Easy Chocolate Soufflé Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to a soufflé? ›

Heat matters. Make sure the oven is preheated; that initial hot blast expands the air trapped inside the bubbly foam of batter, which makes it rise. Having the soufflé base hot or warm when you fold in the egg whites helps the temperature rise quickly, too.

While both are light and airy chocolate desserts that contain eggs, mousse is custard-based, usually contains milk or cream, and is served cold. Soufflé has fewer ingredients, and is baked and served hot.

Egg Yolks + Egg Whites – Eggs are separated for this recipe; the yolks are beat with the sugar, then mixed in with the melted butter and chocolate, while the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks to give the souffle that wondrous volume. Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is all you need for this recipe.

Mustard and cayenne pepper or hot sauce add subtle flavor to the soufflé but are not absolutely necessary. Cream of tartar is not required, but it can help prevent accidentally overbeating the egg whites; if you have it, you might as well add it.

According to La Varenne Practique (a timeless masterwork you should consider owning if learning more about classic French cooking appeals), there are only a few critical points to perfecting a souffle: a base of the right consistency, stiff egg whites, and the careful folding of the base and the beaten whites.

If the egg whites are not mixed enough, they will be too heavy to rise, but if they are over-whipped they will collapse in the oven. Finally, and most problematically, any cross-contamination between yolks and whites will cause the whole concoction to collapse, which is the bane of many dessert chefs' days.

Half-fill a roasting tin with boiling water and put it in the oven – this bain-marie will insulate the soufflé mixture from the intense heat of the oven, and keep the texture soft and custardy, rather than tough and chewy.

Souffles are mostly made of eggs, so there will be a slight eggy taste, but it should not be overpowering if there is enough flavoring in it, like vanilla or chocolate. Make sure to use fresh eggs, good-quality flavorings, and enough flavoring to balance the egg taste.

Like with all baking, opening the oven door causes the temperature in the oven to drop dramatically, and the more you open it, the harder it is for the oven to get back up to temperature. With a soufflé, opening the oven too often can make it rise less dramatically. Bake until done and serve immediately!

Deliciously crafted souffle made with our savory egg mixture, Neufchâtel, cheddar, Parmesan and romano cheeses.

What is a fun fact about chocolate souffle? ›

The chocolate soufflé was not invented until the 19th century when chocolate became more widely available. The first chocolate soufflé recipe was published in a cookbook by Marie-Antoine Careme, who was a French chef and considered one of the greatest chefs of all time.

Why Did my Chocolate Soufflé Fall? Over-mixed + deflated batter: Slowly and gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions, always being careful to avoid over-mixing and excessive deflating.

If you find yourself in a pinch in the kitchen, you can swap white vinegar for cream of tartar. This substitute works best when stabilizing egg whites for recipes like soufflés and meringues. Simply use an equal amount of white vinegar in place of cream of tartar when you're whipping egg whites.

Substitute Soufflé Pans: If you don't have a real soufflé pan, you can use any straight-sided pan that's deeper than it is wide. They'll bake more evenly and with better lift if you use a round pan instead of a square or rectangular one. You could use any baking dish or even a deep, oven-safe saucepan!

Any 1 or 1.5 quart oven-safe dish with straight sides: You can use any oven-safe casserole dish as long as it's about 1-1.5 quarts and has straight sides.

Some souffle dishes have a collar, and some people add one with tin foil in order to make the souffle rise higher. If your dish has a collar, fill it all the way to the top of the pan. If it doesn't have one, three quarters of the way will do. Those souffles that collapse when a pin drops are too dry.

Place the ramekins on the hot baking tray (to give them an immediate burst of heat) in the top of the oven and bake for 8–12 minutes until well risen and cooked, but still uniformly wobbly when lightly shaken. Serve immediately. There should be about 1 tsp undercooked soufflé mixture in the centre.

Why does a soufflé fall after baking it in the oven? Souffle is supposed to have a lot of bubbles in it as it bakes so it will be fluffy when it's done. If a souffle falls thus means the bubbles have leaked or burst, causing the souffle to deflate.

Bake 17 — 20 minutes until souffles are puffy but still jiggle slightly when the baking sheet is gently nudged. Remove the souffles from the oven and immediately place each ramekin on a small plate topped with a napkin or doily to keep the ramekin from moving while in transit.