Perfect Chocolate Soufflé from Your Freezer to the Oven
Bake this Perfect Chocolate Soufflé, individual servings, straight from your freezer. Yes, it is homemade. Yes, you did it in advance!
Dinner Party Disasters
Dinner party disasters are the stuff of legend. But what if you could avoid them altogether by preparing your dessert in advance?
That’s right, I’m talking about chocolate soufflé from the freezer. With this little trick up your sleeve, you’ll be able to take your hosting skills from zero to dinner party hero in no time flat.
Make this delicious dessert along with the rest of the Double Date Dinner menu to entertain guests for a special evening. Wine recommendations are included to include dessert wine!
So why not give it a try? Your guests will be impressed – and you’ll be one step closer to dinner party perfection.
Can you Make Chocolate Soufflés for Individual Servings in Advance?
Absolutely! Mix them up and store them in the freezer until you are ready to bake. You can complete the preparation several days in advance of your elegant event.
Your guests will be able to enjoy a warm, luxurious, rich, and delicious perfect Chocolate Soufflé that did not keep you in the kitchen all day.
What are the Ingredients in this Perfect Soufflé Recipe with Chocolate?
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate
- Table salt
- Good vanilla extract
- Orange liqueur, preferably Grand Marnier, but Cointreau or Triple Sec works
- Eggs, separated
- Cream of tartar
- Confectioners’ sugar
Is this Chocolate Soufflé Easy to Make?
It may look a little daunting at first, but this recipe is very easy to make. Read the recipe three times before beginning just so you understand the flow and are prepared.
How do you Make This Easy Recipe for Perfect Chocolate Soufflé?
To begin, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature, especially the eggs. Room temperature egg whites will whip up tall and strong and will provide structure for the soufflé. Without fluffy egg whites, you’ll just have custard.
Follow the steps and your guests will be wowed by your chocolate soufflé prowess when they cut into it and find a beautiful, warm fluffy interior.
If the egg whites are right out of the refrigerator, let them sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes. While the eggs come to room temperature, gather the rest of your ingredients and tools.
Chocolate Soufflé for Individual Servings
We’ll use ramekins for individual servings.
First coat four 1-cup ramekins with a little butter. Then sprinkle in some sugar to coat the inside surface. Pour off extra sugar and refrigerate the ramekins until you are ready to use them.
On to the rich, delicious mixture.
Separate the Eggs for the Perfect Chocolate Soufflé
The first step in preparing a chocolate soufflé is separating the egg whites from the yolks. Keep everything organized with three bowls: one for separating (just in case you get some shell or yolk in it), one for the whites, and one for the yolks.
You can easily separate the whites by cracking the egg on a flat surface and pulling it slightly open. Then let the whites slide into the bowl for separating while you hold the yolk in the shell. Then place the yolk in a separate bowl.
Another easy method is to crack the egg in half and pour the yolk back and forth between the shell halves letting the white slide into a bowl.
There are also egg separator tools available if you want to shop around. But they really aren’t necessary.
Personally, I crack an eggshell and drop the egg in my hands keeping the yolk contained while the white runs through my fingers into the bowl. But then I like playing with my food.
Don’t use the white if it contains any trace of yolk! Save those for some other baking recipe or to add to an omelet.
Make sure the whites are at room temperature before whipping.
Make the Chocolate Mixture
Now it’s time to make the chocolate mixture. You can use either dark or milk chocolate, depending on your preference. But dark chocolate is best for soufflés.
We recommend either bittersweet or semi-sweet for this delicious recipe. But whatever you do, make sure that the chocolate is completely melted and fairly cool before adding it to the egg yolks. You don’t want scrambled eggs in your perfect chocolate soufflé!
We’ll save time by melting the chocolate in the microwave.
- Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50 percent power for about two minutes. When it has mostly melted, stir in the butter. Then, microwave one more minute again at 50% power.
- Remove the melted chocolate from the microwave and stir in salt, vanilla, and orange liqueur. You can set this aside while continuing with the other souffle ingredients.
