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    Home » Cakes » Chocoflan Recipe

    Chocoflan Recipe

    Published: Apr 26, 2022 · Modified: Apr 26, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chocoflan recipe is part flan caramel custard, part chocolate cake. This twist on the classic dessert combines two favorite desserts into delicious and authentic cake recipe!

    Chocoflan on a white platter with a piece missing.

    When I was in college, I waitressed at a local Mexican restaurant. There was a local lady who made the flan and brought it into the restaurant every week. And every week, the flan sold out.

    The flan she made was unlike the more custard-y flan that I'd had before. It was flan de queso, which is like a combination of cheesecake and custard.

    This chocoflan recipe takes that cheesecake-y flan to a whole new level with the addition of a layer of chocolate cake. The chocolate cake is a sweet, mild chocolate cake that pairs nicely with the creamy flan and the rich cajeta.

    What is chocoflan?

    Chocoflan on a white platter next to a piece of chocoflan on a plate.

    This cake is has two layers - a chocolate cake layer and a layer of cheesecake-like flan. It's sometimes called an impossible cake because the flan layer sinks to the bottom of the cake as it bakes so that when it is inverted, the flan layer is on top of the chocolate cake layer.

    Some versions call for chopped nuts, like pecans, as a garnish over the surface of the cake. Feel free to add that if you prefer.

    Ingredient notes

    Ingredients for chocoflan in dishes.
    • Cajeta: It's important to use a thicker caramel, like cajeta, so that it doesn't melt.
    • Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt by ½ teaspoon.
    • Kosher salt: Sea salt is a good substitute for kosher salt. If you are using table salt, use ¼ teaspoon.
    • Coca cola: I don't recommend using diet cola in this cake.
    • Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute.
    • Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese.
    • Evaporated milk: I recommend using regular evaporated milk.
    • Sweetened condensed milk: I recommend using regular, but reduced-fat sweetened condensed milk will work.

    How to make chocoflan

    To make the chocolate cake

    Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Put the oven rack in the lower middle of the oven. Grease and lightly flour a 10-15 cup bundt pan. I use a nonstick cooking spray with flour in it like Baker's Joy.

    Step 2: Drizzle the bottom and sides of the bundt pan with the cajeta. Set aside.

    Side by side photos of butter creamed and eggs and vanilla on the creamed butter.

    Step 3: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat butter and sugar together until well-combined.

    Step 4: Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.

    Side by side photos of dry ingredients on creamed mixture and coke pouring onto batter.

    Step 5: Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until just incorporated.

    Step 6: Stir in the coke and buttermilk until combined.

    Side by side photos of cajeta in a bundt pan and chocolate cake batter in a bundt pan.

    Step 7: Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan.

    To make the flan

    Side by side photos of eggs and cream cheese in a blender and milk pouring in the blender.

    Step 8: Add the cream cheese and eggs to a blender. Mix until smooth and well-combined.

    Step 9: Blend in the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until combined.

    Flan in a cake pan and aluminum foil over a bundt pan.

    Step 10: Pour the flan mixture over the chocolate cake batter. Some of the flan may swirl into the cake batter, and that's ok.

    Step 11: Cover the bundt pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place the bundt pan into a larger pan, like a roasting pan, and add 1-inch of hot water to make a water bath.

    Step 12: Bake for about 90 minutes, or until a knife or inserted toothpick comes out clean.

    Step 13: Uncover, and let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cake can be served warm or chilled for a few hours and served cold.

    Step 14: Invert onto a serving platter.

    Step 15: Drizzle with additional cajeta just before serving, if desired.

    A slice of chocoflan on a white plate.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is cajeta?

    Cajeta is a goat milk caramel. It is similar to dulce de leche, but cajeta is made with goat milk instead of cow milk.

    If you can find it, the cajeta is worth picking up. It's located near the Abuelita hot chocolate in my local grocery store. If you can't find it, substitute dulce de leche or a good caramel topping.

    What if I can't find Mexican Coca-Cola?

