Julia Child’s Queen Of Sheba Cake

Reine De Saba
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Ingredients

  • Makes: 12 Servings

Cake

  • Butter And Flour For Prepping The Pan
  • ¼ Cup Whole Almonds
  • ½ Cup 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
  • ⅔ Cup Granulated Sugar Plus 1 Tablespoon To Add To The Egg Whites
  • 3 Large Eggs At Room Temperature, Separated
  • 4 Ounces ⅔ Cup Chopped Good Semisweet Chocolate
  • 2 Tablespoons Rum
  • Pinch Of Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract
  • ¾ Cup Sifted Cake Flour

Chocolate Butter Icing (Glaçage Au Chocolat)

  • 1 Ounce Chopped Semisweet Chocolate
  • 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Rum
  • 8 To 12 Toasted Whole Or Sliced Almonds For Decoration

Instructions

  • For The Cake, Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
  • Butter And Flour The Bottom Of An 8″ Round Cake Pan That Is At Least 1½” Deep.
  • Shake Out The Excess Flour.
  • If You Have An 8″ Springform, Or A Pan With A Removable Bottom, Use It.
  • Set The Pan Aside.
  • Place The Almonds In A Food Processor Fitted With A Steel Blade, And Pulverize Until You Get A Meal-Like Texture, 60 To 90 Seconds.
  • Set The Ground Almonds Aside.
  • Place The Butter And ⅔ Cup Of The Sugar In A Large Bowl And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium-High Speed Until Light And Fluffy, 4 To 5 Minutes.
  • Add The Egg Yolks And Beat Until Just Blended, Scraping Down The Bowl With A Rubber Spatula.
  • Set The Mixture Aside.
  • Place The Chocolate In A Small Glass Bowl, And Heat In The Microwave On High Power, 30 To 45 Seconds, Stirring 2 Or 3 Times, So That The Chocolate Melts.
  • Once It Cools Down A Bit, Stir It Into The Butter Mixture, And Blend With The Mixer Until Just Combined.
  • Add The Rum, Salt, Almond Extract, And Ground Almonds And Stir With The Rubber Spatula To Combine.
  • Set Aside.
  • Beat The Egg Whites In A Medium-Size Bowl With The Electric Mixer On High Speed Until Soft Peaks Form, 3 To 4 Minutes.
  • Add The Remaining 1 Tablespoon Sugar Slowly, And Continue Beating Until Stiff Peaks Form, Another 1 To 2 Minutes.
  • Stir About A Quarter Of The Whites Into The Chocolate Batter With The Spatula Until Just Combined And The Batter Is Lightened.
  • Fold In About A Third Of The Remaining Whites Until Just Combined.
  • Sift In A Third Of The Flour And Gently Fold To Just Combine.
  • Continue To Add The Rest Of The Whites And Flour Until All Is Incorporated.
  • Pour The Batter Into The Prepared Pan.
  • With The Spatula, Spread The Batter Up The Sides Of The Pan So A Well Forms In The Center.
  • Place The Pan In The Oven.
  • Bake The Cake Until A Toothpick Comes Out Clean When Inserted About 2″ From The Edges And The Middle Is Still Underdone, 24 To 28 Minutes.
  • Cool The Cake In The Pan On A Wire Rack For 10 Minutes.
  • Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Cake, And Unmold It Onto A Serving Plate And Let Cool To Room Temperature Before Frosting.
  • For The Icing, Place The Chocolate And Butter In A Microwaveable Bowl And Place In The Microwave On The Defrost Setting For 1 Minute.
  • Remove And Stir.
  • If Needed, Place Back On Defrost For Another 60 To 90 Seconds.
  • Remove And Stir To Melt The Chocolate.
  • Stir In The Rum.
  • Place The Bowl In The Refrigerator Until The Icing Firms Up And Is Spreadable, 5 To 10 Minutes.
  • To Finish, Spread The Icing Smoothly Over The Top Of The Cake.
  • Press The Toasted Almonds Into The Icing In A Decorative Pattern On Top.
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Course Cake