Tasty Pumpkin Flan Cake Recipe from Spain

Here’s a Spanish pumpkin flan cake recipe that is easy to make and will surely be loved!

In the fall, an ingredient that is on everyone’s lips is pumpkin.

Even fast food chains include menu items with this ingredient or pumpkin spice and year after year, they become a bigger and bigger success.

A recipe that has pumpkin as a star ingredient is the famous pumpkin flan cake.

This Spanish pumpkin cake recipe comes all the way from Andalucia, and once you try it, you won’t be able to stop making it.

Continue reading this article to learn how to make flan cake and different tricks that will make your work easier.

We will also discuss ingredient substitutions or the ways of storing and serving this Spanish dessert.

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Pssst…??!! You can’t get enough Spanish dessert? Have a look at my other posts:

• Fruit Empanada Recipe
• Mantecados from Spain
• Alfajores Recipe

Background of the Dish

The famous pumpkin flan recipe emerged many centuries ago, in late October and early November. The date is because it is one of the best times for the pumpkin harvest.

Although there are different stories of how this happened, some experts say that it was a way that the Andalusians used to respond to those from other regions of Spain.

Their Magosto is also called magüestu or amagüestu.

In this celebration, the Castaña (chestnut) is the real star, so the Andalusians looked for something else to highlight. 

This is how the pumpkin cake flan appeared, along with other pumpkin recipes that are all the rage at this time of year.

Things You’ll Need for Pumpkin Flan Cake

To make this pumpkin flan recipe, you only need a few key ingredients, and even with them, there are different modifications you can make, so there is no excuse not to do it. 

It is better if you have a flan cake pan.

If not, you can use any silicone, metal, or even oven-resistant glass mold. They can be round or rectangular, or the shape you like the most. 

If you liked this recipe, encourage yourself to try others, such as the Spanish flan recipe or the Leche frita recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 kilos pumpkin
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• 3 tablespoons grated coconut
• Cinnamon (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 2/3 cup (150g) butter
• 2 cups (250g) flour
• Raisin (optional)
• Walnuts (optional)
• Chocolate chips (optional)

How to Make Pumpkin Flan Cake – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this easy flan cake recipe, cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and the skin. Cook it in boiling water until ready, as if it were to make pumpkin puree. Then, remove it from the water and place it in a bowl.

2. Then, add the can of condensed milk to the pumpkin and mash a little with the help of a fork. Up next, add the eggs and stir until combined. You can do this in a food processor, but a fork or hand whisk will suffice.

3. In the blender, mix the milk, flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and grated coconut. Then add this mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin and stir everything with a hand mixer until the mixture is a little thicker than a regular cake batter.

4. In a cake mold, spread the butter and then flour to prevent it from sticking. You can use parchment paper, as it is quite a sticky mixture. Add the mix, and at this time, if you want, you can add raisins, nuts, and chocolate, mixing them a little in the mixture.

5. The final step in this pumpkin spice cake recipe is to bake it for about 30 minutes at 200°C (390°F). After that time, the cake flan should have a golden top. To check that it is ready, insert a knife, which should come out clean. If it is not ready, lower the oven temperature to 150° for about 10 or 15 more minutes.

6. Keep in mind that this is a flan cake, so the texture is still quite moist- almost similar to that of a Spanish Cheesecake. So, with that time, all the ingredients will be cooked, and you can eat the pumkin flan cake without problems.

Substitution of Ingredients

There are several changes and substitutions you can make to the ingredients in this recipe. 

The simplest is to remove the grated coconut, and instead add an extra 3 tablespoons of flour.

Coconut doesn’t add much flavor, so don’t worry if you don’t like it.

This is not just a pumpkin spice flan; it’s a pumpkin flan cake, so the star ingredient is pumpkin. 

In case you don’t have time to cook it yourself, you can buy canned pumpkin puree and while it won’t be as fresh a cake, it will do the trick.

Like other flan cakes, this recipe uses a lot of eggs, and unfortunately, it cannot be replaced. So if you have many vegan guests you will have to think of another menu for them.

Nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins are optional, but we recommend that you add even one to this recipe as it gives the flan cake another texture.

For a choco flan recipe, a choco flan rendition can be made, or even mixing the chocolate and pumpkin makes it a flancocho recipe.

That is something that you feel and appreciate when you eat this dish.

Try the Crema Catalana recipe and the Spanish natillas de leche as well, which are quite similar to this pumpkin flan.

And to stay on the same page, try the Spanish orange flan or the tocino de cielo recipes for a twist on the original flan. Or even make a Spanish caramel cake!

The Spanish milk cake is a dessert that you most definitely need to make if you love a light and creamy dessert.

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Tips on Serving Pumpkin Flan Cake

This is an authentic pumpkin magic cake since you can serve it as a dessert, breakfast, or snack at any time of the day. 

You can add whipped cream or dulce de leche and some fresh fruits on top to give it another taste.

There are even people who drizzle some hot fudge sauce before serving. Toasted or caramelized nuts can be another good option to put on top and give it another texture.

It’s also great to make this during Halloween, making a delicious and celebratory Halloween flan.

If you want to make an authentic Andalusian party, you can serve it with Torrijas, Spanish bar cake, and Spanish almond cake. 

All these recipes are simple and will make a perfect sweet table if you serve them together.

How to Store Pumpkin Flan Cake

This recipe stands out from other easy pumpkin recipes since you have the option to store it in the refrigerator or not the freezer. 

If it were a regular flan, you couldn’t freeze it, and you would have to eat it in two days, but that’s not the case with this pumpkin spice cake.

You can freeze it for up to 15 days, then let it thaw in the fridge the night before. 

That’s why it’s the perfect dessert for any fall gathering since you can make it ahead of time, and it has all the flavors of that season.

You can also store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you prefer to eat it hot, you can heat it in the oven for 10 minutes at 190°C after taking it out of the fridge. 

In both cases, before storing the pumpkin flan cake you must make it reach room temperature.

Recipe Card: Pumpkin Flan Cake

FAQs on Pumpkin Flan Cake

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