How To: Bake a Chocolate Souffle Cake with Hubert Keller

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped, and more to dust the cake pan
• 9 large eggs, separated
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided, and more to dust cake pan
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• whipped cream (optional)
• fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat Cuisinart Brick Oven to 375°F. Set oven to either the convection bake or bake setting and make sure rack is in position "A."
2. Grease a 10 x 3 inch round cake pan and then line it's bottom with parchment paper. Dust the entire round pan with sugar and then wipe the lip of the pan clean so that it is free of butter and sugar.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Set aside for later use, but try to keep warm.
4. Mix egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar with Cuisinart® Hand Mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When mixture becomes pale and thickened, add in the chocolate mixture and continue to whisk. Set aside mixture.
5. After thoroughly washing drying the whisk attachment, whip together the egg whites, water, and salt until foamy (usually takes 1-2 minutes). Slowly add in the remaining sugar and whisk for another 3-4 minutes. 
6. Stir small amount of meringue mixture into the chocolate/yolk mixture. Next fold the rest of the meringue mixture into the lightened chocolate/yolk mixture. Make sure ingredients are fully combined. Sift flour in to the mixture fully combine.
7. Pour mixture into round pan and bake for 35-45 minutes until the cake has puffed up but no longer looks moist. It should still be soft to touch.
8. Turn cake out onto server plate and remove pan and parchment. Add whipped cream and strawberries on top (optional). Ready to serve!