I work at a weird place. Seriously. Have you seen the Office? That's like my work. There's a lot of great people, but there is also day-to-day drama, and it can be pretty funny sometimes. Each year at our Christmas Party, we have a dessert contest. The prize is a 1/2 day paid leave, and trust me, it's a big deal here. I have won 4 years in a row and I really felt the pressure this year...and my entry is...the Chocolate Souffle Cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. I made little snowflakes out of Royal Icing...it took me 4 hours...and I broke a lot of them. But, I think the end result was really fun, and the cake is so YUMMY. It looks complicated, but it's not too difficult...it just takes a little time. Did I win this year, you ask? Yeppers...I took home the prize for Most Creative.
Chocolate Souffle Cake
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
9 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Put a small roasting pan filled halfway with hot water in bottom of oven (to provide moisture during baking), then preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper. Butter paper. Melt butter and chocolate together in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, then remove from heat. Beat together yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, and ribbons form when beater is lifted, about 6 minutes. Beat whites at medium speed with cleaned beaters in another large bowl until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir warm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture until combined well. Stir one fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into springform pan and bake in middle of oven (do not place springform pan in pan of hot water) until a tester inserted in center comes out with crumbs adhering, about 1 hour (a crust will form and crack on top of cake as it bakes). Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes (cake will "deflate" as it cools). Run a thin knife carefully around edge of cake, then remove side of pan. Cool cake on bottom of pan 30 minutes, then invert onto another rack or plate. Remove bottom of pan, then carefully peel off parchment. Invert cake onto a serving plate.
