Chocoflan

There's not a whole lot that I know about Mexico.  Well, except for the fact that I LOVE to vacation there.  And that I LOVE Latin music.  And that Latin dancing is my FAVORITE.  Oh, and there's the food.

Oh, the food.

I really can't get enough of Mexican food.  I love, love, LOVE it!!

But there are so many Mexican specialties that I have yet to try.

When we had our baby, my brother's roommate's fiance, Paulina (did you follow that?), made us the most incredible cake.  I had no idea what it was, but it looked amazing!

When my brother came over to visit, I showed it to him.  His eyes lit up and he told me it was called "Chocoflan."  He proceeded to tell me what an incredible cake it was and that it's very popular in Mexico, where he had been living for almost two years.

When we tried it, I just about died!  It was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!!!!  It has caramel studded flan on top and a moist chocolate cake on the bottom.

Amazing.  Absolutely amazing.

As the kids were eating their slices, I asked them how they liked it.  My two-year-old stood up on his barstool and yelled at the top of his lungs, "I LOVE IT!!!"

It was a big hit at our house, to say the least.

I asked Paulina if she could teach me how to make it.  She so kindly came over and walked me through it, and I was so surprised at how EASY it was to make!

So, now I will walk you through it.  And I'm sure you'll be just as shocked at how simple it is to make such an amazing, authentic Mexican dessert.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 C. cajeta or dulce de leche

1 C. sugar

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 chocolate cake mix (made as directed on the box)

1/2 C. sour cream

Spray a bundt pan very well with non-stick spray.  In the bottom of the bundt pan, pour your cajeta or dulce de leche in a random, sporadic way.  Like this...

There is no cajeta in our small town, so Paulina recommended this kind of dulce de leche.

When I looked closely at the bottle, it shows that you can use this on pancakes.  We are so going to try that!

In a bowl, beat the sugar, evaporated milk, cream cheese, 4 eggs, and vanilla.  I've also read that you can do this step in a blender if you would rather have a more smooth texture to the flan.

Set aside.

In another bowl, make the chocolate cake mix according to the package instructions, adding 1/2 cup of sour cream.

Get ready to fill your bundt pan.

Pour your chocolate cake batter into your bundt pan, on top of the cajeta or dulce de leche.

Using a ladle, gently ladle the flan mixture on top of the chocolate cake mixture.

Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and cover your bundt pan with the foil, sprayed side down.

Place the bundt pan in a larger roasting pan.  Fill the pan with water until it comes almost 1/2 way up the sides of the bundt pan.

This is called a water bath.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Chocoflan is also called "The Impossible Cake" because it does the impossible while baking.  The flan and the chocolate cake switch places.  It's so cool!

Cool in the pan on a cooling rack until it's cool enough to put in the fridge.  Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least two hours, but preferably overnight.

After it has fully chilled, invert onto a plate or serving platter.

And this is what it looks like...

So, so, so, SO incredible!!!

Thank you, Paulina, for teaching me!