custard or flan cake

it's important to slowly and carefully pour or spoon the cake batter

on top of the soft set flan - the rippled top was caused when I

quickly dumped the cake batter right into the flan

I used to make this cake many years ago back in the Philippines but never really thought about making it again here. My husband's recent birthday was the perfect time to bake something new. He likes any kind of flan and custard, so there's no doubt he would like this one. The cake was just a basic lemon chiffon cake and for the flan, I used only half of the flan recipe I have. Custard cake is a popular bakery item in Manila. They are usually baked in round cake pans, about 3" high, and sliced in wedges. Since I don't have a deep round cake pan, I used a 9x13" rectangular cake pan, which worked well. The first step is to caramelize some white sugar in the pan. It's much better to use a light-colored aluminum pan, with the dark-colored pan I used, it was difficult to see if the melted sugar has reached the desired caramel color. Set the pan aside to cool while mixing the flan ingredients. Stir the mixture slowly for a smoother flan texture. Pour the flan mixture into the pan and bake "bain marie" or inside a bigger pan filled halfway with water. Bake the flan for about 10 to 15 minutes or until half-done. Meanwhile, combine and mix the chiffon cake ingredients together. Carefully take the flan out of the oven along with the pan of water and set it on a heat proof mat or counter. Slowly pour or spoon the cake batter on top of the flan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until done. Let the custard cake cool for about an hour before inverting to a serving tray. Let the caramelized sugar topping run down the sides of the cake. Slice and serve warm.

a fun & easy cake to make - the flan topping takes the place of icing