Leche Flan Cake

For those of us who are substantially impoverished, a few staples in the cupboard are essential to survival ~ flour, eggs, milk, and lots and lots of sugar! These are all cheap and would make a variety of filling, frugal meals. What is most important, though, is being able to whip up fancy desserts to combat depression from these very same ingredients.

I celebrated my partner’s birthday with a homemade cake that will not break the bank. It is divided into two components ~ one being leche flan; and the other, sponge cake. If its twin, crème caramel, is not familiar to you, leche flan is a rich egg yolk custard topped with a caramel that is tinged with a hint of bitterness, sort of like a more solid creme brulee without the burnt sugar.

The cake was exceptionally delicious where the bittersweet caramel soaked through. It tasted almost alcoholic.

The following recipe will yield exactly the same cake as the one in the picture, although my own preference is a thicker layer of leche flan. I feel that the smooth, rich texture of the leche flan does not shine through with such a thin layer of it. Next time, I will double the quantity of leche flan and halve the quantity of the sponge cake.

If you prefer just leche flan without the cake, you can double the leche flan recipe and cook this in a smaller pan, so that the mixture comes to about 2-2.5 inches thick. You can steam this on low heat or bake in a bain-marie at 200F for as long as it takes to set.



Leche Flan Cake

1 c Sugar
7 Egg yolks
1 c Evaporated milk
¾ c Condensed milk
2 t Vanilla / Grated lemon zest

¾ c Sugar
2 c Cake flour
1 T Baking powder
2 t Salt
3 Egg yolks
¼ c Oil
1/2 c Water
5 Egg whites
¾ c Sugar

Melt 1 c Sugar until it caramelizes. Be careful not to burn it and make sure to watch it closely as it melts. It could very, very rapidly turn from pale to burnt. Pour this into an 8-inch square pan. Combine the 7 egg yolks, milks, and vanilla. Strain this into the pan with the caramel.

Combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the yolks, oil, and water into it. Mix until smooth. In another bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar in a thin, steady stream until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the flour mixture into the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour this on top of the custard. DO NOT STIR or agitate. Bake in a bain-marie at 350F for about 1 hour. Cool. Serve chilled.

Vanilla Bavarois

Bavarois ~ one of many divine incarnations of basic items in your pantry deftly combined with air and fire (and ice!)

It is rich and creamy, but light at the same time, like a mouthful of cloud, due to aeration from the whipped cream. Heavenly!

Here are the permutations of 1 basic equation + subtle additions and subtractions.


1. Milk + Sugar + Egg Yolks + Vanilla = Crème Anglaise

2. Crème Anglaise + More Egg Yolks + Caramel = Crème Caramel
3. Crème Caramel + Torch = Crème Brulee
4. Crème Anglaise + Flour or Corn Starch = Crème Patissiere
5. Crème Anglaise + Cream = Vanilla Ice Cream
6. Crème Anglaise + Whipped Cream = Vanilla Parfait

7. Crème Anglaise + Whipped Cream + Gelatin = Crème Bavaroise

8. Milk + Cream + Gelatin + Vanilla = Panna Cotta

For bavarois, you will need ONE(1.) and SEVEN(7.)

A few hours prior to preparation, freeze a clean empty bowl and the whisks of an electric mixer.

Creme Bavaroise


3 Egg yolks
1 c. Milk
1/3 c. Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
3/4 t. Gelatin
1 c. Cream

Separate three large eggs. Reserve the whites for another use. Break up the 3 egg yolks in a bowl and set aside. Warm 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ¾ teaspoon of gelatin in a saucepan until the sugar and gelatin dissolve. While whisking the egg yolks, pour ¼ cup of the warmed milk mixture in a thin steady stream into the yolks. *Do not pour a lot of the warm milk into the yolks at once or they will cook and turn into breakfast.* Now that the egg yolks have been tempered, pour the yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the warmed milk. Whisk continuously over low heat until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Congratulations! You have crème anglaise (+ gelatin).

Either plunge the pot into a basin of ice water or transfer the crème anglaise into a cool bowl. Allow this crème to cool until it no longer emits even the faintest whisper of heat when you whisk it.

Pour 1 cup of heavy cream into the chilled bowl that you threw into the freezer earlier. Using the frozen attachments, beat the cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently, fold the whipped cream into the cooled crème anglaise. Be careful not to deflate the cream.

Pour the bavarois into a lightly oiled mold. Chill until set. This could take anytime between 1 hour and overnight. Serve plain, with coulis, fudge, or fruits (or sauce and fruits).