Wowowowow a quarter of the year is nearly over and what is going on??

As usual, things are moving WAY too fast. But also, not fast enough. One big focus for me this year is to find my VOICE and be comfortable/own who I am…..and what I want to change. I’ve been doing this by building habits. Little by little each month, I’m tweaking myself into an even better version. It’s like marathon training. If you try to go 26.2 miles without any training, I’m pretty sure you’ll die. But with a deliberate process, you kill it.

My thankful lists are typically at the end of the month. But since I’ll be OOC (Out of Country) on my funemployment, I’m bumping it up a week. Before that though, let’s talk about this cake real quick cuz this is a recipe post after all.

This chocolate souffle cake came out of the need to want something simple. Delicious. Decadent but not overwhelming. Colorful. Accessible. Shareable. I originally wanted to make it for Valentine’s Day until I remembered that (1) Boy doesn’t like chocolate, (2) I’d rather make a cake for myself anyways. And to balance out the dense chocolate and serenade winter’s goodbye, some whipped cream + pomegranate seeds.

I’ll be back online in about two weeks. Until then, follow along on IG for my solo trip adventures!

As Q1 closes, I’ve been feeling grateful for….

The opportunity to rest and regenerate before starting my new job

My talented, smart, funny, loyal, and wonderful coworkers who threw me the best going away party ever that resulted in me losing my phone only to find it in my fridge

The validation that this new job will be difficult, scary, and completely worth it

Pushing myself creatively through photoshoots with Ashley and my weekly writing classes

The quad soreness I feel from starting up long distance running again

A good under-eye cream

Spending less time on Facebook and more time in an actual book

Barry’s Bootcamp Castro FINALLY opening

Real talks with real friends no matter where in the world we are

Chocolate Souffle Cake with Pomegranate Seeds

Created by Shikha on March 18, 2019

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Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 40m

Yield: 1 8-inch cake

Ingredients

For cake:

8 ounces (225g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
6 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar
3 tablespoons buckwheat flour

For whipped cream:

1 1/2 cups (355g) heavy cream, very cold
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over but not touching gently simmering water in a saucepan. You can whisk it occasionally to help it along. When it’s melted, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.
In two small bowls, separate 4 of the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk 2 whole eggs and the 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup (100g) of the sugar just until combined. Slowly whisk in the warm chocolate mixture. Whisk in the flour.
Using a handheld mixer in a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup (100g) sugar and beat until beautifully glossy, soft peaks form that hold their shape but aren’t quite stiff, about 5 minutes more. Very gently fold about a quarter of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the top is puffed and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Be careful not to bake the cake beyond this point. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack. The center of the cake will sink as it cools, forming a sort of crater—this is good! Let the cake cool completely on a rack.
To make the whipped cream, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a handheld mixer until billowy, soft—not stiff—peaks form. Using a spatula, fill the sunken center of the cake with the whipped cream, swirling the cream to the edges of the crater. Top with pomegranate seeds.
Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the cake, carefully remove the sides of the pan, and cut into wedges to serve. Store any leftovers airtight in the refrigerator—they won’t be very presentable but they’ll make a delicious moussey snack.

Photos by Ashley Beschell

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Comments

Ala says

April 28, 2019 at 4:33 pm

Congrats on the upcoming changes and OMG BARRY’S YOU GUYS WILL HAVE SO MUCH FUN. Also, this cake IS the perfect mix of colorful and accessible and not too much. Love catching up on all things you again!

- Shikha says
  
  April 29, 2019 at 3:25 pm
  
  Yooooooo where have you been?? Happy to have you back in the blog world <3
  
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject says

May 19, 2019 at 12:32 am

Shikha, so happy to have landed on your blog!! Your recipes look amazing. Subscribed right away 🙂