    Use regular (not diet) Coca-Cola in place of the Mexican Coca-Cola.

    A slice of chocoflan with a spoon taking a bite out.

    Storage

    The cake should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days.

    You may also like

    • Alfajores
    • Sopaipillas
    • Instant Pot Dulce de Leche
    • Flan de Queso

    If you’ve tried this chocoflan recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.

    Chocoflan on a white platter with a piece missing.

    Chocoflan Recipe

    Chocoflan recipe is part flan caramel custard, part chocolate cake. This twist on the classic dessert combines two favorite desserts in one!
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 506kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • Bundt Pan

    Ingredients

    Chocolate Cake

    • ½ cup cajeta or caramel sauce plus extra for drizzling at the end
    • 1 cup butter at room temperature
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 cup Mexican Coca-Cola*
    • ½ cup buttermilk

    Flan

    • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 4 large eggs
    • 12 ounce can evaporated milk
    • 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-15 cup bundt pan. I use a nonstick spray with flour in it like Baker's Joy. 
    • Drizzle the bottom and sides of the bundt pan with the cajeta. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until well-combined.
    • Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
    • Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until just incorporated.
    • Stir in the coke and buttermilk until combined.
    • Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
    • To make the flan, add the cream cheese and eggs to a blender. Mix until smooth and well-combined.
    • Blend in the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until combined.
    • Pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Some of the flan may swirl into the cake batter, and that's ok.
    • Cover the bundt pan tightly with aluminum foil.
    • Place the bundt pan into a larger pan, and add 1 inch of hot (not boiling) water to make a water bath. 
    • Bake for about 90 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
    • Uncover, and let cake cool in the pan for 1 hour.
    • Cake can be served warm or chilled for a few hours and served cold.
    • Drizzle with additional cajeta just before serving, if desired. 

    Video

    Notes

    • Cajeta: It's important to use a thicker caramel, like cajeta, so that it doesn't melt.
    • Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt by ½ teaspoon.
    • Kosher salt: Sea salt is a good substitute for kosher salt. If you are using table salt, use ¼ teaspoon.
    • Coca cola: If you can't find Mexican Coca-Cola, substitute regular Coca-Cola. I don't recommend using diet cola in this cake.
    • Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute.
    • Nutrition values are estimates.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 507mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook. Originally published 5/1/2017.

    « Instant Pot Dulce de Leche
    Chocolate Raspberry Cake »
    15.8K shares
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sharon Isaac

      April 08, 2022 at 1:04 am

      I love the cake! Do I need to store it in the refrigerator or is room temperature OK? How long will the cake be good?
      Also, can you freeze part of the cake for later use?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 08, 2022 at 1:10 am

        Thank you! I store the cake in the fridge. I've found that it keeps for 3-4 days. I haven't tried to freeze it to say for certain how it would work out. If you try freezing it, I'd love to hear how it works out!

        Reply
    2. Stephani

      May 27, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      So on the recipe list it says baking soda but on the video it says baking powder. So which one would be the correct one?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 04, 2020 at 10:17 am

        Thanks for letting me know about that! The recipe is correct, and the bp in the video is a mistake.

        Reply
    3. Jen

      June 02, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      can I make it a day ahead?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 03, 2019 at 12:38 pm

        That should be fine. I would just wait to drizzle the cajeta until you're ready to serve it.

        Reply
        • Jen

          June 04, 2019 at 2:38 pm

          Thanks - it's in the oven now!

          Reply
      • Jenny

        April 24, 2022 at 1:16 pm

        If I make it a day ahead and store it in the fridge, should it be served chilled or room temperature? How long should I leave it out of the fridge before serving?

        Reply
        • Kate

          April 25, 2022 at 10:42 am

          Hi! I serve it chilled. You can serve it straight out the fridge, or you can set it out for 5-10 minutes before serving.

          Reply
    4. Gail

      February 16, 2019 at 7:28 am

      I’m so confused! I see you put the cake in first but when you take it out the cake is on the bottom??

