I couldn’t resist sharing Jacques Pépin’s Chocolate Souffle topped with a bright orange sauce that reveals an unexpected method behind its striking look.
I never thought a Jacques Pépin Chocolate Souffle could make me both proud and a little scared, but here we are. Rich bittersweet chocolate melts into an airy lift then a bright orange sauce made from fresh orange juice slips over it like a secret that changes everything.
I kept poking it with my spoon even though I knew I shouldn’t, wanting to see how the texture would hold, the tang cut the deep chocolate and somehow made it feel new. This Orange Sauce Recipe sounds fancy but really it makes you wonder why you waited so long to try it.
Ingredients
- Bittersweet chocolate: rich, provides antioxidants and iron, gives deep cocoa bitterness and sweetness.
- Egg yolks: creamy, add fat and protein, help structure and enrich the chocolate base.
- Egg whites: mostly protein, whip to airy peaks, make the soufflé light, fragile.
- Butter: adds richness and mouthfeel, supplies saturated fat, i use it for gloss.
- Granulated sugar: pure carbs, sweetens heavily, balances chocolate and citrus, not healthy.
- Fresh orange juice: tart, bright, gives vitamin C and lively citrus contrast, kinda sharp.
- Orange liqueur: boozy, aromatic orange notes, lifts the sauce, adds warmth not extra sugar.
Ingredient Quantities
- 4 oz (115 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, for chocolate mixture
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar, for whipping the whites
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar, for the orange sauce
- 1 tbsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
- 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
- 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter, to finish the sauce
- extra granulated sugar for coating ramekins, about 2 tbsp
- powdered sugar for dusting, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously butter six 6-ounce ramekins, sprinkle about 2 tbsp granulated sugar into each and tilt to coat, tap out excess.
2. Melt 4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate with 3 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
3. Whisk 3 large egg yolks into the chocolate mixture until glossy and combined.
4. In a clean bowl beat 4 large egg whites (room temp) with a pinch of salt and the 1/4 tsp cream of tartar if using, until foamy. Gradually add 2 tbsp granulated sugar and beat to glossy stiff peaks but dont overbeat or they get dry.
5. Fold a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest in two additions until just combined, stop when no large streaks remain.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins almost to the top, smooth the surface and run a knife or your finger around the inside rim to help them rise evenly.
7. Bake on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes until the soufflés have risen and the edges are set but the centers still wobble slightly, do not open the oven while baking.
8. While they bake make the orange sauce: simmer 1/2 cup fresh orange juice with 2 tbsp granulated sugar in a small saucepan until slightly reduced, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tbsp orange liqueur, 1 tsp finely grated orange zest and 1 tbsp unsalted butter until glossy; taste and adjust.
9. Remove soufflés from oven, dust with powdered sugar if you like, and serve immediately with the warm orange sauce spooned over or alongside.
Equipment Needed
1. Six 6 oz ramekins, well buttered and sugared
2. Rimmed baking sheet to hold the ramekins while they bake
3. Heatproof bowl or microwave safe bowl for melting the chocolate
4. Small saucepan for the orange sauce
5. Electric mixer or a sturdy whisk to beat the egg whites (you can use a hand whisk if needed)
6. Two mixing bowls, clean and dry (one for choc mixture, one for the whites)
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and stirring
8. Measuring cups and spoons plus a tablespoon for the butter and liqueur
9. Microplane or fine grater for the orange zest and a small sieve for dusting powdered sugar (optional)
FAQ
Chocolate Soufflé With Orange Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Quick swaps I use:
- Bittersweet chocolate (4 oz): use semisweet or 60 to 70 percent dark chocolate, same weight. Or use unsweetened baking chocolate plus 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, taste and adjust; melt together.
- Unsalted butter: swap with equal weight coconut oil for dairy free cooking, or use ghee for a nuttier finish. Good quality margarine works too, just pick a firm stick style so texture stays right.
- Egg whites (4): use aquafaba, about 3 tablespoons per white so roughly 3/4 cup for 4 whites. Whip until stiff peaks, it may take longer than eggs, and add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar if you got it to help stability.
