How do they make it? That was the first question that popped in my mind the first time I had a piece of the so-called Pastel Imposible (Impossible Cake) I love flan and I love chocolate in any form. Chocolate flan was just an idea back then, but a flan and a chocolate cake bake together and yet not mixed together was something that really seemed like an impossible thing to do, a very tasty dream.
I did what I always do when I have a culinary blockade. I called my mom. It turned out that the impossible task was not so impossible after all. It actually was a very easy recipe that has become one of my favorites since. Ladies and gentleman, the only, the original, the Impossible Cake!
Impossible cake (flan and chocolate cake)
Printable version
Makes 8-10 servings.
Method: Bake, bain-Marie.
For this recipe you will need
For the flan part:
- 4 eggs
- 1 can sweet condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz. (100gr) cream cheese
- chocolate sauce
For the chocolate cake part:
I cheated here because I used 1 cup of devil’s food cake mix instead of making it from scratch. However, I should’ve used more chocolate cake. This are the amounts I used:
- 1 cup devil’s food cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C)
- Blend together eggs, milks, vanilla and cream cheese until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl prepare devil’s food cake mix by mixing all the ingredients together until you obtain a smooth batter.
- Pour about 2-3 TBSP of chocolate in the bottom of a baking pan. (You can use some non-stick spray in the pan)
- Pour the flan mix over the chocolate sauce.
- Pour the chocolate batter slowly and evenly over the flan mix (it will go straight to the bottom, but it will raise while baking)
- Place the pan into a larger pan with about ½ cup of water in it to bake in bain Marie or double boiler.
- Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour. The chocolate cake will move to the top and you can check readiness with a knife or toothpick.
- Remove from oven and let it cool.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before inverting the cake over a cake dish. The chocolate sauce will flow over the cake.
As you can see this Impossible Cake is not as tough as its names suggests. I like to use chocolate sauce for this particular flan, but you can use caramel as the original recipe calls for. I also like to make it Neapolitan flan (cheese flan) instead of just the egg custard. So this is a tree-recipe cake in one, if you look at it that way, a flan, a chocolate cake and a not so impossible cake.
Buen provecho!
If you find this recipe useful, you could buy me a cup of coffee.
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kellypea
You are quite the creative cook, Ben. This cake sounds and looks really, REALLY delicious. You know, one of those dangerous things that you get up in the night for when no one is looking! And absolutely no calories, of course! YUM.
Ben
Thank you Kelly. I know it is a dangerous thing to have in the fridge, but every once in a while we should indulge ourselves with delicious treats.
núria
Clap, clap, clap, clap!!!!! Beautiful pictures Ben! It looks absolutely DELICIOSO!
Moms are the best!
I wanted to thank you for your help in the Share This matter. I did it!
Ben
Yes they are, It looks that moms always have the right answer!
Cynthia
This is a might fine slice of Impossible Cake! Great pic, Ben.
Ben
Thank you Cynthia. I didn’t think the picture was going to turn out that pretty. I was experimenting with my camera and some new lighting setting, but it worked!
Lynda
That looks yumm… what would I do if I couldn’t find devils food cake mix? Not an easy thing to find in Egypt.
Ben
Hi Lynda, you could use regular chocolate cake or make your own with cocoa powder. I will post a recipe for a chocolate cake in the future.
How’s life in Egypt?
JennDZ_The Leftover Queen
This looks INCREDIBLE Ben! Muy Delicioso!
Ben
It was delicioso! Hehehe. We devoured it in one night :-p
Mansi
Looks great Ben!! could devour it right now:)
Ben
Hi Mansi! It was delicious but you’ll have to wait until the next time I make it, we already devoured it :-p
Emiline
Did you get a new camera? That’s a GREAT picture. I like it when you make sweet stuff.
So this is a chocolate cake with flan on top? Wow- great idea. I’ve never eaten or made flan, before. I’m putting this on my to-do list.
Ben
Hi Emiline,
No, I haven’t gotten a new camera yet. I am still using my obsolete, yet amazing Minolta film camera. I love that camera and all its functions, the downside is that I have to wait a long time to develop the film.
Let me know when you make it. It is a delicious cake!
Christina
That looks incredible! I can just about imagine biting into the silky flan, then through the fudgy chocolate layer.
Lovely pictures, Ben!
Ben
Hi Christina!
It was a really nice cake. I love my mom when she teaches me new recipes like this one. Hehehe. Moms rock!
courtney
I’m glad you left a cooment so I can find you. I’m loving your blog too.I heard of this cake and looks great. I have to try this.Its really amazing.
Ben
Hi Courtney,
Your flan looked delicious and I had to share some new secrets with you for more delicious flans. They are one of my favorite desserts to make.
Welcome to my kitchen!
Kristen
Oh that is just gorgeous and I bet it is delicious! Well done!
Ben
Hi Kristen,
It was delicious, thank you. My mom is such a great baker, I love being in the kitchen because of her.
Ed
OMG! Finalmente tu blog quedô super bien estructurado. Muy buen trabajo. No sabîa que este pastel se invertîa mientras lo horneas. Pensaba que se hacîa en dos partes… Lo que es la ignorancia gastronômica.
Saludos, Ben!
Ben
Hola Ed!
Gracias por tus comentarios! Yo cuando lo probé por primera vez también pensaba que se horneaba separado y que era muy difícil de preparar. Pero resultó todo lo contrario.
Saludos!
Malou
This looks wonderful. I love chocolate and always have a stash lurking in my kitchen. I would love to try the recipe but instead of using the devil’s food cake, I would try using flourless chocolate cake recipe.
Ben
Hello Malou,
I love chocolate too, is there anything better? I don’t know if the flourless chocolate cake would rise to the top. That is something that I’d like to know. Let me know how it turns out.
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Rosa
Amazing! I’ve been meaning to make that Pastel since a while… Terribly tempting and really delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
Sandy
hey I think your recipe looks absolutely wonderful and I cannot wait to try it I am actually going to make it today, thanks for the recipe
Odete
It is quite popular in Brazil, called bolopudim, and also made with different cakes, like coconut, orange a pineapple…
Yours came out beautiful.
ingrid
Wow! That dessert does seem like it would take some doing to make but in reading the directions and ingredients list it really isn’t so impossible!
Thanks for posting the recipe!
~ingrid
megan
this looks so good, impossible or not, i am definitely adding to my recipe list
your photos are fantastic-and making me crave some chocolate!
SRS
Impossible cake…good title. And the images make up for it.
vanessa
what kind of baking pan do i bake this in?? because it says something about putting the one pan in another filled with water?? help i’m lost:(
Minne
I am trying to make the impossible cake, but in the area of the world where I am located, I cannot find “devil’s cake”.
Would anyone please helpe me to find out the ingredients and preparation for this portion of the cake???
Thanks in advance for your attention to my message!
Minne
alexa
is very delicioso!! and fantastic chocolate
Tom
fantastic cake, made by an in-law. Recipe in Spanish and she could not translate. Now it’s my turn and I hope it turns out as good as her’s and yourpicture.
Tom
ps … I will be adding some coffee liquor to the flan.
bakealiciouscakedesigns
I will try to make this impossible cake
Sally
I am able to nearly taste this already, it’s a shame I don’t have the ingredients here is moment, else I would have tried to make one (or two
) away.
aistou
the cake tast ammazing
kayla rojas
mmmm…. que rico gracias i needed those extra calories jaja pero vale la pena
si tienes otro recipes share them please me encanta como salio el flan