- Next, we’ll create warm sugar water to help temper the eggs before adding the chocolate and help them fluff up.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, you will stir together 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Then, microwave on high for about 30 seconds. Stir the liquid. Then microwave another 20 – 30 seconds more. Stir until sugar dissolves. You don’t want gritty egg yolks.
- Turn your mixer on low and while it is running, slowly add this sugar syrup into egg yolks. Turn the speed up to medium and beat until the mixture triples in volume and is a pale-yellow color. This could take about 2-3 minutes.
- Once you have the yolk mixture complete, slowly fold it into the chocolate mixture.
- Using your stirrer, make a figure 8 pattern on its side. Start from the middle of the bowl and scoop down to the outside of the bowl. Come up the side of the bowl and bring the mixture to the center of the bowl. Then dive down in the opposite direction and bring the mixture up from the bottom and back to the center.
Keep making this figure 8 until the yolk and chocolate mixtures are incorporated. Go slowly, but be thorough. You want a very fluffy mixture for your perfect chocolate soufflé.
Beat the Egg Whites
Once you have your separated egg whites, it’s time to whip them into shape beating them can make them swell up to eight times their volume. This light volume is a key ingredient to creating a fluffy soufflé.
You can whip the whites with a whisk or an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, but the mixer will save a lot of time.
Be sure to use a deep mixing bowl and very clean utensils. You want to make sure you can get stiff peaks and any kind of oil or food debris on the whisk can inhibit this outcome.
Make sure to beat them until they’re nice and stiff about 4 – 6 minutes total.
According to Serious Eats, you’ll know they are done when the egg whites are smooth, moist, shiny, and the tips can stand straight up when you pull a beater out of the mix. Do not overmix or you will deflate the whites.
For this recipe, we have broken the process of whipping the egg whites into a few stages.
- First, beat egg whites until frothy – about 1 1/2 minutes on medium speed.
- Then, when the egg whites are really foamy and can start to take on the shape of soft peaks, add cream of tartar. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, gradually add in the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Don’t add it too quickly or you could lose some volume. Adding sugar helps to stabilize the eggs, which means less risk of weeping egg whites.
- Continue beating to stiff peaks, 2 – 3 minutes. You want smooth, shiny white with tips that stand straight up when you pull the beater out of the whites.
The mixture should just hold the weight of a raw egg in the shell when the egg is placed on top. Voila!
Why Use Cream of Tartar in the Perfect Chocolate Soufflé Recipe?
The Food Explainer at Slate reports cream of tartar is a byproduct of wine and grape juice processing creating an acidic salt. As an acid, it acts as a stabilizer in recipes that require whipped egg whites, such as meringue, angel food cake, and this soufflé.
When properly whipped, egg whites can swell up to eight times their initial volume. The acidity of cream of tartar helps egg whites achieve their full volume potential. It also helps stabilize the whites by helping hold in moisture and air.
Add the Chocolate to the Egg White Mixture
You’ve been doing everything slowly so far, but now we are going to use up some energy and pick up the pace. Only for a minute though.
Scoop out about one-quarter of the whipped whites and stir into the chocolate mixture. Go ahead and stir energetically to incorporate during this first addition.
Now, taking one generous scoop at a time, gently fold the remaining fluffy egg whites into the chocolate mixture until just incorporated. Stir using the “figure 8 on its side” as you did when incorporating the yolks and melted chocolate. Do not overmix.
Be mindful when folding the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. You want them incorporated, until no more white streaks are present, but do this slowly and with intent. it is important to keep lots of air in the mixture.
Fill the Ramekins for Individual Servings of Perfect Chocolate Soufflé
Now that your mixture is ready, it’s time to fill the ramekins. Make sure to fill them evenly.
Fill each ramekin almost to the rim with the chocolate mixture. Wipe any excess chocolate mixture off of the ramekin with a wet paper towel. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and freeze until firm. At least 5 hours and up to three days.
