The Chocolate Soufflé Cake is a dessert featured on the menu at the French restaurant Le Français located in Wheeling, a suburb of Chicago. The recipe is from the book “Book of Great Chocolate Desserts” by Maida Heatter.
With the Club del 27 this month, we are talking about this book, which is a sort of bible for chocolate lovers. Maida Heatter is recognized as a true expert in desserts, and in this book, she collects many delicious chocolate recipes, from cookies to white chocolate mousse, including tips on techniques and equipment.
Find all the recipes from the book in the article on the MTChallenge website, and we celebrate the 8th anniversary of the club in a very delicious way.
The choice of recipe this month was really difficult, how to resist all the delicious recipes present. Chocolate cake is always very much liked at my house; over time, I have prepared two recipes very similar to this one that is part of the Italian tradition. The chocolate cake and the baked chocolate mousse from the Zaini chocolate shop in Milan are two classics that I often prepare.
I would like to leave you some chocolate-based recipes for true gourmands.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 6-8 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 366.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.06 (g) of which sugars 30.17 (g)
- Proteins 6.56 (g)
- Fat 21.64 (g) of which saturated 12.81 (g)of which unsaturated 8.20 (g)
- Fibers 1.99 (g)
- Sodium 94.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Chocolate Soufflé Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 oz 55% dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 oz 85% dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
- 7 eggs (large or extra-large)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- Electric Whisk
- Baking Pan
Preparation of the Chocolate Soufflé Cake
Preheat the oven to 300°F or position the rack in the lower third.
Butter a 10-inch diameter baking pan, line the bottom with a disc of parchment paper, butter again, and flour. Invert the pan and shake it to remove excess flour.
Melt both types of chocolate and the butter in a double boiler over moderate heat. Stir carefully and let it cool.
Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of sugar for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and shiny. At low speed, gently incorporate the Grand Marnier.
Add the cooled chocolate and stir until smooth.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the whites form a stable structure, but not too dry.
Gently fold a small amount of beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Add another small amount of beaten egg whites and mix. Finally, add the remaining egg whites and fold with slow, gentle movements.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently shake it to level the surface.
Bake in the oven at 300°F for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 250°F and continue baking for another 30 minutes. The cake will start to sink, but it’s normal.
After a total of one and a half hours of baking, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door ajar until it completely cools down to room temperature.
Once cooled, remove the pan ring and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Remove the parchment paper and turn it back over.
Serve the cake with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.
