Leche flan cake is a combination of two delicious desserts — it’s literally a cake with leche flan on top, plus caramel dripping down the sides. So good! And it looks stunning and impressive with its two layers but surprisingly easy to make. Let me show you how with lots of tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
(Here’s my reader-favorite creamy leche flan recipe if you’re looking to make just the flan and here’s my recipe for leche flan cupcakes if you’d like to mix things up! Are you a fan of ube? You’ll love this ube cake flan.)
Leche flan is a traditional Filipino dessert made of eggs, evaporated milk and condensed milk.
As if often the case with a lot of Filipino dishes, leche flan can trace its origins to Spain, though the recipe is also very close to French creme caramel.
Leche flan cake, on the other hand, is very similar to custard cake — it has a base of a vanilla chiffon cake or sponge cake and a creamy flan or custard layer on top.
It’s become a favorite among Filipinos and you would often see it served during special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving and more.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love this Filipino flan cake
While there are many variations to the custard cake, you’ll love this Filipino-style recipe because:
- It’s similar to making leche flan. So if you’re already a master leche flan maker, making this cake will be a breeze. If not, it’s still easier to make than you think!
- It’s baked in one pan. And even though it has two distinct layers, the cake is baked in one pan at the same time.
- You can make it ahead. Plus, you can make it up to 2 days ahead of when you’re serving it. Bonus: the longer it’s chilled, the creamier the cake layer gets, giving it texture close to cheesecake!
- It always comes out fabulous. I thought this would be one of the more challenging cakes to make but I was wrong. It’s easy, always comes out pretty, and everybody loves it! It will make you nostalgic for the Goldilocks and Red Ribbon cakes of our childhood.
How to make
Leche flan cake has two layers but they are baked in one pan and at the same time.
Magic happens in the oven, similar to how this magic custard cake separates into 3 layers.
Leche flan cake ingredients
To make this easy leche flan cake recipe, you’ll need pantry staples like sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. A few thing to note:
- Condensed milk — use full-fat sweetened condensed milk for best results.
- Evaporated milk — leche flan is traditionally made with evaporated milk because it’s richer and creamier than regular milk. You can substitute with regular milk but you’ll need to make it more concentrated first.
- Milk — this recipe also uses regular milk. I usually use 2% skim.
- Oil — you’ll want to use a bland, flavorless oil. I use canola oil because that’s what we use for cooking. Vegetable oil is a good one to use, too.
- Cream of tartar — we use cream of tartar to help achieve stiff peaks for our cake. Check out these substitutes for cream of tartar if you’ve run out.
Baking tools
Leche flan is usually baked in a llanera but for leche flan cake, you’ll want to use a deep pan to show off the cake’s layers.
I like using 2 6×3 inch round pans. You can also use 2 8×2 inch round pans but note that the layers will be thinner.
I’ve never used a 9×13 inch rectangular pan because I think the layers will be too thin, but mostly because we don’t own a cake platter big enough to invert the cake onto.
I also use an electric mixer for the cake batter and the meringue mixture.
Step-by-step photos
To make the caramel syrup, place sugar and water in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat. Swirl — don’t stir — the mixture around a few times so the sugar doesn’t burn.
Cook until the mixture turns a nice golden brown.
Transfer to your preferred pans (see FAQs) and swirl to ensure the caramel evenly coats the bottom. Set aside. Note that you need to move fast — but carefully — because the caramel will harden quickly.
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all flan ingredients – eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt.
Whisk until well blended and set aside.
In another large bowl, cream egg yolks and sugar.
Mix until light and fluffy.
Add oil, milk and vanilla extract.
Whisk until combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt directly into your egg yolk mixture.
Stir just until combined. Set aside.
In a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar…
…until foamy.
Add sugar gradually.
And continue whisking until you reach stiff peaks.
Add a dollop of meringue into your egg yolk mixture.
Gently fold to lighten the batter.
Add the rest of the meringue…
…and fold until well blended.
Strain the leche flan mixture to your prepared pans.
Then pour the sponge cake batter over the flan. Do not over-fill pan.
Place a roasting pan or baking pan in the oven and pour hot water to fill it halfway.
Place your cake pans in the water bath and bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on your pan) or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Invert on a platter and serve.
