Don’t be intimated – anyone can follow this Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake Recipe! A rich chocolate ganache is folded with fluffy egg whites, creating a rich dark cake with a pillowy texture. The soufflés rise tall in the oven and fall in the center as they cool, creating a pool of gooey chocolate in the centers.
The Perfect Chocolate Souffles
These cute chocolate soufflé cakes are the perfect dessert for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Making a soufflé sounds intimidating, but I’ll share a few tips with you to make these foolproof.
Chocolate soufflé is a flourless chocolate cake, made by combining a rich chocolate ganache with light and airy egg whites. A fallen chocolate soufflé is similar to a lava cake, combining a light and airy cake on the outside, with a hot creamy chocolate center.
The batter bakes into delicate cakes, with a lightly crisp crust and a craggy top. Slightly underbaking the cakes causes them to fall in the centers as they cool. This leaves a creamy, hot fudge-like center.
There is no need to frost these cakes. It’s a complete dessert, baked into individual ramekins. The melty center has the richest chocolate flavor and gives these all the decadence they need.
Fallen chocolate soufflés are a forgivable dessert! They come together in less than an hour and can be served immediately. However, if made ahead of time, they can be reheated and served warm.
Since this recipe makes 4 cakes, we have eaten two out of the oven and refrigerated the others for a couple of days later with great success.
We serve these rich chocolate cakes dusted with powdered sugar and with a handful of fresh raspberries or strawberries. A little whipped cream would also be delicious!
Equipment for Souffle Baking
- 4-ounce ramekins (with straight sides) OR an 8-inch springform pan. An 8-inch round cake pan will work in a pinch!
- A stand mixer (or a large bowl and a hand mixer.)
- Sharp European Convection Oven
I rely on my Sharp European Convection Oven for all my baking needs. Its roomy interior and even baking mean all of my desserts come out perfect. I can trust it to bake the perfect cheesecake, or even a delicate dessert like these soufflés.
What You’ll Need
- Coconut Oil (or unsalted butter)
- 72% Dark Chocolate Chips (or a chopped bittersweet chocolate bar, use a lower cocoa content for a sweeter cake)
- Cacao Powder (or an unsweetened cocoa powder)
- Coconut Sugar (white sugar works if you don’t have this on hand!)
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg Yolks
- Almond Flour (not almond meal, to keep the texture light)
- Egg Whites (separated from a whole egg. Do not use liquid egg whites.)
How to Make Chocolate Souffle Cakes
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400º F. Cut out parchment paper to line the bottom of the ramekins or the springform pan. Add the round of parchment paper into the cups or pan, and grease the ramekins or springform pan all the way up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Step 2: Into a heatproof bowl, combine dark chocolate, cacao powder, 1 cup of coconut sugar (reserve remaining sugar for meringue), and coconut oil. Pour boiling hot water over the mixture, and stir until the chocolate is melted and a thick, smooth ganache is formed. Note: If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, put the bowl over a boiling pot on the stove (to make a double boiler) for a couple of minutes to heat the mixture enough to fully melt the chocolate.
Step 3: Add the egg yolk, almond flour, and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate mixture, and stir until a very thick and glossy cake batter is formed.
Step 4: Add the egg whites to a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Add cream or tartar, and whip egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, and continue mixing until stiff peaks form. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites moving out of place.
Step 5: Add 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate cake batter, and fold in. Continue folding until no streaks of egg whites remain. This loosens up the batter so the next addition stays more airy.
Step 6: Add the remaining whites, and gently fold into the batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently pull cake batter from the bottom of the bowl, folding onto the top. Continue until the mixture is uniform and no white streaks remain. Tip: Egg whites not mixed in well will cause uneven rising of the soufflés.
Step 7: Divide the batter evenly between the 4 ramekins, or add to the prepared pan.
Step 8: Bake soufflés for 17 minutes for a molten center, or 20 minutes for a more evenly baked chocolate soufflé cake.
Step 9: Allow soufflés to cool for about 10 minutes prior to serving. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or cacao powder. Cakes can be served in the ramekins. If desired, run a knife around the edges of the ramekins and turn the ramekin over into your hand, and then place the cake directly on a plate.
Note: If baking in a springform pan, let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes prior to slicing it to serve.
