Mardi Gras - King Cake Cupcakes

It's time to wrap up Mardi Gras week with a super simple and amazingly delicious recipe. King Cake Cupcakes! Our grocery stores have been stocked with king cakes for weeks now and I am always browsing to see which one has the most sprinkles. I've eaten my share of two king cakes so far this year and have resisted the temptation for many more on numerous trips to the grocery. The King Cake is my absolute favorite part about Mardi Gras! They come filled with all sorts of flavors and fruits, but my favorite is the cinnamon filling. So when I was flipping through the Jan/Feb issue of my Cooking with Paula Deen magazine and came across these King Cake Cupcakes this was quickly moved to the top of my baking list for February!

I have made a king cake from scratch before although it's been a few years, which I'm sure you can tell from the photo quality. But when you are given the opportunity to take a few shortcuts and come out with equally impressive results by using crescent rolls, well that's the path I chose to take this year! Thanks Paula for the fabulous idea!

So grab 3 tubes of Crescent Rolls and all the yummy stuff for your filling...cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans.

Unroll 1 tube of crescent rolls at a time and form them into 4 rectangles.

Spread your filling down the center of each rectangle, leaving a small border around the edges.

Sugar and nuts...

Fold the top of the rectangle towards the center, then fold the bottom of the rectangle towards the center.

Fold the left side to the middle. Fold the right side on top of the left side.

Place the dough, spiral side up into cupcake liner and bake.

Prepare vanilla glaze and grab the sprinkles. It's time to decorate!

King Cake Cupcakes (recipe adapted from Paula Deen)
(makes 12)

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp milk
green, purple & yellow sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.
3. On lightly floured surface, unroll each can of crescent rolls and separate each into 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
4. Sprinkle about 2 Tbsp brown sugar mixture down center of each rectangle. leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
5. Working with 1 rectangle at a time fold the top of the dough towards the center, then fold the bottom of the dough toward the center and overlap.
6. Fold the left side of the dough in to the middle. Fold the right side on top of the left side.
7. Place dough spiral side up into prepared muffin pan.
8. Repeat procedure with remaining rectangles.
9. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until brown.
10. In a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cakes while in pan.
11. Sprinkle with green, purple & yellow sugars.

You really need to give this recipe a try! You will wow all your friends with how amazing these mini king cakes look and taste! I think I'm going to have to keep crescent rolls on hand at all times just in case I need a King Cake fix throughout the year!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Chocolate Cheesecake Turtle Cupcakes

Hey CIS readers...it's been forever since I've posted and I am so so very sorry! Things have been a little hectic lately leaving little to no time for blog updates! I promise I am trying to get back on a regular posting routine so hang tight! I've been baking and decorating some cute sweets lately and can't wait to share them with you soon! In case you didn't see these when they were posted earlier this week on Half Baked...here's my latest creation, Chocolate Cheesecake Turtle Cupcakes! They are super delicious and a nice change from your typical cupcake loaded with buttercream frosting! You are going to love the cheesecake center inside of these chocolate cakes with drizzled chocolate and caramel on top! So head on over to Half Baked for the recipe!

I'm super excited for the first day of fall this week! This is one of my favorite times of year to bake and I'm ready to start making recipes with pumpkin, apples and cinnamon so check back soon!

What are some of your favorite fall recipes?

Mardi Gras "King Cake Inspired" Layer Cake

Mardi Gras has been in full swing here in Mobile for the past few weeks now! I have been to parades, caught strands of beads, nibbled on Moon Pies and even gone to a Mardi Gras Ball. So what better way to add to this celebration than with a "King Cake Inspired" layer cake! I can't believe the carnival season is almost over and I have only eaten one king cake so far this year. In years past it wasn't unlikely for me to devour an entire cake myself in only a few days and run right back out and buy another one. They are just that amazing!

King Cakes are truly one of my favorite indulgences during the year! Last year I even made one from scratch. There is nothing quite like a piece of flaky king cake with a cinnamon and pecan filling covered in an icing glaze and garnished with tri-colored purple, green and gold sprinkles.

