Chocolate Pudding Souffle Cake
Submitted by Zimmerdude
Three-layer chocolate souffle cake filled and frosted with homemade chocolate pudding made from scratch. Light, airy layers meet thick, velvety custard.
YIELD
1 CakePREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is a project cake, and it rewards every minute of effort.
The cake itself is a true souffle: whipped egg whites folded into a rich unsweetened chocolate base, giving it an airy, cloud-like crumb that’s nothing like a standard layer cake. It rises tall in a springform pan, then gets sliced into three delicate layers.
Between and around those layers goes a from-scratch chocolate pudding, thick with heavy cream, egg yolks, and semi-sweet chocolate. It’s essentially a pot de creme that doubles as frosting.
Assembled and chilled, the pudding firms up against those feathery cake layers, creating a contrast of textures that’s pure elegance.
This one is for the occasion that calls for something truly special.
Pro Tips
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering, not boiling, water to prevent scorching and graininess
- Beat the egg whites in a perfectly clean, grease-free bowl; even a trace of fat will prevent stiff peaks
- Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to slice the cooled cake into three even layers
- The pudding must be completely cold before assembling, or it will soak into the cake and make it soggy
- Plan ahead: the pudding needs at least 2 hours to chill, and the assembled cake needs more time to set
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
Melt togeter butter and chocolate in double boiler over simmering, not boiling, water; stir until smooth. Set aside.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Separate 3 eggs; place yolks in large bowl; reserve whites.
Add 3 whole eggs and ¾ cup sugar to yolks; beat on high until pale and lemon-colored, 2 to 3 minutes.
Beat in chocolate mixture at low speed; beat in flour mixture just until blended.
Using clean beaters and clean medium bowl, beat whites until frothy. Add cream of tarter and beat until soft peaks form. Beat remaining ¼ cup sugar until stiff, not dry, peaks form.
Stir about ⅓ of whites into chocolate mixture until blended. Fold in the remaining whites.
Scrape into pan, smoothing top. Bake375 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or until set in center.
Cool completely on rack. Refrigerate until firm.
Meanwhile, prepare pudding: Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium-size heavy saucepan.
Whisk in cream. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk some of the cream mixture into egg yolks. Scrape yolk mixture back into saucepan.
Cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes; do not let boil.
Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until melted and smooth. Scrape into a bowl; place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until cold and thickened, at least 2 hours.
To assemble: Remove sides of pan from cake. Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Place 1 layer on serving plate; spread top with ¾ cup of pudding. Repeat with remaining layers and pudding. Cover sides with pudding.
Refrigerate until pudding is set.
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