How to Serve Chocolate Souffle Cake
With fresh berries: These cakes are decadent all on their own. Add a bright contrast by serving them with fresh raspberries or strawberries.
With crème anglaise: A traditional French combination, this creamy vanilla custard makes a decadent pairing.
How to Store Leftover Cakes
Once the cakes have fully cooled, cover the tops with foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Store leftover slices of cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerated up to 1 week.
Leftover cakes are delicious served cold with ice cream.
If desired, preheat oven to 350º F, and reheat cakes for about 8 minutes.
Tips for the BEST Chocolate Souffles
The chocolate you use matters! Choose a dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content. Also read the ingredients to make sure there are no thickeners (cheaper chocolate chips often do). The only ingredients should be cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla. Use chocolate you enjoy eating, because it’s the main flavor of chocolate soufflé!
Be patient with the meringue. The egg whites need to be very stiff in order to not deflate when mixed into the chocolate batter. Some chefs recommend whisking egg whites on a medium-high speed to form smaller air bubbles. Cream of tartar or a little lemon juice helps the process.
Perfect your “folding” method: You spent the time to make a perfect egg white meringue. Aggressively stirring it in to the yolk mixture will cause the whites to deflate! Adding 1/4 of the egg white mixture first loosens up the chocolate, so it is less thick and will hold more air when the rest are folded in. Think about running the spatula to the bottom of the bowl, then turning it over to cover the top of the mixture. Repeat, using slow, gentle strokes, until no white streaks remain.
Be prepared ahead of time: The French say, “Mise en Place“, meaning “everything in it’s place” before beginning to cook.
- Be sure to heat oven prior to starting the process.
- Weigh & measure all the ingredients before beginning to combine them (see the glass ramekins above that I use to portion out my ingredients prior to combining them).
- Don’t whisk the egg whites until the chocolate batter is formed. It can sit at room temperature for quite a while, but egg whites will begin to deflate shortly after making them.
And enjoy the process! Since these are “fallen” soufflés, they are supposed to look rustic and not uniform. It’s a part of their charm. It’s very difficult to ruin this recipe.
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ CAKES
Don't be intimidated by chocolate soufflés! Anyone can master this simple recipe. Impress your date or your family with this special chocolate dessert! Serve these dusted with powdered sugar, with a dollop of whipped cream, or with berries. The molten centers are BETTER the frosting, so serve these simply as they are.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces 72% dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 1 1/4 cup coconut sugar divided
- 1/3 cup cacao powder or natural cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 1/3 cup boiling water *or use double boiler and hot water
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400º F. Cut out parchment paper to line the bottom of the ramekins or the springform pan. Add the round of parchment paper into the cups or pan, and grease the ramekins or springform pan all the way up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Into a heatproof bowl, combine dark chocolate, cacao powder, 1 cup of coconut sugar (reserve remaining sugar for meringue), and coconut oil. Pour boiling hot water over the mixture, and stir until the chocolate is melted and a thick, smooth ganache is formed. Note: If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, put the bowl over a boiling pot on the stove (to make a double boiler) for a couple of minutes to heat the mixture enough to fully melt the chocolate.
Add the egg yolk, almond flour, and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate mixture, and stir until a very thick and glossy cake batter is formed.
Add the egg whites to a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Add cream or tartar, and whip egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, and continue mixing until stiff peaks form. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites moving out of place.
Add 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate cake batter, and fold in. Continue folding until no streaks of egg whites remain. This loosens up the batter so the next addition stays more airy.
Add the remaining whites, and gently fold into the batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently pull cake batter from the bottom of the bowl, folding onto the top. Continue until the mixture is uniform and no white streaks remain. Tip: Egg whites not mixed in well will cause uneven rising of the soufflés.
Divide the batter evenly between the 4 ramekins, or add to the prepared pan.
Bake soufflés for 15-17 minutes for a molten center, or 20 minutes for a more evenly baked chocolate soufflé cake.
Allow soufflés to cool for about 10 minutes prior to serving. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or cacao powder. Cakes can be served in the ramekins. If desired, run a knife around the edges of the ramekins and turn the ramekin over into your hand, and then place the cake directly on a plate.
Note: If baking in a springform pan, let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes prior to slicing it to serve.
