Reine de Saba: JC100 #5

I am a little behind on my posting of the Julia Child recipes – I am participating in an event celebrating Julia Child’s upcoming 100th birthday. For Father’s Day I prepared this amazing chocolate cake – Reine de Saba – Chocolate and Almonds. This is a very rich, delicious cake that is intended to be soft in the center. The addition of the ground almonds and extract make this chocolate cake heavenly. Not only this, it is covered in a Chocolate Butter Icing that makes this dessert an extra special treat.

You will want to try this and it is marvelous paired with fresh strawberries.

Reine de Saba

(a.k.a. The Queen of Sheba Cake)

• a round cake pan 8 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches deep
• 4 ounces or square semi-sweet chocolate melted with 2 Tbs rum or coffee
• a 3-quart mixing bowl
• a wooden spoon or an electric beater
• 1/4 lb. or 1 stick softened butter
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tb granulated sugar
• a Rubber Spatula
• 1/3 cup pulverized almonds
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup cake flour (scooped and leveled) turned into a sifter

1. Butter and flour the cake pan. Set the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan, clover and place off heat in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the  recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture.

3. Beat in the egg yolks until well blended.

4. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed: sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

5. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir in one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter.

Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated.

6. Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake in middle level of preheated oven (350) for about 25 minutes.

Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches round the circumference are set so that the needle plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily.

7. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and reverse cake on the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

Chocolate Icing

Glacage au Chocolat

This simple chocolate icing is butter beaten into melted chocolate, and forms a tender coating over a white or chocolate cake, or over a thoroughly chilled butter-cream icing.

for an 8 inch cake:

• 2 ounces (2 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 2 Tb rum or coffee
• a small covered pan
• a larger pan of almost simmering water
• 5 to 6 Tb unsalted butter
• a wooden spoon
• a bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to
• cover them
• a small flexible-blade metal spatula or
• a table knife

Place the chocolate and rum or coffee in the small pan, cover, and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove pans from heat and let chocolate melt or 5 minutes or so, until perfectly smooth. Lift chocolate pan out of the hot water, and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then beat over the ice and water until chocolate mixture has cooled to spreading consistency.

At once spread it over your cake with spatula or knife.

I have two more recipes to share with you this week. I am very excited about these recipes – they sound marvelous and once you try them you discover how wonderful and easy these dishes really are.

Originally posted on A Delightsome Life.