I recently had the opportunity to wow 16 of my fans with one of my favorite chocolate desserts on a Tuesday afternoon- individual chocolate soufflé cakes with caramel sauce.
Chocolate cake anyone?
This is a dessert I’ve made for several years, usually for high-end private dinner parties, where I can charge as much as $75 a plate. Until this particular day I didn’t realize the potential power of chocolate… I looked up and saw people in the room were practically swooning with pleasure! One bite and you’ll know what I mean-
It’s that good! This isn’t another Chocolate-Lava cake where the center is overflowing. Instead, it’s more cake-like; it does rise slightly like a soufflé when the individual cakes are first removed from the oven.
This is not the place to use ordinary chocolate chips or inexpensive chocolate bars.
Chocolate, Strawberries & Wine
Your choice of chocolate as well as the sauce you add when plating the dessert is crucial in creating complex, layered flavors that take this simple dessert to the next level. In this case, I didn’t use just any bittersweet chocolate. I did use some, 5 oz (my chocolate of choice is usually Schaeffenberger, a Bay Area favorite) but this time I also added 3 oz of an artisan chocolate bar from Vosges Chocolates made with: Black Hawaiian sea salt, burnt sugar caramel and dark chocolate with 70% cacao. This company makes other flavors that sound just as intriguing: Blood Orange Caramel Bar -flavored with hibiscus flowers, blood orange caramel, Campari dark chocolate is another one I’d like to try. After the response I received on that Tuesday afternoon, I won’t be happy with using the status quo bittersweet chocolate ever again.
Here’s the easy recipe
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks), plus 2 tablespoons of melted butter for the cake molds
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (high quality/ 70% cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
4 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons, all-purpose flour (plus extra to coat the inside of the cake molds)
At least 8 individual Ramekins
Prepare the Ramekins
Use melted butter (or lightly spray your baking molds with vegetable cooking spray) and add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour (or cocoa powder) to each mold and tap out any excess. This will ensure that the cakes do not stick to your baking dish once you want to remove them after baking.
Melt chocolate and butter
Using a small saucepan (or double-boiler) bring 2 inches of water to boil and using a large glass or stainless shell bowl, combine and melt the butter, chocolate and espresso powder over simmering water. Let cool.
Beat eggs and sugar for at least 2 minutes
Using an electric mixer (or hand-mixer) combine and beat the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Add the flour. Do not over mix the batter.
Divide the batter between the molds and bake in 450 degree oven.
For small 3 oz. cake molds, bake approximately 12 to 15 minutes– you will have 18 what I call “tasting portions;” For larger portions, 6 to 8 oz cake molds can be used to make 8 portions. Bake these larger sizes approximately 18 to 20 minutes (or more if needed), until the top and sides are cooked dry. The inside will be slightly runny.
Chef’s Note: make your cakes “Gluten-Free” by substituting Gluten-Free flour for the AP Flour. Yes- even 4 teaspoons of AP Flour can be detrimental to those on a wheat-free diet!
Plating the dessert
I think this dessert is even better with a sauce. In the original recipe from Celebrity Chef, Giada De Laurentis, she un-molded the cakes onto a dessert plate, added 1 tablespoon of hazelnute liquor to each plate and surrounded the cake with fresh berries. I go a step further and use a dessert sauce, depending on the season and the overall menu I’ve prepared: In the Spring and Summer, when berries at their best, I’ll make a fresh Raspberry or Strawberry Sauce that I drizzle on the bottom of the plate; I’ve also used a store-bought carmel sauce, hot fudge sauce or even vanilla ice-cream as my topping of choice. I think you’ll find this to be a memorable dessert that is easy to make and will wow your family and friends. If you agree, I want hear about it!
Final tip: You may notice the cakes have a slight white coating once removed from the cake molds. This happens when using any kind of flour, so for a better appearance, use cocoa powder in place of the flour when preparing the cake molds for baking. This will add additional flavor and not compromise the outside appearance.
One recent afternoon I spent a couple of hours and canned and processed twenty five, 4 oz jars of my marmalade to give away as client gifts. If you’ve received one, you can keep it for up to 12 months as long as you store the unopened jar in a cool, dry place. The process of “canning” isn’t hard at all- it may be a little intimidating at first, if you haven’t made jam before, but quite rewarding once you taste your creation on toast or english muffins or even on a slice of my citrus almond-olive oil cake that I often serve at Brunch or as a dessert for my client parties.
the heat once the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees, to allow for carry-over cooking. Allow the meat rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing or cutting. Enjoy!