A traditional king cake has a cinnamon center, but they also come in a variety of other flavor combinations including apple, strawberry, raspberry, pecan and cream cheese fillings. My all time favorite is the cinnamon pecan. It almost reminds me of a cinnamon roll or a piece of coffee cake! So this weekend as I was happily eating my king cake, the idea popped into my head to create a king cake inspired layer cake. Taking a standard from scratch yellow cake mix I incorporated my favorite cinnamon and pecan flavor into the batter. I created a cinnamon cream cheese filling for inbetween the layers and then frosted the outside with a vanilla buttercream. I am thrilled with how all the components of the cake came together to create a very moist, flavorful and cinnamony (is this a word?) cake! If you like king cakes, you have got to try this recipe!

Mardi Gras "King Cake Inspired" Layer Cake

makes a 3-layer 8-inch round cake

Cake:
-2 cups sugar
-2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 1/2 cups cake flour
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-4 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mixture:
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling:
-8 oz cream cheese, softened
-2 cups confectioners' sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 cup milk

Vanilla Buttercream:
-2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
-5 cups confectioners' sugar
-1/4 cup milk
-1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2.In bowl combine all dry ingredients: cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3.In large bowl of electric mixer beat butter and sugar until combined.
4.Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
5.Gradually add flour mixture and milk alternating between dry and wet ingredients and scraping down blow in between additions.
6.Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans into a small bowl for Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture. Fold in mixture to cake batter.
7.Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cakes test done. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes in pans. Remove cakes from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.
8.For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and milk in bowl and beat with mixer until smooth and creamy. Once cake is cool, assemble the cake and spread the mixture inbetween the layers.
9.For the Vanilla Buttercream, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add in confectioners' sugar and milk and continue to mix well. Mix in vanilla. Reserve 1 cup icing to tint desired colors for decorating. Using remaining white icing cover the outside of the cake using an offset spatula.
10.To pipe vertical stripes on the cake use piping bags and small round tips (#3, 5 or 7). Fill bags with desired icing colors and pipe vertical stripes up the sides of the cake starting at the bottom and going to the top edge. Once all vertical stripes have been piped, using the same tip, go around the bottom and top edge of the cake piping round balls to form a strand of beads around the cake.

I hope you will try this King Cake inspired Mardi Gras Cake! You can't go wrong with the cinnamon and cream cheese hidden between each layer!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie

Only 4 more days until the big turkey feast, are you ready? I can't wait for turkey, potatoes, stuffing, veggies and of course the pies! Thanksgiving may just be my favorite meal of the year! So much delicious food and left overs for days! I am craving some dark meat turkey right about now.

We are heading to Clemson, SC this year to spend the holiday with Randolph's family. I'm excited to head back to my college alma mater. It will be a nice change of scenery for a few days and hopefully the air will be a little more crisp and cool than what we have been experiencing here in Mobile. It just doesn't feel like Fall when the temps are in the high 70s. We are looking forward to taking a trip up to the mountains and checking out the vibrant leaves and getting some fresh apple cider. But before I head out of town I want to leave you all with one last pumpkin recipe.

If you are still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu and looking for that perfect pie recipe, I think I've come up with one that you will enjoy! Take the traditional pumpkin pie to the next level by adding a chocolate chip, pecan and brown sugar topping! Your guests are sure to love a slice of this pie!

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie

Ingredients:
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp cinnamon
-2 large eggs
-1 can (15 oz) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
-1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
-1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Pecan Chocolate Chip Topping

Ingredients: (mix all together and set aside)
-1 cup chopped pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip
-1/4 cup light brown sugar
-2 Tbsp melted butter

• Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon in small bowl.
  
• Beat eggs in large bowl.
• Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
• Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
• Pour mixture into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 40 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven and add Pecan Chocolate Chip topping. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  
• Cool on wire rack.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? Does your family have a favorite pie?

Pecan Walnut Banana Bread

We had 4 very ripe bananas...some banana bread seemed to be the perfect solution!

My husband loves banana bread with nuts, his special request was to have both pecans and walnuts mixed inside the loaf and on top. Extra nutty!

