Antillean Coconut Flan: Easy Recipe for a Magical Dessert

A French chef’s TikTok recipe for a coconut flan, dubbed a “magic cake” for its layered texture, is gaining international attention. Ilyes Bachi, known online as @cookwithbash, shared the recipe, which has garnered significant views and praise for its simplicity and unique flavor profile.

The dessert, described as a twist on the classic vanilla flan, incorporates coconut milk, coconut flakes, lime zest, and a hint of nutmeg – a signature spice of the Antilles islands – to create a distinctively layered and aromatic experience. Bachi highlights the dessert’s “double texture” as a key element of its appeal. The recipe calls for 400ml of coconut milk, 400ml of sweetened condensed milk (with the option of using half unsweetened condensed milk for a less sweet result), three eggs, 100g of grated coconut, the zest of one lime, one teaspoon of vanilla, a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, and optionally, half a teaspoon of almond extract.

The preparation involves creating a caramel base by melting 100g of sugar in a clean pan until it reaches a golden amber color. This caramel is then poured into the bottom of a mold before the flan mixture is added. The mold is then placed in a water bath and baked at 180°C (356°F) for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

The flan requires at least four hours of refrigeration before being unmolded, allowing the caramel to liquefy and create a contrasting sauce. Bachi suggests adding a tablespoon of amber or aged rum to the flan mixture for an even more pronounced Antillean flavor, cautioning that it should be used sparingly to complement, not overpower, the coconut and vanilla.

The recipe builds on the long history of flan, a dessert known as crème caramel in France, and popular throughout Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, as noted in several online resources. Flan is traditionally a custard dessert with a caramel topping, and variations exist across many cultures. The addition of coconut and lime zest distinguishes Bachi’s version, offering a regional adaptation of the classic dessert.