Happy Birthday…

to me!!! Not that I am happy to be getting older, but it was my birthday last weekend, and with a 4-year old at home there was no way I could go through the day without a birthday cake! And being the chocoholic I am, I opted for a yummy chocolate one, which ended up pleasing everybody else at home.
I had this recipe on my to try pile for years, and I am glad I finally decided to try it. Dark Chocolate Soufflé Cake is delicious and yet quite simple to make. The cake rises well during baking, but falls on itself after cooling, just like a soufflé. However, it did not tasted like one. It had a rich chocolate taste and a very light texture at the same time.
We all enjoyed it at home, and since it was a pretty nice cake we did not need anything else with it, apart from a few berries and some powdered sugar for decoration! Yummy cake, worth trying at any time!
As usual I made a few changes… I used only semisweet chocolate (4 oz total – it was what I had at home), and only ½ the sugar asked in the recipe. Also, I did not add the Kahlua, because unfortunately I did not have any (subbed 2 tbsp milk – gotta buy some liqueur here!). The sweetness was just perfect to us, but if you prefer your desserts on the sweeter side then maybe you should keep the sugar as it was.
All in all, I had a good cake and a very happy birthday!
Ana

Dark Chocolate Souffle Cake
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2/3 cup Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sifted cake flour (such as Swan's Down)
6 large egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 cup raspberries (optional)
Chocolate curls (optional)

Preheat oven to 300°.
Coat bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, water, and espresso in a large saucepan; stir well and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add cocoa, salt, and chocolates, stirring with a whisk until chocolate melts. Stir in Kahlúa and egg yolks. Stir in flour; cool to room temperature. Set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; repeat procedure with remaining egg white mixture, one-fourth at a time. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove sides from pan; sift powdered sugar over cake. Garnish with raspberries and chocolate curls, if desired.
Note: A substitution of 1/4 cup all-purpose flour may be used in place of 1/3 cup cake flour.
Cooking Light, November 1997.