I decided to add a little cinnamon and brown sugar too! I can't get enough cinnamon this time of year, not to mention the amazing aroma that fills the house as the bread bakes in the oven.

So if you have some overly ripe bananas that you don't know what to do with, I recommend you whip up a batch of this recipe now! Don't like pecans or walnuts, leave them out or sub in your favorite nut, or even some cranberries or chocolate chips. Or you could even swap out the banana for pumpkin, this would have been delicious too...but I was trying to give you all a break from pumpkin stuff for a a few days!


Pecan Walnut Banana Bread (makes 1 large loaf, or 3 mini 3x5 loaves)

Ingredients:
-1 stick unsalted butter, melted
-4 ripe bananas
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 cup chopped pecans
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
• This recipe does not require an electric mixer, just mix it all by hand.
• Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add in melted butter and mix.
• Add sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• In separate bowl mix dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
  
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
• Fold in the pecans and walnuts and pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake 1 large loaf for 50 minutes or bake 3 mini loaves for 30 minutes.

I've got at least one more pumpkin recipe coming before Turkey Day and a special baby shower I've been working on this week so check back soon for more sweet treats!

Cupcake a Week: Pecan Pie

Apple, pumpkin, pecan...which is your favorite fall pie? Although I love all three of these, my absolute must have at Thanksgiving is pecan. I am a sucker for the ooey gooey brown sugary center of this pie. It really doesn't get much better than pecan pie as far as I'm concerned. Well except for maybe cupcakes. So I had this brilliant idea to make some pecan pie cupcakes and see how they compare to a slice of good ole pecan pie. You see I've had this recipe for a 3-layer Pecan Pie Cake in my recipe binder for the past few years now. Every fall I put it on my "must make" list and somehow it has yet to happen. I think the recipe is from an older issue of Southern Living magazine. So this year I was determined to try this cake in one way or another so I decided, let's try it as cupcakes.

I will just come right out and tell you I have some mixed feelings about how this recipe turned out. I think the cake part is excellent. It's moist and there's a pecan in every bite, can't complain about that. It's the Pecan Pie topping where things got a little weird. I'm not quite sure what to make of the consistency that I ended up with. I followed the recipe for the most part, although I did cut the ingredients in half because I didn't need a big batch of cupcakes and then I substituted light brown sugar and light corn syrup instead of the dark brown that was called for in the recipe. I heated the mixture, and whisked constantly, but wasn't really sure what the end result was suppose to look like. Unfortunately I did not have a picture of the final cake to go buy which would have been helpful. This topping required chilling as well. So I put the mixture into the fridge and came back 4 hours later hoping for the best. What I ended up with was a brown congealed glob that was no where near spreadable. So I let the mixture come to room temperature for a while and then came back to spread on top of the cupcakes. The mixture was still not easily spreadable but I made the most of it. Afterall, I wasn't going to let a perfectly good batch of cupcakes go to waste.

After spreading the icing on to the best of my abilities, I was left with a not too appetizing looking cupcake. I needed to do something quick to make it some what appealing...enter my friend Mr. Turkey! Oh yes, my turkey cookie cutter came to the rescue as I decided to bring in a traditional "pie" element and top each cupcake with a piece of baked pie crust in the shape of a turkey. Thank you Mr. Turkey for saving this batch of cupcakes, you sure are cute sitting up on top!


Pecan Pie Cupcakes (makes 12, adapted from Southern Living Magazine)

Ingredients:
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
-3 eggs, separated
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, gradually add sugar and beat well.
• Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
• Combine flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  
• Stir in 1 cup of pecans.
• Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form and fold into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared liners about 2/3 full.
• Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let cupcakes cool on wire rack.
• Frost with Pecan Pie Topping. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Pecan Pie Topping

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup light brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-2 egg yolks
-3/4 cup half and half
-1/8 tsp salt
-2 Tbsp unsalted butter
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Whisk together first 6 ingredients in saucepan until smooth.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute or until thickened.
• Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla extract.
• Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming, and chill 4 hours.
• Remove topping from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting cupcakes.

