Chocolate Pecan Flan

 

Chocolate Pecan Flan

Flan is a wonderful, traditional Mexican dessert. It's a rich, creamy, cooked egg custard, often flavored with vanilla and baked in a water bath to retain its delicacy. Adding chocolate and topping it with pecans makes it an extremely indulgent dessert, but...Who cares? Go ahead, spoil yourself!
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Allergens: Egg, Milk, Tree Nuts
  • Servings: 12 -15

Ingredients

  • Softened butter (to coat pan)
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce
  • 10 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup pecans (chopped)

Instructions

  1. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

  2. Coat 12-cup Bundt pan with butter, then coat bottom with 1/4 cup caramel sauce and put in large roasting pan. Roasting pan will serve as water bath during baking.

  3. Add butter and sugar to bowl and, using electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in 1 egg.

  4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa in medium bowl.

  5. Beat 1/3 flour mixture and 1/2 buttermilk into egg mixture.

  6. Repeat, ending with flour mixture, and blend until well incorporated.
  7. In blender, combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, 3 eggs, and vanilla extract.

  8. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
  9. Scoop batter into prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly.

  10. Slowly pour flan mixture over cake batter. Batters may appear to mix when pouring into pan, but they completely separate while baking, with flan ending up on bottom when inverted.

  11. Cover with foil and add 1 inch hot water to roasting pan.

  12. Carefully slide pan into oven and bake until surface of cake is firm to touch or inserted toothpick comes out clean (about 1 hour).

  13. When cake is done, remove from water bath and cool completely to room temperature (about 1 hour). Chill for 24 hours before serving.

  14. Invert large, rimmed serving platter over Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, and flip over.
  15. Remove pan and scrape remaining caramel sauce from pan onto cake.

  16. Garnish with chopped pecans and serve.

Bon appétit!