Hello friends! This is my first recipe of 2022. I know it has been a while since my last post but life got very busy for me because I just moved from California to Texas. Moving to a whole different state is a big deal, we sold our house in California, we bought a house here in Texas, packing everything, etc. etc.

Now, things are going back to normal little by little so I can have more time for baking. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I decided to create a recipe that you can share with your loved ones.

You know me, I love flan and I’m always creating new flavors. Today, I introduce you to my version of Strawberry Impossible Cake which has 3 layers: caramel, vanilla flan and strawberry cake. This is a very super easy recipe because for the caramel you just need sugar and water. For the flan part eggs, sweetened condensed milk by Magnolia, evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Finally, for the cake I decided to use a white cake mix and added strawberry gelatin.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to watch how I made this dessert, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield one Bundt cake pan 

Ingredients 

For the caramel 

1 cup white granulated sugar 

½ cup cold water 

For the vanilla flan 

1 can sweetened condensed milk by Magnolia 

1 can evaporated milk 

4 large eggs at room temperature 

1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

For the strawberry cake 

1 package white cake mix and all the ingredients that this cake might need. My cake mix just needed water, eggs and oil. 

1 package (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin 

Directions 

For the caramel 

*Grease your Bundt pan. You can use a kitchen brush to grease each corner of your pan (sides and bottom). Oil, cooking spray or butter can be used. 

1.- In a saucepan mix water and sugar over medium-low heat. When the sugar is all dissolved (no sugar granules left), turn up the heat to medium-high and let this mixture turn into caramel, this process will take about 15-20 minutes, do not mix, just keep an eye that it doesn’t burn because it will taste bitter. 

2.- After a couple of minutes it will start to boil, bubbling a lot, please do not touch or stir. Just let it cook and you will see that little by little the color of the mixture will start to change to a light caramel color and then to a medium dark caramel color. Turn off the heat. 

3.- Protect your hands with an oven mitt or a kitchen towel and pour into the pan covering all the inner surface with the caramel. Let it cool, it will get hard. 

For the vanilla flan 

*Preheat oven to 350 F* 

1.- In a large bowl pour sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk. Mix until both milks are well combined. Set aside. 

2.- In a small bowl, whisk eggs and then add to the milk mixture. Add in vanilla extract and mix until everything looks smooth and creamy.  

3.- Pour the mixture through a sieve into your prepared pan, this will help catch any egg that did not mix well. 

4.- Place your pan inside a larger one with 2 fingers high of boiling water. 

5.- Bake for 30 minutes or until the flan is semi-baked.  

While the flan part is baking, make the strawberry cake batter. 

For the strawberry cake 

1.- In a bowl combine your cake mix and all the ingredients listed in the box. Finally, add the strawberry gelatin and mix really well. You do not need a mixer for this. Just use a whisk or a spatula. 

2.- When your flan is semi-baked, take it out from the oven and pour the strawberry cake batter on top, carefully, you can use a big spoon. 

3.- Place the pan back into the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until the cake is fully baked. 

Also, always check that your larger pan has the right amount of water. If the water has evaporated, add more water. 

4.-When finished baking, take the pan out of the oven, place it on a wiring rack and let it cool to room temperature. Then, place it in the fridge overnight. 

5.- Next day, run a knife around the border and turn the cake over a bigger plate. If that doesn’t help, grab the pan and place it over some warm water for a couple of minutes, then try to turn the flan over again. Have patience, sometimes it takes a little bit of time. 

You can serve this with fresh strawberries or whipped cream. 

Keep this dessert in the fridge or until ready to serve.