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Richard Sax’s Chocolate Soufflé Cake

A beautifully light and melt-in-the-mouth cake, this Chocolate Soufflé Cake will make you fall in love!

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 113 grams best-quality bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
  • 57 grams unsalted butter at room temperature and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks at room temperature
  • 70 grams sugar divided use
  • 1 Tablespoon coffee liqueur I used Kahlua*
  • ½ teaspoon instant coffee or espresso granules*
  • 2 egg whites at room temperature

For the Whipped Cream

  • 120 mL very cold heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder or bittersweet chocolate shavings or cacao nibs for topping

Instructions

Make the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), then place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of a 6-inch** springform pan with parchment paper. Do not butter the pan and parchment, just line the bottom. Place pan into a baking tray.
  • Using the double boiler method, melt the chocolate until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and add in the butter, whisking until fully mixed and smooth. In a small bowl or glass, whisk together coffee liqueur and instant coffee.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolks, and half the sugar just until combined. Slowly pour in the warm chocolate mixture, whisking constantly until well-combined. Whisk in the Kahlua-coffee mixture until well-combined.
  • In a separate medium bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the egg whites until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar and beat until glossy medium peaks form, about 5 more minutes. When the beater is lifted, the egg whites should be able to hold their shapes but the tips will curl back and not stand stiff.
  • Very gently fold about a quarter of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Mix until everything is combined but do not deflate the mixture.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then smooth the top as necessary. Bake until the top is puffed and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake this cake! Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The center of the cake will sink as it cools, forming a crater. Once cooled, run a thin knife around the cake gently, then unmold.

Make the whipped cream

  • In a bowl, using a balloon whisk, whip together the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla, until whipped cream turns billowy soft. You don’t want it to become stiff.
  • Spoon the whipped cream into the cake crater, swirling to give it a cloud-like look. If desired, dust the top lightly with cocoa powder, and/or top with chocolate shavings or cacao nibs. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. If you’re feeling like having a party, serve with the Chocolate Martini (recipe below).
  • In the case of leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. They won’t look as good as the fresh version, but they’ll still be a delicious mousse-like dessert.

Video

Notes

*Alternatively, you can use Grand Marnier in place of the Kahlua and about 1 Tablespoon orange zest in place of the instant coffee for an orange-chocolate version.
**The original recipe makes an 8-inch cake with double the amount of ingredients.
Adapted from Food52