Orange Flan is a simple custard dessert which is smooth, creamy and full of nice orange flavor. A variation of the original Spanish vanilla flan with caramel, it has a very light caramel topping which lets the orange flavor of the custard shine through.
The custard is easily put together in a blender. If you do not own one you could beat it with a mixer, or whisk it by hand.
The trickiest parts of making this recipe are keeping the caramel at a very pale amber and removing the flans from the ramekins. You will need to watch and stir the sugar as it boils to create the caramel and remove it from the heat as soon as it turns the palest brown.
When removing the flan from the ramekin, care should be taken while running a sharp knife around the edges of the flan to stay as close to the side of the ramekin as possible. This will keep the sides of the flan nice and smooth.
If you are a fan of orange custard type desserts, check out Orange Chess Pie and Blood Orange Panna Cotta.
Orange Flan
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Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brush the insides of 8 ramekins lightly with vegetable oil. This will prevent the flan from sticking.
Heat the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir often as the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture come to a boil and keep boiling it until it just starts to turn light pale brown. This will take about 5 to 6 minutes. You will need to be watching it carefully and stirring it often. It will go from light brown to burned very fast.
Measure out 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the sugar mixture and spoon it into a prepared ramekin. Continue the process until every ramekin has the mixture.
In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract and eggs. Process until it is completely combined and smooth. It can also be mixed with an electric mixer or whisked together by hand.
Measure out 1 cup of the mixture and add to each ramekin.
Fill a baking pan with 1 inch of hot water to create a water bath. Add the ramekins to the baking pan.
Bake for 45- 50 minutes until the top of the flan is completely set.
Let the flan cool to room temperature then place into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
To serve. Run a sharp knife completely around the edge of the flan to help it release. Stay as close to the ramekin as possible so the flan stays smooth. Invert the ramekin upside down over a plate. Tap the ramekin to release the flan.
Serve as is or add garnishes. Whipped cream, orange zest, and mint leaves are good options.
