This flan cake recipe combines caramel, creamy custard, and soft sponge cake in one elegant layered dessert. It is simple to make at home, easy to chill ahead, and beautiful to serve sliced.
Why You'll Love It
- Three beautiful layers in one dessert: caramel, custard, and sponge cake.
- The recipe is simple to prepare with basic ingredients.
- It can be made ahead and chilled before serving.
- The cake looks impressive when flipped and sliced.
This flan cake recipe stands out because it gives you three beautiful layers in one dessert: a smooth caramel topping, a creamy custard center, and a soft sponge cake base. Once chilled and flipped, the layers look neat and clearly defined, which is one of the reasons I enjoy making it when I want a dessert that feels a little different from a classic Spanish flan. It has that same creamy appeal, but the added cake layer makes it even more interesting to slice and serve.
What I enjoy most about this flan cake is how balanced the texture is in every bite. The caramel layer is soft and delicate, the custard stays smooth and creamy, and the sponge cake keeps the dessert light instead of being too rich. After a few hours in the fridge, the whole cake sets beautifully and slices very cleanly. If you enjoy layered desserts like chocoflan or soft-baked treats such as lemon pudding cake or peach cobbler pudding, this is another wonderful dessert to add to your list.
Key Ingredients in Flan Cake
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at a few of the ingredients and why I use them.
- Caramel Layer: I like how this layer keeps things simple with light brown sugar, water, and gelatin sheets. It creates that glossy caramel topping that sits neatly over the dessert once it is flipped.
- Custard (Flan Layer): Eggs, milk, whipping cream, sugar, and water come together to make a smooth custard that forms the creamy middle layer of the cake.
- Cake Layer: Egg yolks, milk, melted butter, and flour create a soft sponge that supports the custard. It stays light and tender rather than dense.
- Whipped Egg Whites: The egg whites whipped with cream of tartar and sugar help keep the cake layer airy and delicate.
How to Make Flan Cake
You can find the complete printable recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. Prepare the Caramel Base: Melt the sugar with cold water over medium heat until golden brown. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes, then stir them into the hot syrup until dissolved. Pour the caramel into a baking tin, let it cool, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Make the Custard Layer: Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and water together, then strain the custard mixture into the caramel-coated tin.
3. Prepare the Cake Batter: Whisk the egg yolks with milk, melted butter, and flour until smooth. Beat the egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar until stiff, then gently fold them into the yolk mixture. Pour the cake batter over the custard.
4. Bake and Chill: Bake in a water bath for 20 minutes at 300°F convection / 150°C fan, then cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes more at 285°F convection / 140°C fan. Cool to room temperature, chill for 4 hours or overnight, then flip onto a platter to serve.
Tips for the Best Flan Cake
Let the Cake Cool Before Refrigerating: I like to let the cake cool fully at room temperature before placing it in the fridge. This helps the layers set more evenly and keeps condensation from forming on top.
Tap the Tin Gently: After pouring the custard into the tin, I sometimes tap the tin lightly on the counter. It helps release trapped air bubbles so the custard layer bakes more smoothly.
Use a Thin Knife Before Flipping: I usually run a thin knife around the edge of the tin before flipping the cake. It helps the dessert release more cleanly and keeps the layers intact.
Storage
I store the flan cake covered in the refrigerator, where it keeps well for about 3 to 4 days. The custard stays creamy, and the layers remain nicely set, which makes it easy to slice and serve straight from the fridge.
Try These Flan Recipes Next!
Recipe
Flan Cake
Ingredients
Caramel
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 25 ml cold water
- 80 ml hot water
- 3 gelatin sheets
Custard (Flan Layer)
- 4 large eggs
- 50 ml water
- 180 ml milk
- 90 ml heavy whipping cream
- 50 g ganulated sugar
Cake
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 g cream of tartar
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 30 ml whole milk
- 30 g unsalted butter - melted
- 30 g all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add 50 g light brown sugar and 25 ml cold water to a saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar melt completely and cook until it turns into a golden-brown syrup. Meanwhile, soak 3 gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes. Carefully add 80 ml hot water to the caramel and stir for about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat, add the softened gelatin sheets, and stir until fully dissolved. Pour the caramel into a baking tin, allow it to cool slightly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, 50 g ganulated sugar, 180 ml milk, 90 ml heavy whipping cream, and 50 ml water until well combined. Strain the mixture into the chilled caramel-lined tin.
- Separate 2 large egg whites and 2 large egg yolks into two bowls. Add 30 ml whole milk and 30 g unsalted butter, melted, to the egg yolks and whisk together. Sift in 30 g all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth.
- Beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Add 30 g granulated sugar and 3 g cream of tartar, increase the speed, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture until fully combined.
- Pour the cake batter gently over the custard mixture. Place the tin in a larger baking tray and add hot water to create a water bath. Bake in a preheated oven at 300°F convection / 150°C fan for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, cover the tin with aluminum foil, and bake for another 30 minutes at 285°F convection / 140°C fan.
- Remove the tin from the water bath, uncover, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Place a platter on top of the tin, flip carefully, lift off the tin, slice, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
Absolutely delicious! The caramel sauce is incredible, and I loved how the cake soaked it up. The pudding layer adds a lovely creamy texture. Will be my go-to dessert from now on!