This decadent chocolate espresso soufflé, or molten lava cake, is an elegant dessert that highlights the great pairing that is coffee and chocolate. I garnished this dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, tart raspberries and fresh mint leaves. Watch as the warm espresso chocolate sauce spools out onto the plate, or dip your spoon into the ramekin until you’ve eaten the last bite.

‍

15 years ago, when I was a line cook in my first restaurant kitchen and studying pastry at culinary school, I’d bring in baked goods to work for my colleagues to taste-test. One day, I made these chocolate espresso soufflés from a recipe I found in an old issue of Fine Cooking magazine. My bosses enjoyed them so much that the soufflé ended up on the menu. My time in restaurants feels like a couple lifetimes ago, yet baking these soufflés now confirms that this recipe stands the test of time.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Tips

‍

Plating the Soufflé 2 Ways

‍

Since we coated the ramekins with butter and sugar, removing the soufflé from the ramekin when it’s time to serve the dessert will be easy. Run a small offset spatula along the side of the ramekin to loosen the soufflé.  Place the warm ramekin on a round heat proof cork mat.  Flip a small round plate on top of the ramekin.  Get a good hold of both the plate and the cork mat, and flip them so that the ramekin is upside down.  Remove the cork mat, and lift the ramekin so that only the soufflé remains on the plate.  Voilà!  It’s also nice to dip your spoon into the ramekin until there are no more bites left to take.  

‍

Make in Advance  

‍

You can make the soufflés, cover the ramekins, and store them in the fridge uncooked for up to 2 days.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Equipment

‍

Kitchen scale

Oven thermometer

6 ramekins

Silicone brush

bowls

Medium saucepan

⅛ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp

Standmixer fitted with the whisk attachment

Spatula

Small spoon

Small offset spatula

Baking sheet 

‍

‍

‍

Bon appétit!
xo

Ariane

‍

‍

‍

‍