Expert baking tips
Easy, right? Here are more tips to help you make the best leche flan cake every time.
Common mistakes when making leche flan
Leche flan is supposed to be rich and creamy. For the best flan every time, remember:
- Don’t over-stir. Avoid vigorously whisking or stirring your ingredients. Gentle does it. You don’t want to form any extra air bubbles.
- Strain. Some bubbles will inadvertently form though so best to strain your flan mixture through a fine mesh sieve as you gently and carefully transfer the mixture into your pans. Gently scoop out with a spoon the air bubbles that float up to the top.
- Cook in a water bath. Bake your leche flan cake in a water bath. Put your cake pans in a roasting pan (or any baking pan that will fit the pans you’re using) and fill with hot water that comes up to sides of the cake pans halfway.
- Allow time to set. The flan needs time to set so give your cake and your flan time to cool. Don’t take out of the pan immediately.
When making caramel
Caramel sauce is one of those things that look simple to make but is actually secretly challenging (at least for me lol).
I’ve burnt countless batches of sugar before I learned that when making caramel:
- Don’t stir. The best way is to just swirl your pan so the sugar cooks evenly. Do it often so the sugar doesn’t burn.
- Don’t walk away. At the beginning, it would seem like nothing is happening to your sugar but resist the urge to walk away. It can brown and burn in an instant.
- Watch your mixture closely. This is also the reason why you need to watch it closely. It can go from gorgeous amber to burnt brown in a second so take it off the heat as soon as all the sugar is completely melted and you get that beautiful golden color.
Tips when making the cake
I make this cake like how I make my vanilla Swiss roll i.e. beat the egg yolks separately from the eggs whites. Two things I always do:
- Use room temperature eggs. They are easier to combine and using room temperature egg whites results to a more stable meringue.
- Beat egg whites on low speed. Speaking of meringue, don’t go higher than medium speed (using my KitchenAid stand mixer, I stay on speed 3). It takes longer to get stiff peaks but this results to a more stable meringue that won’t deflate after baking.
Recipe FAQs
Leche flan is usually baked in a llanera but for leche flan cake, you’ll want to use a deep pan to show off the cake’s layers.
I like — and recommend — using 2 6×3 inch round pans. You can also use 2 8×2 inch round pans but note that the layers will be thinner.
I’ve never used a 9×13 inch rectangular pan because I think the layers will be too thin, but mostly because we don’t own a cake platter big enough to invert the cake onto.
Soupy leche flan can be due to different factors, including:
(1) Undercooking — make sure to cook the cake all the way through or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
(2) Wrong ratios — there might be too much liquid in the mixture. Read the recipe carefully and make sure to add the correct amounts of ingredients.
A meringue-based cake like this usually deflates because the meringue isn’t stable enough.
So when beating the egg whites, do so slowly to create more stable air bubbles that won’t burst during baking.
You can make this cake up to 2 days ahead of when you’re serving it. Keep it in the pan and invert into a platter before serving.
We never have leftovers! But in case you do, just store the cake in a covered container in the fridge. Should be good for up to 3 days.
Best Filipino cake recipes
Love making Filipino recipes? Baking these cakes is sure to bring you joy!
Also check out this list of delicious must-try Filipino desserts.
Happy baking!
Did you make this recipe for Filipino-style vanilla flan cake? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Leche Flan Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel Syrup
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
Leche Flan
- 4 pieces large eggs room temperature
- 1 10-oz can condensed milk
- 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Sponge Cake
- 4 pieces egg yolks form large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil can also use vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk I use 2% skim
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Meringue
- 4 pieces egg whites from large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make the caramel syrup, place sugar and water in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat. Swirl — don’t stir — the mixture around a few times so the sugar doesn’t burn.¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water
- Cook until the mixture turns a nice golden brown.
- Transfer to your preferred pans (see FAQs) and swirl to ensure the caramel evenly coats the bottom. Set aside. Note that you need to move fast — but carefully — because the caramel will harden quickly.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all flan ingredients – eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt.4 pieces large eggs, 1 10-oz can condensed milk, 1 12-oz can evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Whisk until well blended and set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.4 pieces egg yolks form large eggs, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add oil, milk and vanilla and whisk until combined.¼ cup canola oil, ¼ cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt directly into your egg yolk mixture and stir just until combined. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- In a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.4 pieces egg whites from large eggs, 1 tsp cream of tartar
- Add sugar gradually until you reach stiff peaks.⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Fold a dollop of meringue into your egg yolk mixture to lighten it.
