The recipe for chocolate casserole, made with eggs, sugar, chocolate, and orange-flavored liqueur, is light and fluffy and a lot easier than you might imagine. We’ll show you exactly how to do it.
If you’ve previously hesitated to try a chocolate soufflé recipe for fear of a collapsed soup dessert, fear not. This easy version made with eggs, dark chocolate, and orange liqueur has a slightly crispy crust and light, airy texture, and stays aerated even after a while, making for a stress-free, high-stakes dessert.—Angie Zoobkoff
Why our testers loved this
There’s a whole bunch of reasons why our recipe testers devoured this. They thought so “rich and creamy” but were pleased that there was a retained one light consistency. They also loved the fact that it was like that easy to make and beautifully keptwithout sudden deflation, as is often the case with soufflés.
Christi B. followed up with her comment: “This chocolate soufflé is a wonderfully rich and at the same time, light and fluffy dessert that makes a great presentation. “
Notes on ingredients
- Unsalted Butter– If you need to substitute salted butter, don’t add 1/8 teaspoon of salt in step 4.
- Chocolate– Depending on your preference, you can use dark or dark chocolate or a mixture of both. Use the best chocolate you can find.
- cream of tartar–Adding a small amount of cream of tartar will help stabilize your soufflé to keep it light and airy. It doesn’t seem like much, but don’t be tempted to skip it.
How to make this recipe
- Heat oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower middle position.
- Grease a 2 liter casserole dish with butter. Brush the inside of the mold with 1 tablespoon sugar and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare a water bath or water bath. Melt chocolate with 4 tablespoons butter, stir until smooth, then stir in liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Cool down slightly.
- In a mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until thick. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the casserole dish. Bake until the outside is set but the inside is still creamy.
- Check the doneness. Use two spoons to gently break apart the top of the souffle. Serve immediately.
Why do soufflés fall?
Soufflés will inevitably collapse, but not because they’ve been poked, poked, or startled. They fall because the air being whipped into the egg whites has expanded during the heating process in the oven. As this air cools, it contracts and the soufflé falls. It’s normal, it’s science and it’s why soufflés should be served immediately.
What is cream of tartar?
Believe it or not, cream of tartar is a powdery byproduct of winemaking. The scientific name is potassium bitartrate (or potassium hydrogen tartrate). It can be found in the condiment section of virtually any grocery store. It has a slightly metallic taste, but this isn’t noticeable in most recipes due to the small amount.
Cream of tartar can be used as a leavening agent, but for this recipe it speeds up the formation of those fantastic peaks of egg white foam. It also helps stabilize air molecules during heating – helping you achieve the perfect soufflé. It is also often used to stabilize meringues.
What do I serve with the chocolate soufflé?
A dollop of freshly whipped cream or a pinch of powdered sugar is really all you need for this elegant dessert. If you want to make it fancier, serve with a handful of fresh raspberries or a drizzle of salted caramel or chocolate ganache.
Helpful tips
- For a mocha twist, add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water along with the liqueur in step 4.
- To prepare these in individual ramekins rather than a larger casserole dish, divide the batter into small ramekins and reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.
- If your oven isn’t fully preheated when you’re ready to bake the soufflé, place it in the fridge for a few minutes while the oven heats up.
- Avoid opening the oven door while the soufflé is baking. Sudden temperature changes can cause your soufflé to collapse.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
More great soufflé recipes
☞ If you prepare this recipe or any other dish on LC, consider leaving a reviewA Rating in starsand your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Chocolate Souffle
Light and fluffy, this Chocolate Soufflé made with eggs, sugar, chocolate, and orange liqueur is a lot easier than you might imagine. We’ll show you exactly how to do it.
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Set the oven rack to a lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 191°C (375°F).
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Butter a 1.9L casserole dish, then coat the dish evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar and refrigerate until ready to use.
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In a medium or large heatproof bowl set over a 1 inch saucepan of gently simmering water, melt the chocolate with 4 tablespoons butter, being careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth.
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Stir in the liqueur, vanilla and salt. Remove from the stove and let cool down a bit.
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Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Fold the beaten egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture.
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Using a clean, dry mixing bowl and a whisk attachment, on medium-low speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Using a silicone spatula, vigorously stir 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until incorporated.
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl and bake until fragrant, fully risen and the outside is set but the inside is still a little fluffy and creamy but not soupy, 25 to 30 minutes.
To check doneness, use 2 large spoons to gently pry open the top and quickly peek into the souffle.
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Serve the souffle right away by bringing the dish to the table, accepting oohs and aahs, and then spooning it into individual dishes.
- Mocha soufflé variation–Add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water along with the liqueur in step 4.
- Individual soufflés–To prepare these in individual ramekins rather than a larger casserole dish, divide the batter into small ramekins and reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.
- Chill your mix –If your oven isn’t fully preheated when you’re ready to bake the soufflé, place it in the fridge for a few minutes while the oven heats up.
- Keep the oven door closed –Avoid opening the oven door while the soufflé is baking. Sudden temperature changes can cause your soufflé to collapse.
- Nourishment-This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
Portion: 1portionCalories: 315kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 22G (7%)Protein: 7G (14%)Fat: 22G (34%)Saturated Fatty Acids: 12G (75%)Polyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 7GTrans fats: 1GCholesterol: 156mg (52%)Sodium: 96mg (4%)Potassium: 273mg (8th%)Fiber: 3G (13%)Sugar: 16G (18%)Vitamin A: 398ie (8th%)Calcium: 44mg (4%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.
Recipe tester reviews
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.