Julia Child's "Queen of Sheba" Cake (now gluten-free)
This famous cake tastes as good as it did when I made it with wheat flour. You'll agree it's worth the time to make this delicacy.
Cake
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, at room temperature (save whites for use later)
1/3 cup ground almonds (can be ground in a blender; use the “grate” and then the “liquefy” cycles)
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted in 2 tablespoons coffee (melt on a warmer or over a double boiler)
7 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sorghum flour
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
17 whole almonds for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and gradually beat in sugar. Mix in egg yolks, then ground almonds, then melted chocolate with coffee.
In a separate bowl, whisk sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, and xanthan gum.
By hand, in a third bowl, whisk egg whites with the salt until the soft peak stage. Then dust with 1 tablespoon sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stop when bowl can be turned over while egg whites remain inside; avoid overbeating. Set aside.
Sift flour over chocolate mixture and mix in with almond extract. Quickly mix about a fourth of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Then fold the other egg whites gently into the batter, using a rubber spatula and a figure-8 motion.
Pour into one greased 8” OR 9” cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes (convection oven: 325 degrees for about 18-20 minutes). When done, the cake’s center is still wet; a toothpick 2 inches from the edge of the pan should come out dry.
Allow cake to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cool, ice with Buttery Chocolate Icing (below)
Buttery Chocolate Icing
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons freshly prepared coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (do not use salted butter)
Melt chocolate chips with coffee, using double boiler or warmer. In one-tablespoon portions, add butter to melted chocolate, mixing in each addition fully.
Cool frosting and ice cake. Arrange 16 whole almonds around the outside of the cake (one per piece) and place one in the center.
Yield: 16 servings. Note: This is a deceptively rich cake, especially for its size. Freezes well.
Cake
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, at room temperature (save whites for use later)
1/3 cup ground almonds (can be ground in a blender; use the “grate” and then the “liquefy” cycles)
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted in 2 tablespoons coffee (melt on a warmer or over a double boiler)
7 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sorghum flour
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
17 whole almonds for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and gradually beat in sugar. Mix in egg yolks, then ground almonds, then melted chocolate with coffee.
In a separate bowl, whisk sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, and xanthan gum.
By hand, in a third bowl, whisk egg whites with the salt until the soft peak stage. Then dust with 1 tablespoon sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stop when bowl can be turned over while egg whites remain inside; avoid overbeating. Set aside.
Sift flour over chocolate mixture and mix in with almond extract. Quickly mix about a fourth of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Then fold the other egg whites gently into the batter, using a rubber spatula and a figure-8 motion.
Pour into one greased 8” OR 9” cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes (convection oven: 325 degrees for about 18-20 minutes). When done, the cake’s center is still wet; a toothpick 2 inches from the edge of the pan should come out dry.
Allow cake to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cool, ice with Buttery Chocolate Icing (below)
Buttery Chocolate Icing
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons freshly prepared coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (do not use salted butter)
Melt chocolate chips with coffee, using double boiler or warmer. In one-tablespoon portions, add butter to melted chocolate, mixing in each addition fully.
Cool frosting and ice cake. Arrange 16 whole almonds around the outside of the cake (one per piece) and place one in the center.
Yield: 16 servings. Note: This is a deceptively rich cake, especially for its size. Freezes well.
