Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

Why It Works

• Fresh orange juice and zest give the flan a bright, fragrant kick.
• Grinding saffron helps distribute its flavor throughout the flan.
• Covering the flan with foil and cooking it in a water bath minimizes the risk of overcooking and produces a silky-smooth custard.

While many desserts are famous for their challenging techniques or multiple components, flan eschews all complication. It’s a showstopper in its own right—so simple, straightforward, and delicious that it needs no fluff or decoration.

Flan is an excellent canvas for different flavors, too. After living in New York for 10 years, I recently returned to my home state of Florida, where oranges are abundant—and my love for the fruit has never been stronger. There’s so much nuance between different varieties, and, like all citrus, they provide a burst of brightness and fragrance to whatever they’re used in—like this orange and saffron flan. It’s a dessert that blends two heady ingredients into a flawlessly silky custard that’s as transporting in flavor and aroma as it is in texture.

I compared three types of citrus when developing this flan: tangerines, navel oranges, and Cara Cara oranges. The tangerines were notably sweeter than the other two, tasting more like orange candy than pure orange, which eliminated them quickly, as I knew the flan would be sweet enough on its own. I wanted an acidic punch and found it more pronounced in the navel orange than the Cara Cara. The navel orange was pleasantly tart, delivered that classic bright orange flavor, and had subtle vanilla undertones that would work well here. Conveniently, navel oranges are widely accessible and among the most affordable.

I love the combination of saffron and orange, and while oranges are ubiquitous and inexpensive, saffron is decidedly not. The good news is that this flan will work with any variety of saffron. I always recommend springing for the best saffron you can afford, but you should still try the recipe with whatever saffron you have, as long as it’s not pre-ground. Ground saffron is often cut with turmeric and/or paprika, diluting its beautiful floral notes. Grinding it yourself with a mortar and pestle ensures the saffron is fully incorporated into the flan without leaving whole threads behind. Just a tablespoon of hot water is enough to bloom the spice and bring out its gorgeous flavor.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

The Key to the Caramel: Go Dark

How dark you’d like your caramel is ultimately a personal preference. I like to cook my caramel until it’s dark and pleasantly bitter. For a lighter, sweeter caramel, pull the saucepan off the heat a minute or two earlier, if you must. Warming the cake pan in the oven for just a few minutes beforehand helps the caramel spread evenly across the bottom.

Cooking the Flan

I tested two versions of this flan: one covered at 325ºF (160°C), and one uncovered at 350ºF (175°C). Covering the flan not only speeds up cooking by trapping heat, but also prevents it from forming a skin by protecting it from the dry heat of the oven. I ultimately went with the lower, gentler temperature, as it minimizes the risk of bubbles forming and the flan from curdling. The water bath is also essential: It maintains a consistent temperature around the flan and prevents it from overcooking.

Flan is deceptively simple; the most challenging part may be letting the dessert cool completely. As tempting as it is to flip and slice the dessert immediately, it’s crucial to chill the flan, as it allows the custard to set and makes it easier to slice and serve. You’ll need to budget at least four hours in the fridge, but your patience will be rewarded with a silky-smooth flan bright with the flavor of oranges and saffron.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

Keep Screen Awake

2/3 cup granulated sugar (4 3/4 ounces; 134 g)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 medium orange, divided, plus 1 tablespoon zest from 2 medium oranges, divided

1 large pinch saffron threads, see notes

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks (about 1 1/2 ounces; 42 g)

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream

1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 325°F (160°C). Bring 3 quarts water to a boil; set aside.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

Set an 8-inch round cake pan in oven to warm up. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice and cook, swirling occasionally, until sugar melts and turns dark amber, 5 to 7 minutes.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

Using a kitchen towel or oven mitts, remove cake pan from oven and immediately pour caramel into warmed pan, carefully tilting to swirl caramel and evenly coat bottom of the pan. Set inside a large roasting pan.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind saffron until finely ground. In a small bowl, combine ground saffron and 1 tablespoon hot water to bloom; set aside.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks to combine. Add orange zest, condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, vanilla, salt, and bloomed saffron, whisking until well combined and no streaks remain. Pour into cake pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Transfer the roasting pan to middle rack of oven, then carefully pour reserved hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the cake pan.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

Bake until custard is just set, jiggles slightly in the center, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 175°F (79°C), 55 to 60 minutes.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

Carefully remove flan from water bath, uncover, and, using kitchen towels or oven mitts, carefully transfer cake pan to a wire rack. Allow flan to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Reserve foil.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

When cooled, run a sharp knife around the edge of cake pan. Cover flan with same piece of foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja 1.

When ready to serve, set a large rimmed plate over top of cake pan, then quickly and confidently flip flan, inverting it onto the plate, tapping bottom of cake pan if necessary to ensure the flan has fallen.

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

Special Equipment

8-inch round cake pan, wire rack, large roasting pan

Make-Ahead and Storage

Flan can be stored in the fridge tightly covered for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
347	Calories
13g	Fat
47g	Carbs
11g	Protein

×

Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 to 10 Amount per serving Calories 347 % Daily Value* 13g 17% Saturated Fat 7g 37% 150mg 50% 184mg 8% 47g 17% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Total Sugars 47g 11g Vitamin C 3mg 15% Calcium 273mg 21% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 366mg 8% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)