Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C (conventional). Grease a Bundt or ring tin of about 3 litres (without a removable base) generously and pour half of the caramel evenly over the bottom.
- Mix the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Melt the chocolate and butter (in the microwave in 30-second bursts), then stir in the buttermilk, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture, stir until smooth and spread it evenly over the caramel in the tin.
- Blend all the flan ingredients in a blender on a low speed until smooth (there is a lot, so do not blend too fast) and pour carefully over the batter. The two layers mix at first but separate on their own during baking.
- Cover the tin tightly with foil, set it in a deep roasting tin and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for about 90 to 100 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean from both cake and flan.
- Lift the tin out of the water bath, leave to cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a platter. Let it cool completely, chill for at least 4 hours and drizzle with the remaining caramel before serving.
Drink with it
Aged tequila · excellent match
Tequila añejo or reposado, neat in a tulip glass
Vanilla, caramel and cinnamon from the barrel mirror the caramel and chocolate, and the cooked agave brings a sweetness that suits the flan.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changesFortified wine · excellent match
Tawny port, 10 years old, lightly chilled
Nutty, caramelly ageing notes and enough sweetness to stand up to the caramel and condensed milk; the acidity keeps the flan feeling light.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and VintageAged rum · good match
Añejo rum, neat or with one ice cube
Molasses, caramel and vanilla notes extend the caramel of the dessert.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottlingSherry-cask whisky · good match
Single malt from a sherry cask, neat or with a few drops of water
Raisins, dried fruit and spice from the sherry cask meet the cocoa and cinnamon in the cake base.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?Cognac and brandy · good match
VSOP cognac, neat
Dried fruit and oak go well with the chocolate layer, though against the sweetness of the flan it seems a little slim.
Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for Brandy
Why it pairs well
Aged tequila stands beside tawny port as a dessert wine: it shares the dish's barrel notes of caramel, vanilla and cinnamon.