Custard Mamon

Leche Flan = Custard

Mamon = Chiffon Cake

Custard + Mamon = Custard Mamon

Leche Flan + Chiffon Cake = Leche Flan Cake

Therefore, by the transitive property of equality:

Custard Mamon = Leche Flan Cake

This is just one of the many things I learned in Maths.  Simple, isn't it?  It just goes to show us that this little cake isn't a new invention.  It is simply a new form of an old thing that many of us already knew how to make.  And yet as consumers, we are so easily swayed by new packaging and new names!  True?

To be honest, I don't really like leche flan cake.  I don't like how the caramel syrup absorbs into the cake.  I don't like how baking the cake in a water bath somehow makes the sides of the cake wet and soggy.  I don't like how the weight of the flan squishes the soft cake once it is turned over.

But you know what? I cannot resist trying.  Even once.  Just for the heck of it.  So here you go.

CUSTARD MAMON (makes 10 pieces)

**Note: Leave your mamon tins UNGREASED.

For the caramel syrup, you will need 2 teaspoons of caster sugar for each mamon tin.  I use caster sugar because it melts more easily than regular granulated sugar.

Place one tin with sugar on the stovetop over very low fire.  Once the sugar starts melting, lift the tin with a kitchen tong then gently tilt the tin and swirl the melting sugar around until everything turns into a golden syrup.  Do not burn.  Set aside.  Repeat for the rest of the mamon tins.

Arrange tins in a large baking tray.

For the custard, combine in a small bowl:

3 eggyolks

1 whole egg

1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk until well combined and the sugar is completely dissolved.  Strain into another bowl or small jug.  Set aside.

For the mamon layer, prepare your chiffon cake batter using the mamon recipe here.  Remember to pre-heat your oven at this point.

To assemble:

1.  Pour about 1/8 cup of custard mixture into each mamon tin.  (If you have extra custard mixture, just redistribute evenly.)

2.  Fill the mamon tins with the chiffon cake batter to the very top. (I used my 2" ice cream scoop to do this easily.  Two heaping scoops per tin.)

Place baking tray in pre-heated oven then carefully add hot water (not boiling) to the tray just enough for the water to be about the same level as the custard layer.  About 1/4" high would do.

3.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes come out clean.

4.  Invert tins immediately onto a baking paper lined tray. Shake each tin gently to release the cake.

5.  Let the cakes cool completely before consuming.

That's it! Let me just emphasize that this is just a trial for me.  Don't really know if what I did was correct or not. You might want to try it too and give me some inputs on how to improve it, if necessary. Most people will argue that a cake like this should be cooled for several hours first and even refrigerated before inverting and unmoulding. The reason for this is to allow the leche flan to firm up. Personally, I don't want to wait because to me, watching a chiffon cake deflate (if it is not inverted right away) and sink is just utterly horrifying!  As you can see from the photos, the custard layer came out unscathed even though I did not wait for it to cool down.

Here is a link to a video about the Goldilocks custard mamon.  Sometimes all it really takes is just watching and learning then doing it yourself!