Instructions
- Preheat oven to 302 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Place 1 cup sugar in a non-stick saucepan and melt over medium heat. Let the sugar melt, swirling occasionally; do not stir, until it dissolves and begins to brown. Continue swirling the saucepan until the sugar becomes dark golden brown.
- Pour the caramelized sugar into a 2 10x5 loaf pan or 6x4 oval cake pan, and swirl to coat the bottom evenly.
- Combine eggs, condensed and evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and the remaining sugar (½ cup) in a mixer or blender for a minute, or until combined.
- Place the filled loaf pan into a larger pan and add 1 inch of hot water to the outer pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until set. (See Note)
- Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
- Serve by flipping the loaf pan over a plate (caramel on top). Serve cold.
This baked flan recipe is a rich, custardy baked dessert built on a classic Filipino-style base of eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, sweetened and rounded out with vanilla, which gives it a dense, silky texture rather than the lighter, more gelatin-set flans you sometimes see elsewhere. The defining touch is the caramel: sugar cooked down to a deep golden brown right in the pan, which lines the bottom before the custard goes in. Once baked and chilled, the flan is flipped out so that dark caramel becomes a glossy topping, pooling over the custard and adding a slightly bitter-sweet contrast to the creaminess underneath.
The technique leans on a few things that matter for texture. Baking low and slow in a water bath keeps the custard from curdling or turning rubbery, and blending (rather than whisking hard or using a blender) keeps air bubbles out so the finished flan is smooth rather than foamy. The result is a dessert that’s dense, custardy, and unapologetically sweet, the kind of make-ahead centerpiece dish meant to be chilled overnight and served in clean, jiggly slices with that caramel sauce running down the sides.
Notes
I used a mixer instead of a blender to avoid creating too many bubbles.
You can cover your loaf pan with foil while baking to avoid browning.
Check the center of the flan with a toothpick. Flan is done when the toothpick comes out clean.