Leche Flan Caramel Topping:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Do not stir the sugar. Just gently swirl the pan to make sure sugar is heating evenly.

Bring the sugar-water mixture to a boil until it turns into a copper/amber color. Be careful not to let it get too dark, otherwise it will have a slightly bitter burnt flavor. Turn off the heat as soon as it turns light amber.

Immediately and quickly transfer this caramel liquid into a 9" round cake pan. Tilt the pan as needed to let the caramel liquid go all the way to the edges and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set this aside at room temperature to let the caramel cool and harden.

Leche Flan Custard:

In a large mixing bowl, add 6 large room temperature eggs, 1 tsp of finely grated orange zest, 7 oz / 198 g (which is half a can) of unsweetened coconut cream, and 14 oz / 396 g (which is 1 can) of sweetened condensed milk and whisk them together until they are completely combined and the mixture is smooth.

Add in 12 fluid oz / 354 mL (which is 1 can) of evaporated milk and 2 tsps. vanilla extract, and carefully whisk it in until the mixture is smooth. Try not to stir it too vigorously to avoid air bubbles from forming. Avoid using an electric mixer or stand mixer to avoid beating too much air into the mixture.

Strain this mixture through a cheesecloth or a strainer (to remove any lumps) into the prepared 9"-round cake pan with the hardened caramel layer at the bottom.

Gently tap the pan on the counter to release any remaining air bubbles in the custard.

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat your oven to 325 F (165 C). Place the round cake pan with your leche flan in the center of a large roasting dish and place this roasting dish on the middle rack in your preheated oven, with the oven rack pulled out a bit. Do not close the oven door yet. When the roasting dish is in the oven, pour boiling water into the roasting dish so that it goes up about one inch high, creating a water bath for the flan. Very carefully (so water doesn't slosh around) push the rack fully into the oven and close the oven door.

(Pouring the boiling water while the roasting dish is already in the oven will avoid having to carry the heavy dish with boiling water inside it).

Bake this on the middle rack in the preheated oven at 325 F (165 C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the flan is just set. It's okay if the center is still a bit jiggly as it will firm up as it cools to room temperature.

Remove the round pan from the water bath, and allow it to cool to room temperature on a metal rack. When it reaches room temperature, cover the pan with plastic wrap, then chill it in the fridge.

Ube Chiffon Cake:

Separate 4 eggs into yolks and whites, and let them come to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 340 F (170 C). Prepare a 9" round cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Do not grease parchment paper or the sides of the pans. Soak 1 cake strip in cold water for 5 minutes. Then shake off excess water but do not wring. Place the soaked cake strip around the cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup of cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Then add in the 4 room temperature egg yolks, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 1/3 cup of water, 1/4 cup of ube halaya, 2 tsp of ube extract, and 1/2 tsp of purple gel food coloring.

Beat this together with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add in the 4 room temperature egg whites and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, and with the whisk attachment beat on medium speed until it looks frothy, about 1 minute. Then turn the speed up to medium-high, and very slowly add in 1/3 cup of granulated sugar while continuing to beat. When all the sugar has been added, turn the speed up to high and beat until you see stiff glossy peaks.

One third at a time, gradually and very gently fold in this meringue into the cake mixture until very well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared round cake pan.

Bake this in the preheated oven at 340 F (170 C) for about 40 - 45 minutes or until the surface springs back when touched lightly at the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake to unstick the sides as needed. Then invert the cake onto a metal rack and lift off the pan. Let it cool on the rack completely to room temperature.

Salted Caramel Glaze:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tsp water. Do not stir the sugar. Just gently swirl the pan to make sure the sugar is heating evenly.

Bring the sugar-water mixture to a boil until it turns into a copper/amber color. Be careful not to let it get too dark, otherwise it will have a slightly bitter burnt flavor. Turn off the heat as soon as it turns light amber. It will continue to darken with the residual heat.

Then while vigorously whisking, very slowly add in 1/3 cup of room temperature heavy cream, and vigorously whisk it in. Be careful of the hot steam from the initial addition of heavy cream. Adding the heavy cream very slowly will prevent the caramel from seizing up. But if the sugar does seize up into a solid ball, don't worry. Just keep whisking and it will melt again.

Add 2 tbsp of unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp of salt, and turn on the heat to medium-low. Mix in the butter and continue whisking for 3 minutes, until the caramel has thickened a little.

Let the caramel cool completely to room temperature before using.

Assembling the Ube Flan Cake:

Take the flan out of the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. This will allow the caramel at the bottom to soften up a bit, break the vacuum at the bottom, and make it easier to unmold the flan. With the knife slightly angled towards the pan (to minimize breaking the flan), glide a thin knife around the edges of the flan, applying pressure against the side of the pan to avoid damaging the flan, to break the vacuum on the sides between the pan and the flan. At this point if the flan is spinning in the pan, no need to tap the sides. If needed (if the flan still hasn't dislodged from the pan) firmly hold up the pan with one hand and use your other hand to tap the sides of the pan. Do this all around the pan. Be very careful. We're trying to gently dislodge the flan from the pan without breaking the flan.

Take a serving dish that has a raised lip or rim, as the caramel top runs as it melts. Take the ube chiffon and place it on the serving dish with the flatter side up. Spread the caramel glaze evenly over the top surface of the ube chiffon, leaving about half an inch from the edge so the caramel doesn't drip down the sides. The caramel glaze will act as an adhesive connecting the flan to the ube chiffon.

Place a flat cake board over the flan, and quickly invert the flan onto the cake board. You'll hear a slurping sound when the flan gets unmolded and descends onto the cake board. Lift off the flan pan, then quickly slide the flan onto the ube chiffon covered with caramel glaze.

Chiffon cake shrinks slightly after cooling, so the ube chiffon will be slightly smaller than the 9" diameter flan. To make the flan and ube chiffon layers flush, take a sharp knife and go around the cake, trimming the flan layer to be aligned with the ube chiffon layer all the way around the cake. Remove the excess flan that is cut off from the serving dish and clean up the dish as needed.

Let this rest in the fridge overnight for the layers to set, and for the flan to adhere to the ube chiffon via the caramel glaze. Enjoy!