I have frozen these longer than three days with no issues, however, I typically make these just the week in advance of hosting friends for dinner. I don’t have that much free space in my freezer to keep them longer!
Bake your Perfect Chocolate Soufflé
Speaking of not rushing, don’t rush the baking process.
When you are ready to bake your soufflés, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove your soufflés directly from the freezer and place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Right away, walk them to the preheated oven, place them inside and close the oven door.
Then, leave them alone. Opening the oven too soon could make the soufflés fall, and fallen soufflés are sad. Still edible, but sad.
Bake until fully risen which takes about 16 to 18 minutes. The soufflé is done when it is fragrant and fully risen above the rim of the ramekin. You’ll see a nice dome on top. Wait at least 16 minutes before testing to see if they are done.
While the soufflés are baking set aside a fine-mesh sieve and a tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar for dusting. Then, start the coffee or pour your dessert wine. (For recommendations see the Double Date Dinner menu.)
To test for doneness, carefully open the oven door and very gently insert the tip of a knife carefully into the center of one soufflé. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, gently close the door and return it to the oven to bake for one or two more minutes.
Serve Warm
When your delicious Chocolate Soufflés are finished, dust them with a little confectioner’s sugar and serve right away. You don’t want your soufflés to fall or deflate before your guests get to enjoy them.
Have Friends Over for a Special Dinner and Chocolate Soufflé for Dessert
Whether you’re hosting a Valentine’s Day meal, elegant dinner party, or just looking for an easy way to impress your guests with dessert, this Chocolate Soufflé from your freezer recipe is perfect. All it takes is a little patience and planning ahead of time!
We know that life can get busy sometimes, but we also understand how much people love a special dessert. Just make a little room in your schedule for this sweet treat to really impress your guests.
So why not give it a try? Make this delicious dessert as part of the Double Date Dinner menu and you’ll be one step closer to dinner party perfection!
Cheers Y’all!
P.S. If you care, please share on your favorite social media platform or email a link to your friends! Thanks!
Perfect Chocolate Soufflé
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp unsalted butter 2 tsp softened, remaining 2 Tbsp butter cut into 1/4-inch chunks
- 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar divided (2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp for the soufflé, 2 tsp for coating the dishes)
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- Pinch table salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tsp orange liqueur preferably Grand Marnier
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Coat four 1-cup ramekins with 2 teaspoons butter. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to each ramekin and rotate
ramekins until sugar coats all surfaces. Pour off extra sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use. - Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50 percent power for two minutes. Stir in butter. Microwave one more minute at 50% power. Stir in salt, vanilla, and orange liqueur; set aside.
- Place 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar in a microwaveable safe bowl. Stir in 1 Tbsp water. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Then microwave another 20 – 30 seconds more. Stir until sugar dissolves. With mixer running, slowly add this sugar syrup into egg yolks. Beat until mixture triples in volume and is a pale yellow color, about 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate mixture. Clean beaters really well.
- Beat egg whites until frothy – about 1 1/2 minutes. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 — 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar; continue beating to stiff peaks, 2 – 3 minutes. (Mixture should stand straight up in firm peaks when whip removed from egg whites.)
- With a large spoon or stirrer, thoroughly hand stir one-quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining whites into mixture until just incorporated. Fill each ramekin with chocolate mixture almost to the rim. Wipe any excess chocolate mixture from rim with a wet paper towel. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 5 hours and up to three days.
- When ready to bake soufflés: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove ramekins from the freezer and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Then place immediately into the preheated oven. Bake until fully risen, about 16 — 18 minutes. Soufflé is done when fragrant and fully risen. (To test for doneness, very gently insert the tip of a knife carefully into the center of a soufflé. If it comes out clean, it is done. If not, gently close the oven door and bake for another 1 –2 minutes.)
- Remove from oven and dust with 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately.
Notes
Shared With —
- Between Naps on the Porch, Metamorphosis Monday 680
One Comment
Barbara at Mantel and Table
This post is great – I can’t wait to make these souffles!