Chocolate Souffle Cake: Gauravi Prabhu guest post

Today I welcome Guaravi Prabhu with a guest post and recipe for Chocolate Souffle Cake. You're going to love this recipe! 


GAURAVI PRABHU:

My name is Gauravi Prabhu. I am a recent college graduate who is obsessed with baking. It is something that has always relaxed me. I have been a dedicated foodie since a young age, and my appreciation for food has led me to experimenting and concocting various dishes. You can find my own recipes along with some borrowed recipes at http://foxborough.patch.com.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE CAKE

This cake is a cross between a brownie and angel cake. It gets a lift from the egg whites alone, so no baking powder or baking soda is needed. The inside of the cake is light and soft- almost sponge-like, while the top is flaky and crunchy. But, I think the best thing about this cake is that it is not too sweet and not too rich so you can self indulge and not feel too guilty!

I stumbled upon this recipe on Christina Marsigliese's blog: Food V Artisan. She is currently in the process of writing a cooking book and was experimenting with making the perfect souffle cake. The only changes I would make to the original recipe is using 3 egg yolks instead of 2. The extra egg gives the cake an extra lift. Also, I used salted butter and did not add in the extra 1/8 tsp of salt (this is a trick I often use when baking). Please note that my souffle cake came out small because I split it between three small pans.

Ingredients:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup boiling water
3 large egg yolks at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 to 3 tsp icing sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and line the inside circumference with a strip of parchment. Combine the chocolate, 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Let cool while you beat the egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with vanilla extract using an electric mixer on high speed until blended. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar until pale yellow and thick, about 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula until well combined. Combine the egg whites and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form.

Sift flour into chocolate mixture and fold it in until well blended. Quickly fold about a one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two parts. Pour batter into prepared pan and gently smooth the top if necessary. Bake until puffed and cracked at the surface, about 30 minutes. A toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool the pan on a wire rack. The torte will sink as it cools like a soufflé should.

Remove the sides of the pan and pull off the parchment paper. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift a little powdered sugar over the top and serve with a little whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

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Thanks so much, Gauravi, fabulous recipe and tips!!!