix will float on top until it cooks and form a cake layer on bottom without that uneven third layerof flan in the pictures you have. But they are very cute will try chocolate for once.
Are you sure you didn’t put the flan in first and the chocolate cake in and then top with the flan. I can’t get my head around how the flan goes straight to the bottom without being on the sides as well and then on the bottom. getting old I guess. does this work or do you need to put the fan in first?
I am planning on making this awesome mini flan for a Christmas party next week and I am just wondering what is the temp I cook this at?
how do I get the flan on the top if I don’t put flan before the cake batter?
Is there some sort of magic involved in getting the flan on top? Does the cake rise up on top somehow? This is very confusing.