Chocolate Flan Cake

Things have been busy here at my house this week with unpacking and organizing everything, so I pretty much missed Cinco de Mayo.  However, I thought that I might make up for it by making a Cinco de Mayo themed dessert (kraftrecipes.com) for Mother's Day, thus killing two birds with one stone.  On Mother's Day at my house, I am expected to do as little work and as much relaxing as possible, so to avoid any disapproval from my "watchers" (husband and hungry puppies), I made this dessert on Saturday.  

This dessert consists of a chocolate cake base, with a flan top.  The whole thing bakes together and is constructed similar to a pudding cake.  The cake batter goes in the pan first, followed by the flan poured on top.  During the baking process, the cake rises to the top and the flan bakes on the bottom. 

I wish that I could share this fabulous dessert with  my mother, but am unable to do so as we are newly separated by four hours.  My mother is the most wonderful mother that exists.  Why?  How do I know this?  Because she is mine, and I love her.  She instilled in me a love of cooking and baking (although it took me quite a few years to realize it), and an appreciation for food (I think this is a double edged sword).  She is always there for me and my hungry puppies, and will do anything for us.  She even recently offered to drive the four hours to my house if I ever needed a babysitter.  She is there to console me when I call her at 1:00 a.m. because only my mom can tell me it will be okay.  I tell my hungry puppies, that even mommies need a mommy sometimes.  I love you Mom!

Chocolate Flan Cake

1/2 cup Mexican caramel sauce (Cajeta)

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

7 large eggs, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 pkg (2 layer size) chocolate cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 12-cup fluted bundt pan.  Pour the caramel sauce into the prepared pan.

Beat the cake mix, water, oil, and 3 eggs with an electric mixer until blended.  Add sour cream and mix well.  Set aside.  In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, cream cheese, remaining 4 eggs, vanilla, and sugar, and blend until smooth.  

Pour the cake batter over the caramel sauce in the bundt pan.  Gently pour the flan mixture over the cake batter.  Cover the pan with a piece of tin foil sprayed with cooking spray.  Place the bundt pan inside a larger pan (a roasting pan works well).  Pour enough water into the larger pan to come halfway up the side of the bundt pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, the refrigerate for 2 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and loosen the dessert from the sides of the pan.  Invert onto a serving plate and remove the pan.  Makes 24 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy