National Chocolate Soufflé Day is celebrated on February 28 each year. This day is our time to honor the day by digging into this fluffy and delicious dessert.
Nothing is better on a cold winter night than a perfectly made, deliciously warm, chocolate soufflé.
This dessert is served at fancy restaurants alongside desserts like crème brûlée. It is also made by enterprising home cooks for special occasions and is considered by some to be a cooking feat.
With all that it has going for it, it’s no wonder that the chocolate soufflé has its own national day!
And if you are looking for the ultimate chocolate experience, be sure to enjoy your chocolate soufflé with a glass of chocolate milk. Find out who invented it here.
Be sure to check out this national day’s guide for learn more about fun days to celebrate.
What is a soufflé?
A soufflé is a cake which is made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites. The eggs are combined with other ingredients for flavor and lightly baked until the ingredients rise up to the traditional risen shape.
Soufflés are often served in individual ramekins.
The word soufflé comes from the French word souffler which is translated as “to blow up.” Since a soufflé is a puffed up dessert, the word describes it well.
Soufflés can be either savory or sweet. For our February 28 national day, we’ll be learning more about the chocolate soufflé.
History of the soufflé
The soufflé has been around for centuries! In 1792 Vincent La Chapelle perfected a recipe for the soufflé that blended both sweet and savory ingredients in it.
The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking Through the Ages tells us that “Patrons of La Grande Taverne de Londres, which opened in Paris in the 1780s, were perhaps the first to enjoy this dessert soufflé.”
The word soufflé first appeared in English in The French Cook, by Louis Ude, in 1813.
By the mid-1800s Marie-Antoine Carême had perfected the chocolate soufflé. At the time she was cooking for the newly rich in Paris, where she cooked her soufflés in updated ovens which were heated by air drafts rather than coal.
Soufflé facts
Brush up on your knowledge of the chocolate soufflé with these soufflé facts. Some may surprise you!
- The flavor of the soufflé comes from the base and the egg whites make the dessert puff up.
- Soufflé bakers will often puncture the top of their creations to add delicious sauces to it.
- Antoine Beauvilliers showed us how to make a soufflé in his book called “L’Art du Cuisinier.”
- In 1954, the movie Sabrina showed Audrey Hepburn being critiqued by a culinary school master chef for her poor attempts at making a soufflé. The reason? – She forgot to turn on the oven!
- Most people think of a soufflé as a difficult dessert, but it requires simple ingredients and very little effort in the kitchen.
- Every soufflé will eventually collapse. This is because of the cool air outside the oven. For this reason, be sure your guests are ready (with spoons!) as you carry the soufflé to the table to serve.
- Traditionally, soufflés are made in individual ramekins.
- Chocolate Soufflé Day is not on the only national day about soufflés. May 18th is also known as National Cheese Soufflé Day
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How to celebrate National Chocolate Soufflé Day
Would you like to celebrate National Chocolate Soufflé Day in a special way? Try one of these ideas.
- Celebrate National Chocolate Soufflé Day early by adding them to your Valentine’s Day menu. Chocolate is a minor symbol of Valentine’s Day, making this the perfect dessert for the holiday.
- Show off for your friends and have them over for a rich chocolate soufflé. There is a recipe to try at the bottom of this post. new ramekins.
- Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day by learning how to make a chocolate soufflé with a Baileys Irish cream sauce.
- Use a soufflé mug to make your chocolate soufflé in.
- Watch the movie Sabrina to see the soufflé making scene.
- Spread the word on social media using the hashtag #NationalChocolateSouffleDay. Here is a tweet to get you started:
More February 28 national days
Did you enjoy learning about National Chocolate Soufflé Day? Well you’re in luck, February 28 is host to more than just one national day!
Here is a complete list of all the February 28 national days:
- National Chocolate Soufflé Day
- National Floral Design Day
- National Public Sleeping Day
- National Tooth Fairy Day
- National Science Day
- Digital Learning Day
- Car Keys and Small Change Day
More national days in February
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in February.
To see them all, have a look at this post to discover more about the national days in February, as well as the February word search printable of national days.
Is food your thing? Each day of the month has a food or drink associated with it, too. You’ll find all the February food holidays here.
Other chocolate inspired national days
Chocolate is such a popular taste, It’s no wonder that National Chocolate Soufflé Day ended up being a day for celebration.
But what about the other ways to use chocolate in recipes?
Fortunately for chocolate-lovers, we have no shortage of these days. If you liked this post, be sure to also check out these other chocolate inspired national days:
- National Chocolate Mint Day – Looking for a delicious recipe for mint chocolate chip cookies? You’ll get that and also some chocolate mint facts. National Chocolate Mint Day? Check out this post!
- National Hot Chocolate Day – Warm up with a cup of this delicious brew.
- Everything Goes Better With Chocolate Day – There are chocolate recipes galore to celebrate here.
- National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day – Two delicious flavors in one delicious bite!
- National Bittersweet Chocolate Day – The richness of bittersweet chocolate makes it perfect for baking. Check out some facts and recipes.
- White Chocolate Day – Let’s turn to the lighter version of chocolate with these recipes.
These are just a few, there are dozens more chocolate inspired national days!
Pin this post on National Chocolate Soufflé Day for later
Would you like a reminder of this post for Chocolate Soufflé Day? Just pin this image to one of your food boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
To see more national food days in February, check out our video on YouTube.
One of the best ways to celebrate National Chocolate Soufflé Day is to make a soufflé! Here is a recipe to try.
Easy Chocolate Soufflé Recipe for National Soufflé Day
These Individual Chocolate Soufflés are the perfect ending to any dinner party. They’re easier to make that you might imagine. Light and fluffy, the soufflés have a hint of Grand Marnier liqueur. Try one today!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of butter, cubed, plus more for coating the ramekins
- 8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier liqueur
- 6 egg yolks
- 8 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup of sugar - plus extra for coating the ramekins
- 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar, plus more tp garnish the finished souffles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Coat the inside of 6 ramekin dishes with butter. Then dust them with granulated sugar. Place in the fridge.
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a microwave on medium power in 30 second increments, stirring between each heating.
- Stir in the pure vanilla extract and the Grand Marnier. Set the mixture aside.
- In a small pan, bring 1/3 cup of sugar plus 2 tablespoons of water to a boil. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool
- Using a whisk attachment for your stand mixer, mix the egg yolks.
- Add the dissolved sugar. Beat for 3 minutes. The yolks should triple in size.
- Gently fold in the chocolate mixture and set aside.
- Wash the whisk and bowl very well in order to mix the egg whites.
- Beat the egg whites over a medium speed for about a minute.
- Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high. Beat to soft peaks.
- Add the confectioner's sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form - about 3-4 more minutes.
- Using a whisk, beat 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate egg mixture. Then fold this chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites with a spatula. Fold gently until just incorporated.
- Fill each ramekin almost to the rim.
- Add an aluminum foil "collar" coating with Pam so it extends about 2 inches above the ramekin.
- Bake until the soufflés have risen, about 8-10 minutes.
- The soufflés are done when they are fragrant and fully risen.
- Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 205mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 9g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.