Serves 12 +

     Magically the chocolate cake rises and with such moisture, it pleases the senses of both chocolate and flan lovers at the same time.  Be careful not to over bake and when inserting a long toothpick to determine doneness, insert into the cake only. You can make the flan part in full or half recipe.

      Make sure your angel food pan has a solid bottom and not a removable one or you will have a leaky pan. Though it isn’t traditional, this luscious contemporary dessert comes from my Portuguese friend Dolores. 

To make the cake from scratch, the batter needs to be a thick one, of 6 cups. She says to make it quick and easier, use any packaged chocolate cake mix. Don’t like chocolate? Try vanilla cake if you prefer.Make this cake the day before it is needed so that it will set up. Make the Caramel Sauce:

• 1          cup sugar
• 1/3       cup water
• 10” solid bottomed-angel food pan 

  Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

1. Stir the sugar and water together in a small sauce pan.  Place over medium heat and bring to the edge of a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer without stirring until the sugar syrup turns a medium golden brown, about 15 minutes.2. Using a pot holder to hold the cake pan with one hand, pour the caramel sauce into the cake pan and immediately swirl the caramel, coating the bottom of the pan and then tilting the pan, coat the sides.  Don’t worry if the sides are not completely coated.  Set the pan aside until the caramel is completely cooled.  If you are in a hurry you can chill it.  The coating may crack when cooled. Prepare the flan: This part may be cut in half. 8 large eggsTwo 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk3 ½ cups (28 ounces) regular whole milk  1.  In a large bowl and using and electric mixer, thoroughly beat together the eggs, condensed milk and regular whole milk.  Pour into the caramel coated cake pan. Make the chocolate cake: (if you prefer cake from scratch, make 6 cups thick cake batter, the consistency of a packaged mix and skip the following) 1 box of any brand of chocolate cake mix  1 cup water4 eggs½ cup vegetable oil Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. using the low speed of an electric mixer, beat the eggs until foamy. Mix in the cake mix, water and oil and beat for 2 minutes.  Pour the cake batter evenly over the flan.  You read correctly. Do not stir  the cake batter into the flan.

2.  Place the pan into a larger pan with 2-inch sides.  Set the pan on the middle rack of your preheated oven.  Pour  enough water into the larger  pan so that I comes almost halfway up the side of the cake pan.  Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.

 3.  Using a turkey baster, carefully remove enough of the hot water before lifting the cake pan out of the larger pan.  Set aside to cool down completely.  Refrigerate several hours before inverting on a serving plate.