Turkey Pastry Garnish

Ingredients:
-1 refrigerated pie crust
-granulated sugar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out pie crust on lightly floured surface.
• Cut out 12 turkeys using cookie cutters.
• Lightly sprinkle some granulated sugar on each turkey cut out.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Place turkey garnish on top of cupcakes, by placing a toothpick behind them to allow them to stand up straight.

Have any of you ever made Pecan Pie cupcakes? If so how did they turn out, please share the recipe with me, I'm in need of a better one! Or have you tried to make this Pecan Pie Cake from Southern Living...what did you think of the Pecan Pie filling portion of the recipe...did it work for you, was it spreadable? Any suggestions, send them my way, I need to give these another try!

Although these cupcakes tasted good, the topping was just a little strange, I think a good ole pie of pecan pie comes out on top today!

Cupcake a Week: Caramel Apple

Every fall at least once I find myself making caramel apples! I just love the ooey gooey goodness of melted caramel and the stickiness that it leaves behind once you sink your teeth into one of those babies! You know what I'm talking about the thin strands of caramel that hang down from the sides of your mouth as you pull the apple away after your first bite!

My favorite kind of apples are granny smiths for sure! I love their tartness and light green color!

When I was in Chicago a few weeks ago I discovered one of my new favorite cupcake flavors Caramel Apple when I visited Sprinkles. I tasted nine of their cupcake flavors that day and at the top of my list by far was their seasonal caramel apple flavor.

I loved the finely chopped bits of apples and cinnamon flavors in their cupcake and not to mention the caramel buttercream. Oh my goodness this was amazing! So from just one simple cupcake that I tasted I was determined to create a recipe to replicate those amazing flavors and textures I tasted that day at Sprinkles!

I took an entirely different angle with the decorating though and thought it would be fun to decorate them to look somewhat like a real caramel dipped apple! I added the wooden stick and all...what do you think? I love the green cupcake liners too, it just screams granny smith to me! And I'm a nuts girl on my caramel apples so I garnished some with chopped pecans!

It doesn't get much more fall than caramel apple cupcakes! These are sure to be an awesome addition to any Thanksgiving dessert display! And if you don't like granny smith apples substitute a golden delicious, red delicious or gala. You can even switch up the cupcake liners to match the color apple you choose! Grab your kids too and get them in the kitchen with you to help insert the wooden sticks and sprinkle the nuts on top!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes (makes 20)

Ingredients:
-3 cups flour
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-3/4 cup light brown sugar
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp salt
-t tsp cinnamon
-3 eggs
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/2 cup applesauce
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-3 cups finely chopped apples, peeled and coated with 3 Tbsp sugar & 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used 2 granny smith)
-20 wooden popsicle sticks
-1 cup chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
• In large bowl combine: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and mix.
• In medium bowl combine: granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, apple sauce and vanilla and mix well.
• Add eggs to wet mixture one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix until combined.
• Fold in chopped apples.
• Pour batter into prepared pans about 2/3 full.
• Bake for 18 minutes.
• Allow cupcakes to cool in pans 10 minutes then move to wire racks to continue cooling.
• Once cupcakes are cool frost with caramel buttercream.

Caramel Buttercream

Ingredients:
-1 stick unsalted butter
-1 cup light brown sugar
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

• In saucepan over medium heat melt butter.
• Stir in brown sugar and heavy cream and keep over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to mixing bowl.
• Gradually add confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time and mix with electric mixer until incorporated.
• Frost cupcakes using an offset spatula.
• Insert wooden popsicle sticks and sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

Take a bite, I promise it will be caramel apple yumminess!

33

Today there's a birthday boy in our house! My hubby, Randolph turned the big 33!

So yes that means we got 33 candles for his cake!

And I sang happy birthday to him. It was our birthday celebration, party of two, plus the dog!

His request was for a German Chocolate Cake with "frosting all over the outside and lots of nuts"! Here's the recipe I used off the box of Baker's German Sweet Chocolate. Let me just say, it is one rich, moist and delicious cake...amazing!

Make a wish!