- Then fold the rest of the meringue until well blended.
- Strain the leche flan mixture to your prepared pans.
- Then pour the sponge cake batter over the flan. Do not over-fill pan.
- Place a roasting pan (or any baking pan that will fit the cake pans you're using) in the oven and pour hot water to fill it halfway.
- Place your cake pans in the water bath and bake for 30-35 minutes (depending on your pan) or until a tester comes out clean and the edges of your cake start to pull away from the pan.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Invert on a platter and serve.
Video
Notes
- Pan options: (2) 6×3 inch round pans or (2) 8×2 inch round pans or a combination. The layers will be more pronounced in a 3-inch tall cake pan. Using a bigger pan will result to thinner layers. Also note that the baking time will differ depending on the pan you use.
- Make sure to check at the halfway mark to see how much longer you need to go.
- To evenly divide the caramel, flan and cake batter among your pans, weigh each one before pouring.
- For a more stable meringue, stay on low speed and add sugar gradually (about 1 tbsp at a time).
- Check out the post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Alexis Garcia
Can u drop the exact measurements for the ingredients? We’re having a school kitchen laboratory this coming Friday and I’m hoping I could try and make this recipe of yours.
Jolina
Hi Alexis, you can find the measurements and other information you need in the recipe card. Happy baking!
Jackie
Hello, i tried this recipe and it came out delicious. However, i have had issues of either the flan sticking to the pan or the cake sticking to the pan making it a challenge during inversion. Any tips?
Jolina
Hi Jackie, try running a thin sharp knife around the edges of the pan to help release the cake. And ensure your caramel is evenly distributed on the bottom before putting the flan in. Hope these help!
Bern
This was delish! My kids had never had anything like it. Before they finished their first sliced, they were asking when am I making it again hahaha However I think my cake came out denser than I was expecting. Is it suppose to be a dense cake or more of an angel food cake style? Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thank you
Jolina
Hi Bern, thanks for trying the recipe! It’s not supposed to be dense but not as light as angel food cake either. Somewhere in the middle, like sponge cake.
Bern
Thank you. I’m going to try again this weekend. Do you know if this would work in a bunt cake pan? It’s something I have on hand with the depth that I think I need.
Jolina
I haven’t tried so I can’t say. I’d be concerned about the cake sticking in the nooks and crannies of the pan though.
Al
I made this today. It’s good.the next time I’m going to add 8oz of cream cheese to the flan. Add make a small amount of the 3 milks and pour over the cake letting soak in but to wet. Just enough to give it some flavor before turning over
Jolina
Thanks for the tips!
Cary
Hi Jolina! I want to make this leche flan cake but I don’t have the pans you mention. Any recommendations?
Jolina
Hi Cary, you can try loaf pans.
Kiki
Loved this
I made this for Christmas dessert and everyone loved it. I made it in a standard tube pan and it took about 40 minutes to cook. It fed 7 people easily with the teenagers having seconds! Thank you for this
Jolina
You’re most welcome Kiki!
Susan
This is absolutely delicious! And easier to make than I thought. Thanks for the recipe!!
Jolina
You’re most welcome Susan! Glad you liked it!
Claudia Krusch
Very interesting recipe! We have the flan in Brazil, but your recipe offers an awesome twist!
Yvette
The family loved my leche flan cake! I have requests to make again. I made it in a rectangular dish so my layers came out thin but still delicious. I already ordered smaller pans from Amazon! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jolina
Glad you liked it Yvette!
Cori
Hi Jolina! My mom makes delicious coffee leche flan, do you think I can use that as the flan on top?
Jolina
Hi Cori, I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not 🙂 You can use your mom’s ingredients for the flan then follow the directions for assembly and baking. Looking forward to hear how it goes!
Richelle Milar
Wow! This looks absolutely delicious and tasty I really can’t wait to try this recipe! My kids are going to love this
Lisa
We love custard cake I wonder if this is the same?
Jolina
Hi Lisa, not sure what custard cake you’ve had but if it’s the kind where there’s cake at the bottom and custard on top, then yes this is very similar. Enjoy!