Chocolate Soufflé Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good soufflé? ›

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.

The Washington Post explains that the protein in egg whites can only expand so much; if you over-whip them, they won't have the elasticity needed to continue to expand in the oven heat, which causes the soufflé to collapse. After achieving peak egg white peaks, fold those into the yolk mixture.

Chocolate soufflé is a classic French dessert, and chocolate lava cake is a more recent invention. Both are made with some combination of melted chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar.

What is the difference between chocolate mousse and soufflé? 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.

The rule of thumb is to use one egg per person, so if you're making a soufflé for four, you would use four egg yolks, reserving the whites for later use.

Souffle may be made up ahead and refrigerated as long as 24 hours. Put souffle in cold oven and bake 50 minutes at 325 degrees. It can also be frozen up to 7 days. Allow 50 to 60 minutes to bake frozen at the same temperature.

A ramekin with straight sides will help the soufflé rise but you can bake them in almost anything that can go in the oven. I sometimes like to bake them in a frying pan or baking dish and serve sharing style directly on the table.

Soufflés are best when they're still slightly runny in the centre. To check if a soufflé is set, gently tap the dish – it should wobble just a little bit. If the centre seems too fluid, cook for a few more minutes.

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

What temperature to bake soufflé at? ›

Bake in preheated 375° F (190° C) oven until puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Serve immediately.

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.

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.

What is the main difference between a souffle vs quiche? The main difference lies in the base and the texture of these two dishes. While quiche has a savory pastry crust filled with a custard base made from whole eggs and cream, a soufflé relies heavily on whipped egg whites to give it a light and airy texture.

The key to making a light and airy soufflé lies in the method by which the whisked egg whites are incorporated into the base mixture. This process, called ''folding'', requires gentleness and patience, as the aim is to preserve as much of the air introduced into the whites during whisking as possible.

Souffles are a very simple science, the combination of these three scientific facts: egg proteins solidify as they cook; heat turns liquids to gases; and heated gases such as air expand and rise. Think of when you boil a liquid and how bubbles burst up from its surface; so it is with a souffle.

When the egg mixture is baked in a 350-degree oven, those air bubbles trapped in the egg whites expand, making the souffle rise. The heat also causes the protein to stiffen a bit, and along with the fat from the yolk, it forms a kind of scaffold that keeps the souffle from collapsing.

And here lies the crux of the issue: a proper soufflé is one that creates the most resistance for the steam molecules. The secret to this is to beat the egg whites until they are very stiff, so they create a compact foam that serves as a barrier.