His comment after the first bite: "this bread stuff is really moist"...oh yes, my husband refers to cake layers as "bread"....I have no clue why...but that just cracks me up....this isn't a sandwich you are eating...it is CAKE! Does anyone else's husband do this too?

No matter if he refers to it as "bread" or "cake" I still love him either way!

Happy Birthday "R"...Love you!

Monster Cookie Bars

I'm super excited to share with you all this new recipe! If you've been following my site then you know I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter and I'm also a fan of oatmeal! So I've created what I consider to be a crossover between a granola bar and chocolate chip cookie all wrapped up in one cookie bar. Of course there are a few other special ingredients like M&Ms and chopped pecans all mixed in for a pop of color and some added texture!

My friend Katie had a fundraiser last weekend with her 3rd grade students and it was all about promoting a healthy lifestyle and teaching them how exercising can be fun while at the same time raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! I told Katie I would come up with a somewhat "healthy" snack for her to sell at her event's bake sale.

Trail mix seems to be a pretty popular snack for kids these days so I figured I would use some nuts and M&Ms which are commonly found in trail mix and combine it with another kid friendly food peanut butter for some protein! I secretly added some quick oats to the cookie batter for some fiber too...shhh don't tell! The kids are going to be drawn to the colorful M&M's popping out of the cookies they aren't even going to realize what they are eating is good for them! I know, I'm a little sneaky!

These cookie bars turned out super yummy and the peanut butter flavor really came through in every bite! This recipe can be super versatile, so feel free to add in some of your favorite "special" extra ingredients maybe some pumpkin puree instead of peanut butter and some dried cranberries! Or sub out the pecans and add in some walnuts or macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips! Really the possibilities are endless with this cookie bar so just have fun and mix in any great flavor combinations that you love!

Monster Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
-1 cup butter, room temperature
-1 cup peanut butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-3/4 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup M&Ms
-2 cups quick oats
-1/2 cup chopped pecans
-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking dish.
  
• Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
• Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Add in vanilla.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture and mix until combined.
• Add M&Ms, quick oats, chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips to cookie batter and stir until combined.
• Spread batter into prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes.
• Grab a glass of milk and enjoy!
  

Chocoflan

Here's a recipe my dad shared with me a few weeks ago for a Chocoflan cake. It was a huge hit with his friends and everyone raved about how good the combination of cake and custard was. I've never made flan before, but remember learning about it and tasting it in my seventh grade spanish class...wow that was a long time ago! I wasn't really a huge fan of flan way back when, but I have to admit this cake sure did change my opinion of this sweet custard dessert.

This past weekend I went to a Mexican themed party so I figured this Chocoflan cake would be the perfect dessert to take! How good does this caramel drizzle and pecan topping look on top of the flan custard? It was hard to not sneak a taste of this cake before the party.

The way this cake bakes is pretty neat. You make the chocolate cake mixture in one bowl and pour it into a buttered bundt pan that has been drizzled with caramel first. Then you make the custard mixture in a blender and pour the custard over the chocolate cake. The magic of this cake occurs in the baking...the custard sinks to the bottom of the bundt pan and the cake rises to the top.


Don't you wish you had a piece of this delicious cake? Well here's the recipe, so what are you waiting for, go whip one up for your next party!

Chocoflan (recipe from Marcela Valladolid, Food Network)

Ingredients
-12 cup capacity bundt pan
-softened butter, to coat pan
-1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

For the cake:
-10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
-1 cup sugar
-1 egg, room temperature
-1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
-3/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:
-1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
-1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
-4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
-3 eggs
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:
-1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce
-1/4 cup chopped pecans

• Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Coat a bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)
• For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.
• For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
• Scoop the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.
• Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little an flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake, garnish with chopped pecans and serve!
• Cook's Notes: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's inverted. I like eating it warm, but traditionally, it is chilled 24 hours before serving.
• Cajeta is a thick and creamy spread or paste made with caramelized sugar and milk. It is used as as dessert on its own or as a topping. Also known as "dolce de leche", it is sold in many supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or onlion. It can be substituted with a thick caramel sauce.

ENJOY!