Do You Believe in Magic?

Do you believe in magic?  

When there's no rock 'n' roll?  

When there's no music?  

Do you believe like I believe?  

Well, I was a believer Saturday night! I had the most delicious piece of Magic Chocolate Flan Cake. Oh my goodness, there was no music but it did make me smile and there was music in me...in fact, there was music around the table as everybody took a bite of dessert!

The magic is in the science.  Whomever says there isn't science hasn't baked!  The cake has three layers poured into a bundt pan in this order:  caramel sauce, cake batter, flan mixture.  During baking, the cake raises to the top or the flan sinks to the bottom...either way, they switch places.   It was a perfect combination and I thought it was beautiful!  Another plus for this cake is that it needs to be made a day in advance as it must be refrigerated for 8 hours. allowing the flan to set.

Magic Chocolate Flan Cake

adapted from Cook's Country

Serves:  16
Position oven rack to the middle
Preheat oven:  350°

Plan ahead:  
The cake must be baked in a water bath so you will need to check the size of your bundt and your roasting pan.  It must also chill for 8 hours after baking.  

Cake
1/2 cup caramel sauce
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
4-ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Flan
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 tap vanilla extract

Cake:  Thoroughly grease a 12-cup bundt pan.  Microwave caramel until easily pourable, about 30 seconds.  Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of the bundt pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl, heat until melted, 2 minutes at 50% power. Whisk buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into chocolate until incorporated. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter over caramel.

Flan:  Add sweetened condensed milk. milk, cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla to a blender, Blend until very smooth, about one minute.  Slowly pour flan mixture over cake batter.

Place a large roasting pan on the oven rack.  Place the bundt pan in the roasting pan.  Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the bundt pan.  Bake for 75 to 90 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean. (Test at 75 minutes.) The flan should register 180°.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  Refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours to allow the flan to set.

To unmold, place the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for 1 minute. Place a completely flat cake plate over the bundt pan and flip over. Slowly remove bundt pan allowing the caramel to drizzle over the top of the cake.  Serve with additional caramel sauce drizzled over the top of each piece.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This was a fun and tasty dessert.  We ate outside on this evening and all I had available was the cell phone.  The pictures aren't the best but you get the idea....

As for the magic science...it has to do with density and displacement or maybe it is gas and physics and chemistry.  Yep, let's be general...it has to do with physics and chemistry.

I also have to fess up....it was my night for appetizers so the cake was prepared by our Master Chef, Bruce!  Thank you, Bruce for a great dessert.

I am sharing today at Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Kitchen!