Cuban
Cuban Flan de Leche
A silky, dense custard baked over amber caramel and chilled until it slices cleanly into glossy wedges.
- Silky, bubble-free custard
- Make-ahead dessert
- Only nine pantry ingredients
Every Cuban grandmother has a flan, and this is the style we grew up on in Miami: rich with condensed and evaporated milk, a touch denser than a French creme caramel, and bathed in dark caramel. The two keys are a caramel taken to a true deep amber and a gentle water bath so the custard sets without bubbles. A whisper of lime zest is traditional and keeps the sweetness in check. Make it a day ahead and the caramel turns into a pourable sauce.
Instructions
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set a 9-inch round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep) inside a larger roasting pan and bring a kettle of water to a boil.
Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan without stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the caramel turns a deep amber color.
Immediately pour the caramel into the cake pan and tilt to coat the bottom and a little way up the sides. Set it aside; it will harden and may crackle, which is normal.
In a large bowl, gently whisk the eggs and yolks just to combine, taking care not to whip in air.
Whisk in the condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, lime zest and salt until smooth.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup and skim off any foam from the surface.
Pour the custard over the hardened caramel and cover the cake pan tightly with foil.
Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and carefully pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles like gelatin when nudged.
Lift the flan out of the water bath, uncover and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
To unmold, run a thin knife around the edge, place a rimmed serving plate over the pan and invert in one confident motion. Lift off the pan, let the caramel drain onto the flan and slice into wedges.
Test kitchen tips
- Pull the caramel off the heat the moment it reaches deep amber; it keeps darkening from residual heat and turns bitter quickly past that point.
- Flan keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and the caramel sauce becomes more fluid the longer it sits.
- For flan de queso, blend 4 oz softened cream cheese into the custard before straining and add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330
- Protein
- 9g
- Carbs
- 50g
- Fat
- 10g
- Fiber
- 0g
- Sugar
- 49g
- Sodium
- 150mg
Nutrition values are estimates calculated per serving. See our disclaimer.
