Chocolate Soufflé

This chocolate soufflé recipe, made using eggs, sugar, chocolate, and orange-flavored liqueur, is light and airy and far easier than you may imagine. We show you exactly how to make it.

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen | 100 Techniques | America’s Test Kitchen, 2020

If you’ve been hesitant to try your hand at a chocolate soufflé recipe for fear of a collapsed soupy dessert, worry not. This easy version, made with eggs, bittersweet chocolate, and orange liqueur, has a slightly crisp crust and light, airy texture and remains at lofty heights even after sitting for a while, which means a no-stress, high-stakes dessert.–Angie Zoobkoff

Why our testers loved this

There’s a whole bunch of reasons our recipe testers gobbled this up. They found it to be “rich and creamy” but were delighted that it maintained a light consistency. They also loved the fact that it was easy to make and held up beautifully, with no sudden deflation, as is often the concern with soufflés.

Christi B. joined in with her comment, “This chocolate soufflé is a wonderfully rich and, at the same time, light and fluffy dessert that makes a great show-stopping presentation. “

Notes on ingredients

• Unsalted butter–If you need to substitute salted butter, don’t add the 1/8 teaspoon salt in step 4.
• Chocolate–Depending on your preference, you can use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, or a mixture of both. Do use the best quality chocolate you can find.
• Cream of tartar–The addition of a tiny amount of cream of tartar helps to stabilize your soufflé to keep it light and airy. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but don’t be tempted to skip it.

How to make this recipe

1. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower middle position.

2. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish. Coat the inside of the dish with 1 tablespoon of sugar and chill until ready to use.
3. Prepare a double boiler or bain marie. Melt the chocolate with 4 tablespoons butter, stirring until smooth, then stir in the liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Cool slightly.
4. Beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar in a mixer until thick. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture.
5. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

6. Pour the batter into the soufflé dish. Bake until the outside is set, but the interior is still creamy.
7. Check for doneness. Use two spoons to gently break apart the top of the souffle. Serve immediately.

Helpful tips

• For a mocha variation, add 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water along with the liqueur in step 4.
• To make these in individual ramekins instead of a larger soufflé dish, divide the batter between small ramekins and reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.
• If your oven hasn’t finished preheating when you have the soufflé ready to bake, stash it in the fridge for a few minutes while the oven heats.
• Avoid opening the oven door while the soufflé is baking. Sudden changes in temperature can cause your soufflé to fall.
• This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.

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