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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Chocolate Souffle

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.36 from 11 ratings French
Chocolate soufflé is a very popular French dessert and comes a long way. Personally, a soufflé is a very challenging baking item to make. It is one of those things you must try over, and over x 100 (just joking!) times if it flops. Personally I am not really fond of making them myself. But I have made it a few times myself, as well as a savoury cheese soufflé starter at one of my previous jobs. You must prepare your work plan beforehand, and work very very quickly once it comes out of the oven. The soufflé falls down a few minutes after baking, so you need to serve this dish really fast if you add a lot of garnishes or making the plates look beautiful. I would strongly recommend you decorate your plate before starting to make the soufflés. And choose decorating ideas that do not mind standing a bit or does not get badly effected by standing a bit. You must actually still eat the soufflé while it is still risen and has not yet fallen down. The classical way of baking a soufflé is to serve them in the old-fashioned, or I would gladly rather say, white soufflé ramekins individually. Chocolate soufflé is best served warm with a sweet dessert wine.  
A perfectly risen, light and airy hot chocolate souffle dusted with powdered sugar.
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Total 35 min
Serves 6

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Ingredients

  • 125 g dark chocolate of good quality, chopped
  • 150 ml thick cream
  • 3 eggs - separated
  • 30 ml brandy
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 2 egg whites
  • 45 ml caster sugar
  • icing sugar for dusting

Method

  1. Butter the soufflé dishes and sprinkle it with sugar

  2. Heat the chocolate with the cream in a pot over low heat, stirring until melted

  3. Remove the pan from the heat and beat the egg yolks into the hot mixture

  4. The mixture will thicken

  5. Stir in the brandy and vanilla essence

  6. The soufflé can be prepared to this point 3-4 hours ahead

  7. Keep the mixture covered at room temperature

  8. Set the oven 20-30 minutes before serving at 200° Celsius

  9. Whip the 5 egg whites until stiff, add the caster sugar and beat until glossy

  10. Gently heat the chocolate mixture, just hot to touch

  11. Take it off the heat and fold in the egg whites

  12. Spoon into the soufflé dishes and bake at once in a the heated oven for 8-10 minutes until risen

  13. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve at once

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