Queen of Sheba Cake - Karen's Version Inspired by Julia Child

Queen of Sheba (Chocolate/Almond) Cake Recipe inspired by Julia Child

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 eggs separated into yolks & whites
1 tablespoons granulated sugar for egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
1/3 cup almond flour or pulverized almonds
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons dark rum or 2 tablespoons strong coffee

Frosting Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 Tbsp Rum
1/2 Cup unsalted butter
4 ounces slivered almonds for topping

Cake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Set the oven rack in lower middle
level.

In a saucepan over hot water, melt the chocolate. Stir in the
rum or strong coffee to melted chocolate and set aside.

Prepare 8 inch cake pan using butter and flour.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in cream
of tartar, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar and continue beating
until soft peaks are formed.

In another mixing bowl, cut butter into pieces and cream it.
When soft and fluffy, add 2/3 cup sugar and beat 1 minute.
Beat in egg yolks until well blended.

Blend melted chocolate and rum or coffee into yolk mixture,
then stir in almond extract. Mix in almond flour.

Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate using a
rubber spatula. Scoop the rest of the whites over chocolate
and, alternating with sprinkles of cake flour, delicately
fold in the egg whites.

Turn batter into buttered and floured 8 inch round cake pan
and spread out evenly. Bake cake in preheated oven for 25
minutes.

Cake is done when a toothpick inserted 2 to 3 inches from
edge comes out clean. The center should move slightly when
the pan is gently shaken. Remove pan to a rack and let cool
15 minutes. Unmold onto cooling rack. Let cool 2 hours before
storing or icing.

Frosting Directions:

In a saucepan over hot water, melt the chocolate. Stir in the rum and butter until well blended.

Cool frosting in ice bath until slightly thickened. Set aside until cake is done.

Spread frosting on cooled cake and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Best if kept refrigerated.

Canon G30 used to shoot this video:
http://amzn.to/1Hzvci0

Music:
"Nile's Blues" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/