Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cake

I've made this dessert over and over again for years. It's great for a special occasion, but easy enough to make on any ordinary day. If you have a chocolate craving, give this souffle cake a try. The bittersweet chocolate makes it extra rich and perfect with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Tyson was my official taste tester when I made this recently. He approved!

Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cake
12 ounces (about 2 cups) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/4 cup all purpose flour

whipped cream (1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar - whip with an electric mixer until thick)

hot fudge sauce (optional)... I used Hershey's hot fudge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper, then butter the paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a pot of barely boiling water. Stir frequently until melted.

Let cool. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the flour.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add in 6 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Whisk about 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently. Pour batter into springform pan, spreading evenly.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes. The center will still be soft.

Remove from oven and cool in the pan. When cool, remove sides of pan and invert onto a plate. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper and invert onto a serving plate.

The cake will "fall" in the middle. So don't worry... it makes the center very very moist and decadent (like the gooey center of a souffle).

Serve with whipped cream and drizzle with hot fudge. Enjoy!

recipe from epicurious.com