- Orange liqueur (1 tbsp): for no alcohol use 1 tablespoon extra fresh orange juice plus 1/4 teaspoon orange extract or 1 teaspoon extra grated zest for more punch. If you want another spirit, brandy or cognac in the same amount works.
Pro Tips
– Melt the chocolate gently, dont blast it in the microwave. Chop it small, heat in short bursts or use a bowl over simmering water, and stop while a few bits are still unmelted so stirring finishes it. Overheating makes it grainy and ruins the texture.
– Get the whites perfect by using a spotless, dry bowl and room temp eggs. Add the sugar slowly once theyre foamy and stop when you have glossy stiff peaks, not rock hard ones; overbeating makes the soufflé dry and crumbly.
– Fold like you mean it but be gentle. Use a rubber spatula, cut through the center and scoop up from the bottom, rotate the bowl as you go. Leave a few tiny streaks rather than overmixing, cause overmixing knocks out the air you need.
– Prep the ramekins and the oven so serving is fast. Coat the insides with butter and sugar for a good rise and quick release, and have everything heated and the sauce ready because soufflés fall fast once out of the oven.
– For the orange sauce taste as you reduce. Let the juice simmer until slightly thicker, then add the liqueur and butter off heat for shine. If it tastes too sharp add a touch more sugar or a little extra butter to mellow it out.
Chocolate Soufflé With Orange Sauce Recipe
I couldn't resist sharing Jacques Pépin's Chocolate Souffle topped with a bright orange sauce that reveals an unexpected method behind its striking look.
4
servings
469
kcal
Equipment: 1. Six 6 oz ramekins, well buttered and sugared
2. Rimmed baking sheet to hold the ramekins while they bake
3. Heatproof bowl or microwave safe bowl for melting the chocolate
4. Small saucepan for the orange sauce
5. Electric mixer or a sturdy whisk to beat the egg whites (you can use a hand whisk if needed)
6. Two mixing bowls, clean and dry (one for choc mixture, one for the whites)
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and stirring
8. Measuring cups and spoons plus a tablespoon for the butter and liqueur
9. Microplane or fine grater for the orange zest and a small sieve for dusting powdered sugar (optional)
Ingredients
4 oz (115 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, for chocolate mixture
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
2 tbsp granulated sugar, for whipping the whites
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar, for the orange sauce
1 tbsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter, to finish the sauce
extra granulated sugar for coating ramekins, about 2 tbsp
powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously butter six 6-ounce ramekins, sprinkle about 2 tbsp granulated sugar into each and tilt to coat, tap out excess.
- Melt 4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate with 3 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
- Whisk 3 large egg yolks into the chocolate mixture until glossy and combined.
- In a clean bowl beat 4 large egg whites (room temp) with a pinch of salt and the 1/4 tsp cream of tartar if using, until foamy. Gradually add 2 tbsp granulated sugar and beat to glossy stiff peaks but dont overbeat or they get dry.
- Fold a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest in two additions until just combined, stop when no large streaks remain.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins almost to the top, smooth the surface and run a knife or your finger around the inside rim to help them rise evenly.
- Bake on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes until the soufflés have risen and the edges are set but the centers still wobble slightly, do not open the oven while baking.
- While they bake make the orange sauce: simmer 1/2 cup fresh orange juice with 2 tbsp granulated sugar in a small saucepan until slightly reduced, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tbsp orange liqueur, 1 tsp finely grated orange zest and 1 tbsp unsalted butter until glossy; taste and adjust.
- Remove soufflés from oven, dust with powdered sugar if you like, and serve immediately with the warm orange sauce spooned over or alongside.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 155g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 469kcal
- Fat: 28.8g
- Saturated Fat: 11.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.13g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.25g
- Monounsaturated: 7.5g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
- Sodium: 175mg
- Potassium: 225mg
- Carbohydrates: 45.8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 48.8g
- Protein: 7.4g
- Vitamin A: 300IU
- Vitamin C: 15mg
- Calcium: 50mg
- Iron: 1mg
