Desserts occasionally have baffling names. No actual link exists between baked Alaska and Alaska.
Thank god, there are no hummingbirds in Hummingbird Cake.And there is absolutely no resemblance between Buckle Cake and a belt buckle.
But the appropriately called Impossible Cake from Mexico has a name that fits. The delicious treat, also referred to as a chocoflan, defies logic.
Here's the conundrum:As the cake bakes, the layers invert. A layer of flan is placed on top of the chocolate cake layer as the batter is baked in a bundt pan.
(Some recipes instruct adding a layer of caramel to the pan before adding the cake batter.) The chocolate cake layer is mysteriously on top when it comes out of the oven.
Although it's entertaining to think that some pixie dust may be contributing to the shifting layers, there is a scientific explanation for the occurrence. Everything is determined by gravity.
Simply said, the batter for chocolate cake is denser than that for flan. As the batter cooks and rises, the cake layer becomes lighter by volume than the flan, rising to the top as a result.
When the batter is raw, it is solid enough to support a layer of flan. You end up with a confection of chocolate cake, topped with flan, and — if you include the caramel layer — it's all wrapped in a sweet covering when the bundt pan carrying the cooked cake is tipped upside down onto a dish.