Chocoflan

This stunning dessert is as delicious as it looks.

Special equipment: Bundt pan and roasting pan large and deep enough to accommodate the Bundt pan.

INGREDIENTS

Caramel

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) water, room temperature

Chocolate Cake

• 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) milk

Flan

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) heavy cream

• 1 condensed milk can (396 grams)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp (15 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Coat a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with vegetable shortening or butter, then dust it with granulated sugar and shake out any excess. Set aside.

2. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). If you have a convection oven, set it to 325°F (160°C).

Caramel

1. Add the granulated sugar to a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Using a heat-resistant spatula, stir constantly as the sugar melts. Keep stirring until it's completely dissolved and turns a light golden amber with no lumps remaining.

2. Take the pan off the heat and very carefully add the water in a slow stream — the mixture will sputter and steam, so stand back. Once it calms down, return the pan to medium heat and stir until any hardened bits melt back in and you're left with a smooth, pourable caramel.

3. Once the sugar has fully remelted, take the pan off the heat and set the caramel aside to cool while you work on the cake and flan batters.

Chocolate Cake

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat the butter with a mixer for about a minute, then add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy, around 3 minutes.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each one. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Mix in half the dry ingredients until just combined.

5. Add the milk and stir to incorporate.

6. Add the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until the batter is uniform and no flour streaks remain. Don't overmix — that's what keeps the cake tender.

7. Set the batter aside while you prepare the flan.

Flan

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl, straining them through a fine-mesh sieve as you go. This removes the chalazae (the stringy white membrane) and any thick bits, giving you a silky-smooth custard with no speckled bits in the finished flan.

2. Add the condensed milk, flour, vanilla, and heavy cream to the strained eggs. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and liquid.

Assembly

1. Pour the cooled caramel into the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan.

2. Spoon the chocolate cake batter in carefully using a large spoon or cookie scoop, keeping it centered. Try to avoid smearing batter up the sides — chocolate streaks on the pan walls can create uneven layers when the chocoflan is unmolded.

3. Gently pour the flan batter over the cake batter. During baking, the two layers will swap — the denser flan sinks to the bottom while the lighter cake rises to the top as the leavening kicks in. The cake sets first, the custard follows, and the result is that signature "magic" flip that makes chocoflan so impressive.

4. Bake uncovered directly on the oven rack for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake layer comes out clean. The center should appear just barely set.

5. Cool the chocoflan in the pan at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours — overnight is even better — to let the flan set completely.

Unmolding

1. Set the Bundt pan in a larger pan filled with hot water for 2–3 minutes to loosen the caramel. Place a serving plate On top of the pan and flip it over to release.

Keep refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.