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 16, 2019 at 9:17 am

        This cake is sometimes called a magic cake for that reason. As it bakes, the flan layer sinks (and will be on top when you invert it). Hope that helps! =)

        Reply
        • Blanca

          June 16, 2019 at 1:37 am

          Hello it looks delicious. it would be a problem if i let it chill more than an hour in the pan? For example al night?

          Reply
          • Kate

            June 17, 2019 at 6:33 am

            Hi! Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether it would work to let it chill overnight in the pan. I do know that it holds well chilled in the fridge out of the pan.

        • Chantal Martinez

          March 31, 2020 at 12:27 am

          What size is the bundt pan? How many cups to hold?

          Reply
          • Kate

            March 31, 2020 at 9:45 am

            I use a 12-cup bundt pan.

    5. Eva Villa

      February 05, 2019 at 11:09 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was amazing!! I absolutely loved it, I’m Mexican myself & it’s some of the best I’ve ever had. I had some Cajeta my grandmother brought me from Mexico & omg it was amazing! I will definitely be making this again!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 06, 2019 at 12:48 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it! I think the cajeta really makes it. =) Thank you for taking the time to comment!

        Reply
    6. Diana

      January 13, 2019 at 6:47 pm

      So I substitute butter milk for a cup or milk and a teaspoon of vinegar like google said to do and the cake won’t harden.

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 13, 2019 at 6:54 pm

        Did you use 1 cup of buttermilk in the recipe?

        Reply
    7. Tatiana

      November 06, 2018 at 11:53 pm

      Can you make more than one at a time?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 07, 2018 at 9:43 am

        I'm not sure! I don't have enough room in my oven to bake more than one at a time, so I've never tried it out.

        Reply
      • Jazmin

        June 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

        Yes, you can bake two at a time. I always do. I like to take advantage of the oven already being in use.

        Reply
        • Kate

          June 29, 2019 at 11:39 pm

          Thank you!

          Reply
    8. Mrs. Greenwood

      August 14, 2018 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous recipe!! Thank you for sharing. My family and friends loved it!

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 15, 2018 at 8:55 am

        Thank you so much! I'm glad it was a hit. =) Thank you for taking the time to come back to comment!

        Reply
    9. Jackie

      June 28, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      Is unsalted butter ok?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 29, 2018 at 12:20 am

        Absolutely! You can just sub unsalted butter and add a pinch or two more salt.

        Reply
    10. John

      June 25, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      4 stars
      Hello, I have made chocoflan a few times but I notice that the chocolate cake is ready before the flan is set. So I end up taking it out of the oven and continue cooking it (au bain marie) on top of the stove until the flan is set. Why is this? Whatever; everyone loves it. By the way: I make them in ramekins, maybe that has an effect on the results?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 26, 2018 at 11:39 am

        That might be the cause! I haven't tried to make it in ramekins, though I'm definitely intrigued by the idea! Have you tried to make it in a bundt pan?

        Reply
    11. Sab

      June 25, 2018 at 4:57 am

      Is there an alternative to the coca cola?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 25, 2018 at 10:52 am

        Hi! Can you give me a little more info about what the issue with coca cola is? Then I may be able to suggest an alternative. Thanks!

        Reply
      • mary

        November 09, 2018 at 8:03 pm

        yes, buttermilk

        Reply
    12. Eunice

      June 02, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      I blended the glam in my mixer but when I poured into the chocolate cake it still had tiny chunks. Is it going to affect the cake

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 02, 2018 at 5:48 pm

        I'm not sure! If it just had a few small pieces, it may be ok. For the flan, though, it's best to have it as smooth and well-combined as possible.

        Reply
    13. Sarah

      April 25, 2018 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe! I made this for an early cinco de mayo party and it was the first thing gone.

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 25, 2018 at 10:50 am

        Thank you! Glad everyone enjoyed it! =)

        Reply
    14. Rob

      April 02, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Big hit with the family

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 02, 2018 at 4:27 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad you and your family liked it!

        Reply

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