Impossible Cake
12 Cup Bundt Pan 8 Cup Bundt Pan
For the Flan Layer:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 9.3 ounces
12 ounces evaporated milk 8 ounces
4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2.5 ounces
4 large eggs 3
4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2.6 ounces
Chocolate Cake Layer:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 6.6 tablespoons
1 cup granulated sugar 2/3rd cup
1 large egg 1
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup
1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened 1/3rd cup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoon
1 teaspoon baking powder 2/3rd teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon
1 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 cup
For the Pan:
2 tablespoons softened butter for pan 1 ½ tablespoon
1/4 cup Coconut caramel sauce ¼ cup
or Cajeta (see below)
Instructions
You will need a 12-cup or 8 cup bundt pan (following the measurements listed above) and a roasting pan large enough to put the bundt pan inside of and have plenty of room for water. You are creating a Bain Marie or water bath to cook the flan layer.
Set one oven rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bundt pan with butter and drizzle the bottom of the pan with caramel sauce.
Boil about 2 quarts of water for the Bain Marie.
For the Chocolate Cake Layer: With an electric stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in the egg. Sift all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, 1/3 at a time, alternating with buttermilk until all ingredients are incorporated.
For the Flan Layer: Place all the flan ingredients together in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Set the bundt pan inside the roasting pan. Scoop cake batter into the bundt pan on top of the cajeta, smooth it out. Then gently pour the flan mixture over the back of a large spoon into the bundt pan so that it lays on top of the cake batter.
Lightly butter a piece of foil and cover the bundt pan tightly, butter side down against the cake. Pour boiling water in the roasting pan about two inches high. Gently slide the pan onto the middle oven rack. Bake for 1 hour without opening the oven door. (You need to keep all of the steam inside the oven to do its job.)
Remove the foil and test the cake. It should be firm to the touch, and an inserted toothpick should come out clean. (If not, place back in the oven for another 10-20 minutes.) Remove the cake from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature. When cool, shake the pan from side to side to loosen, place a large platter inverted over the cake, hold tightly and quickly flip over. With a rubber spatula scrape the remaining Cajeta onto the cake.
Serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold.
Servings: 8 slices for 8 cup pan, 12 slices for the 12 cup pan
Coconut Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quality full fat coconut milk, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Add butter, brown sugar, water, and salt to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until butter melts.
Bring to boil for 5 minutes (it will bubble a lot!), stirring occasionally. Brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract. Let rest 10 minutes to thicken then taste and add additional coconut extract if desired. Caramel will continue to thicken upon standing. If you would like the Coconut Caramel Sauce thinner, simply stir in more coconut milk to reach desired consistency.
Cajeta
Instructions
4 cups goat’s milk
1cup sugar
1 whole cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1whole vanilla bean, split + seeds scraped out
½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Stir together the milk and sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. (Make sure the liquid only goes three fourths the way up the sides, as it will froth when the baking soda is added.) Add the cinnamon stick, salt, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds plus the empty vanilla bean pods. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat while constantly stirring. This will take about 15 minutes.
When the milk comes to a boil, quickly remove from heat and add baking soda to the pot. The mixture will rise and get frothy, just keep stirring the mixture.
Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat, and stir frequently, about every 10 minutes or so. Make sure the milk stays at a gentle simmer rather than a raging boil, and stir across the bottom of the pot to make sure the mixture is not scorching. Adjust heat as needed.
After about an hour and a half, the milk should start to turn golden brown. Remove the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod. At this point, it will start to thicken fast, so it’s important to keep stirring so the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
Keep stirring until the mixture is a rich brown and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, this will happen after about 15 to 30 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and then pour into airtight containers. The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Strawberry Impossible Cake
3 oz strawberry gelatin
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1 cup cold water
18 oz (1.5 pints) strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced (reserve a few aside for final garnish)
1 Impossible Cake (above)
In a small sauce pan, mix the gelatin, sugar, starch and cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes until very thick.
Place the strawberries in a small mixing bowl, pour ¾ of the mixture over and stir well. Spoon the strawberry mixture into the center of the Impossible Cake,
Garnish with the reserved berry slices, brush the remaining gelatin mixture over the garnished berries. Place into the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours.