Nadiya Hussain’s Chocolate Caramel Flan
Nadiya Hussain's sophisticated coffee, chocolate and caramel flan is beautifully flavoured and accomplished dessert. As featured on her BBC2 series, Nadiya Bakes.
From the book
Nadiya Bakes
A collection of all new baking recipes accompanied by gorgeous photography
Packed with cakes, pies, and puddings to warm the heart and lift the spirits
Including mouthwatering savoury bakes as well as irresistible sweets
Introduction
This clever dessert starts with caramel in the base of the tin, then a simple chocolate sponge batter and finally a crème caramel mixture, and as it sits and bakes in a water bath, the crème caramel seeps down to meet the caramel and creates a beautiful soft layer, which becomes the top once the cake is turned out. Just magical!
Ingredients
| For the base: | |
| 125g | salted caramel |
| For the cake: | |
| 150g | unsalted butter, softened, plus extra melted butter for greasing the tin |
| 190g | soft brown sugar |
| 1 | medium egg |
| 1 tbsp | vanilla bean extract |
| 200g | plain flour, sifted, plus extra for flouring the tin |
| 30g | cocoa powder |
| 1 tsp | bicarbonate of soda |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 3 tbsp | coffee granules |
| 230ml | whole milk |
| For the crème caramel: | |
| 600ml | evaporated milk |
| 1 x 397g | tin of condensed milk |
| 4 | medium eggs |
| 1 tsp | vanilla bean paste |
| a pinch of salt |
Essential kit
You will need: a 23cm bundt tin, a microwave and a food processor.
Method
Prep time: 40 minutes. Cook time: 1 hour, plus cooling.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and lightly flour the inside of a 23cm bundt tin. Find a roasting tin big enough to hold the bundt tin comfortably and deep enough for water to come two-thirds of the way up the side of the bundt tin. Pop a tea towel into the base of the roasting tin.
Put the salted caramel in a microwaveable dish and warm for just long enough to make it runny, about 20 seconds. Pour into the base of the tin, avoiding drips on the sides. Tap on the worktop to level off.
Make the cake by whisking the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until you have a really light and fluffy mixture. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix in.
To a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and mix really well.
Now, spoon the coffee into a small bowl, add a few tablespoons of the milk and heat for a few seconds in the microwave until the coffee has dissolved. Mix, pour into the remaining milk and stir through.
Sift a third of the flour mixture onto the butter, sugar and egg mixture and fold in with a large metal spoon. Fold in a third of the milk, then repeat until all the flour and milk has been mixed in.
When you have a smooth batter, spoon over the salted caramel, tap the tin on the worktop to remove any bubbles and make sure you have a level top. Put the bundt tin into the centre of the roasting tin.
Make the crème caramel mixture by mixing the evaporated milk, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla and salt in a food processor until smooth and even. Pour on top of the cake batter and level the top.
Have a jug of hot water ready. Put the roasting tin with the bundt tin into the oven. Before you close the door, pour the water straight onto the tea towel in the roasting tin, making sure the water reaches at least two-thirds of the way up. Bake for 1 hour and don’t be tempted to open the oven. Once cooked, take out and leave to cool in the tin for another hour, then flip over onto a serving dish and it is ready to eat.
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days.
