I often get asked what’s the difference between a Lava cake/ Molten cake and a soufflé.

In my humble opinion, there are two main differences.

1. The Lava cake/ Molten cake is a cake that it has not fully been cooked.

2. The soufflé base is made of whipped egg whites (like a meringue) giving lots of air and volumen to the dessert.

But, please, do go ahead and try them on your own and see the difference. I would say that one thing they do have in common is that both are great when paired with Vanilla Ice Cream and strawberries. You can find the Lava cake/ Molten cake recipe here.

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Recipe

Makes: 8 4oz Ramekin
Prep Time: Active 40 Mins
Cook Time: 30 Mins

Ingredients:

• Pastry Cream for Soufflé
  • 281 ml Milk
  • 57 g All-purpose flour
  • 25 g (2) Egg Yolks
  • 38 g (1) Eggs
• Chocolate Soufflé
  • 40 g Butter
  • 140 g Chocolate, 60% or higher
  • 489 g Pastry Cream for soufflé
  • 30 g (2) Egg yolks
  • 170 g (6) Egg whites
  • 70 g Sugar
  • 275 ml Whole milk

Instructions:

• Pastry Cream:
  1. Sift the flour, add half of the sugar and mix. Keep mixing while you add the egg and egg yolks.
  2. On a medium pot, combine the milk with the remaining sugar. Temper the eggs by adding 1/3 to ½ of the hot milk, stirring constantly with the whisk. Return the mixture to the remaining hot milk in the saucepan. Continue cooking, stirring vigorously with the whisk, until the pastry cream comes to a boil and the whisk leaves a trail in it.
  3. Pour the pastry cream to a shallow bowl, cover it with film paper touching the pastry cream and let it cool down until it reached room temperature.
  4. Once you are ready to pour the pastry cream on the tart, whisk the cream until it is smooth.
• Chocolate Soufflé
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C
  2. Coat the inside of the ramekins with a softener butter and dust with cocoa powder. If cocoa has lots of lumps sift the cocoa first. Make sure to coat the rims as well as the insides.
  3. Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals or on a double boiler. Combine the chocolate mixture with the pastry cream; blend in the egg yolks and set aside.
  4. Using the whip attachment on a stand mixer, whip the egg whites, until you can see the trace of the whip. Slowly pour the sugar while you continuing to whip on medium speed until medium peaks form.
  5. Blend a generous scoop of the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining meringue, thoroughly incorporating it. Divide the soufflé mixture into the prepare mixtures.
  6. Cook the soufflé for 20-30 minutes, they should be fully risen. Serve immediately

**TIP: Make-Ahead – Pastry Cream It can be done up to three days in advanced

VARIATIONS

• Lemon or Orange: infuse the milk for the pastry cream with one tablespoon of lemon or orange spoon. Omit the chocolate, and fold the melted butter into the pastry cream. 
• White Chocolate: substitute white chocolate for bittersweet chocolate.