Chocolate Carmel-Pecan Souffle Cake

I asked my mom what kind of cake she would like and she said, of course, chocolate.  I make the same chocolate cake so much I am tired of it!  Yes, I said I am tired of chocolate...can you believe it?  So I decided to look online and see what I could find.  I stumbled upon a blog called Full Time Foodie and found this delicious recipe!  I'd never made a souffle before, but was up for a challenge...and a deadline for my mom's birthday cake!  Here is what I did:

Butter a spring form pan with melted butter.  I used a silicone brush to get the melted butter on evenly.

Put sugar into the pan and shake out the excess.

I got a pound of dark chocolate from Albanese Candy Factory.  This was so much cheaper than buying the bars at the store.  The store charges about $4 a bar.  I got the whole pound for $4.95!  Yes, I said a pound of chocolate.  This cake is amazingly good....how could it not be good with a POUND of chocolate?

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. 

Melt two sticks of butter into the chocolate.  Once melted, remove from heat and cool.

Separate 8 eggs into prep bowls.  Mix egg yolks and salt in mixer until pale yellow.  Add a 1/2 cup of sugar to the egg mixture.

Mix egg yolks into the chocolate mixture until combined.

Mix egg whites and cream of tarter until medium peeks form.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar slowly.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate.

Pour into spring form pan.  The recipe called for a 10 inch pan, but I only had a 9 inch so I took two cups of the batter out and made a personal size souffle with it.  Bake the spring form pan for 45 minutes.  It will still be a little gooey inside.

Meanwhile, start the caramel sauce.  Once cooked keep it warm by covering it and leaving it on the stove.

Again, no idea why these pics turn and stay that way?  Sorry.

Let the souffle set for 20 minutes before adding the caramel.  It will fall in the middle.

Here is what it looked like after I poured on the caramel-pecan mixture.  Mmmm...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Doesn't it look pretty all lit up?

Got them all!

The first piece goes to Mom.

Chocolate Caramel-Pecan Souffle Cake

Ingredients

For the cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, plus extra melted for brushing
1 cup superfine sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped – I used 72%
8 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Caramel-Pecan Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon

Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Brush a 10-inch spring form pan with melted butter and coat the bottom and sides of the pan with superfine sugar. Tap out any excess sugar.

To make the cake: combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl over lightly simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter together until melted. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set a medium speed, beat the egg yolks and salt until smooth. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar to the egg yolks, beating until the mixture is thick and pale yellow and forms a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the batter when the beaters are lifted, 4-6 minutes. Whisk in the bourbon and vanilla. Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the melted chocolate and butter.

In a large, clean, stainless-steel bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer set at low speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beating until the egg whites form soft peaks. Keep beating, adding the remaining 1/2 cup superfine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate batter to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate batter just until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake rises and appears puffy and firm, 25-30 minutes. The cake should still be moist, but not liquid in the center, so a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake should not come out clean, but with very moist crumbs clinging to it.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the granulated sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and starts to turn color. Increase the heat to high and boil until the syrup turns a deep amber color, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully as it can burn quickly.

Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts, then the cream and salt. Using a long handled wooden spoon to carefully stir in the cream, as the caramel has a tendency to hiss and splash as the cold cream hits it. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel thickens, 3 to 4 minutes (this took longer for me, just keep cooking it until it reaches a thick caramel consistency). Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. The cake will fall slightly as it cools. Remove the sides of the pan. Spoon the warm caramel-pecan topping over the top of the cake and allow the cake and the topping to cool completely at room temperature before serving.

Using a long, sharp knife dipped in boiling water and wiped dry to cut the cake. Dip knife in boiling water and wipe clean for each slice.

Prepare yourself for a cake eating frenzy.

For the original recipe info go to:  http://fulltimefoodie.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/chocolate-caramel-pecan-souffle-cake/#comment-121