Chocolate soufflé — the classic French dessert with a molten chocolate heart

Chocolate soufflé is one of the most elegant desserts of French cuisine: a delicate blend of egg yolks and melted chocolate, lifted by whipped egg whites. Baked for just a few minutes, it comes out of the oven puffed like a cloud, with a warm, molten chocolate heart that melts in the mouth.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 150 g dark chocolate (min. 60% cocoa), broken into pieces
• 60 g butter, plus a little extra for greasing the ramekins
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 50 g sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the ramekins
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)
• For the optional sauce: 100 g white chocolate + 60 ml pastry cream

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Generously grease 4 ramekins with butter, dust with sugar and shake out the excess. Place them on a baking tray.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain-marie or in the microwave, stirring until smooth and creamy. Let it cool slightly.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar and the vanilla until the mixture pales and thickens slightly. Fold in the melted chocolate.
4. In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar little by little and whisk until the peaks become firm and glossy.
5. Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture and stir firmly to loosen it. Then add the rest with gentle upward folding motions, preserving the air.
6. Divide the mixture among the ramekins, filling them three-quarters full, and level the surface with the back of a knife.
7. Bake 12–14 minutes, until the soufflé has risen and the surface is crisp but the center remains slightly wobbly. Do not open the oven door during baking.
8. Serve immediately, dusted with powdered sugar and, if desired, with the warm white-chocolate sauce on top.

Prep time: about 20 minutes; baking: 12–14 minutes. The recipe yields 4 servings.