Traditional Mexican Flan Napolitano

Make the Caramel Sauce

1. Warm up your round baking pan so it’s easier to swirl the caramel sauce, as the sauce hardens quickly.
2. Place a pot over medium to medium-high heat and pour in half the sugar. You don’t want to burn the sugar, so if it melts too quickly, reduce to low heat.
3. Keep the sugar moving constantly by shaking the pan. You can also use a spatula to stir. If the sugar starts to clump, keep it on the heat and keep it moving so it stays liquid.
4. Add the remaining sugar to the pot and shake or stir the sugar continuously. When the caramel sauce is ready, the sugar will turn an amber color. Be sure not to let it get too dark.
5. Place the warm baking pan on a wire rack and pour the caramel sauce into the pan, scraping the sides of the pot with a spatula.
6. Use an oven mitt or kitchen towel to pick up the pan and swiftly tilt and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with the caramel sauce. The sauce will harden quickly.

Make the Flan

1. Preheat the oven to 356 F.
2. Crack all of the eggs into your blender.
3. Add the vanilla, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to the blender.
4. Blend on high speed until smooth and homogenous, about one minute.
5. Pour the flan mixture into a large bowl.
6. Next, pour the flan mixture over the hardened caramel and cover the pan with aluminum foil, crimping the edges for a good seal.
7. Make a baño maria, or hot water bath by placing a large, deep rectangular baking dish or roasting pan on top of a baking sheet. This will prevent the flan from overcooking, while keeping the texture smooth and creamy.
8. Place the flan in the center of the baking dish and pour about an inch of hot water around the flan pan. Carefully place the baking sheet, roasting pan and flan into the oven and bake at 356 F for about an hour and a half or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Once baked, remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.

Prepare to Serve

1. The next day, remove the flan from the refrigerator and uncover.
2. Make another hot water bath on the stove by heating up about an inch of water and placing the flan pan into the larger pot on the stove.
3. After a few minutes, use a straight knife to loosen the edges of the flan. Then use a kitchen towel or oven mitts to remove the flan pan from the hot water bath
4. Carefully place the baking dish on a wire rack as you gather your serving plate.
5. Place your flan on a kitchen towel and cover the pan with a serving dish, bottom up.
6. Placing one hand under the towel, and the other on top of the serving dish, carefully invert the flan onto the dish.
7. Give the pan a slight jiggle to loosen the flan as you slowly separate the pan from the flan. The caramel sauce will spill over the sides of the flan leaving a nice pool of sweetness in the plate.

Decorate and Serve Your Flan

1. Gather your fruit garnishes like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and star fruit.
2. Carefully make a ring around the border of the flan by placing the fruit in a repeating pattern on the top of the flan.
3. Slice as you would a cake to serve. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.