Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Makes 12 -14 servings . 

This flowerless, light, chocolaty dessert is truly delicious.  I love to serve it with Crème Chantilly.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for buttering the pan

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour  

• 8 ounces high quality imported semi-sweet chocolate 

• 6 eggs at room temperature (See Note)

• Scant ½ cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons cornstarch 

CRÈME CHANTILLY :

• 2 cups heavy cream, chilled

• 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other liquor

PREPARATION:

1. Grease a 9 by 2 ½-inch spring form pan with butter and dust with flour. Invert pan and tap to shake off excess.     

2. Melt the butter and cool to lukewarm. 

3. Break chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler. Cool, add the butter and combine well. 

4. Preheat oven to 350F.

5. In an electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Very gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff.  

6. Lower the speed to medium, add 1 egg yolk at a time and continue beating for 3 minutes.  

7. Spoon cornstarch into a sifter and sift half of it over the batter along with half of the chocolate.   Fold with a large rubber spatula making a motion like a figure 8 and scraping the batter from the sides and BOTTOM of bowl.

8. Repeat with the remaining cornstarch and chocolate. Be sure the final batter is well combined.

9. Pour batter into the prepared pan, distributing it evenly.  

10. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes. The inside of the cake will be moist and the center will appear loose.

11.  Cool on a wire rack.  

12. Remove the rim. Loosen the bottom with a metal spatula and invert onto a platter. The bottom will now be the top.    

TO MAKE CRÈME CHANTILLY:

1. I recommend beating the cream in a metal bowl which I chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. The colder the bowl, the less likely the cream will separate, especially if the bowl is prepared in advance. 

2. When the cream begins to take shape, add the sugar and continue beating at high speed until almost firm. With a rubber spatula fold in the liquor. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

NOTE:

I separate the eggs while they are cold. This prevents the yolks from breaking.

Chocolate Soufflé

Makes 6 servings.

I could not resist featuring this revised dessert on my website even though it is in my cookbook, Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine.  This soufflé is a chocolate-lover’s (and a hostess’s) dream--delicious, light and easy to make ahead of time. You can use a large soufflé dish or individual ramekins. Note that the soufflé goes straight from the refrigerator to the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ tablespoon unsalted margarine for greasing the soufflé dish or ramekins

• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting the soufflé dish or ramekins

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (See Note)

• 2 ounces, high quality, imported semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Grease a 4-quart soufflé dish or 6 ½-cup ramekins with margarine and sprinkle with sugar. Invert and tap to remove excess sugar.

3. Place the chocolate into the top of a double boiler. Cover and set over simmering water until the chocolate is melted. Remove the top of the double boiler, uncover and cool slightly.

4. Place the egg yolks in a bowl of an electric mixer. Using the balloon-whisk atttachment, beat the egg yolks, at medium speed, gradually adding all but 1 tablespoon sugar, until the mixture is pale, about 5 minutes.

5. Lower the speed and beat in the melted chocolate.

6. In an electric mixer bowl beat the egg whites, at high speed, using the balloon whisk until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, the reserved 1 tablespoon sugar and beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy.

7. With a rubber spatula, fold a heaping tablespoonful of egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then reverse the process, pouring the chocolate mixture over the egg whites.

8. Fold the two mixtures together, making a motion like a figure 8 until the ingredients are well combined.

9. Spoon the batter into the soufflé dish, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. If you are using ramekins, an ice cream scooper is a big help. Place them on a cookie sheet. Cover all with press and seal wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

10. When ready to bake, place the soufflé dish (or the cookie sheet with the ramekins) in the oven straight from the refrigerator and bake until the center is almost set, about 20 minutes (if you are using ramekins, bake them for 14-15 minutes).

11. Serve right away.

NOTE:

It is easier to separate the eggs straight from the refrigerator, while they are cold, as the egg yolks tend to break as they warm.