Reine de Saba Recipe
In my opinion, there are 3 things that soothe the soul: good company, good wine, and good chocolate. I can’t imagine my life without either of these. A recipe like this reine de saba cake will remind you just how important the chocolate part of this life equation is.
Reine de Saba
Named after the Queen of Sheba, this chocolate and almond cake is said to be one of the first French cakes that Julia Child ever ate. If this is indeed true, then it’s no wonder she fell in love with French cuisine.
A reine de saba gateau is gloriously French in concept and execution. You have what the French would deem a simple chocolate cake made with plentiful butter and the finesse of a lovely meringue.
Reine de Saba Gateau: Le Chocolat
It’s important to use quality chocolate for a reine de saba, although, if you ask me, it’s always important to use quality chocolate. I’m making a point of saying it here, however, because this is a chocolate cake.
If good chocolate isn’t used here, then where should it be?
I like to use 72% dark chocolate. It’s got that perfect balance of rich cocoa flavor and sweetness, unlike darker chocolate bars that can end up tasting a bit too bitter.
Those just won’t do for a cake like this.
Reine de Saba Recette via Julia Child
A reine de saba recipe is made with typical baking ingredients (nothing peculiar), and yet this cake is definitely luxurious. Simply put, it’s fit for a queen. The reason is, it’s got remarkable texture.
A reine de saba is typically much lighter and spongier, thanks to the almond flour and meringue that’s used in the batter. And if you bake the cake like Julia Child instructs, you’ll get a slightly underdone quality that lends creaminess to it.
I’ve baked a reine de saba the way Julia Child advises, and I’ve also baked it till it’s perfectly done. How long you decide to bake the cake really depends on what kind of person you are: do you like your brownies super fudge-y, or do you prefer them cake-like?
I’m the latter, so you’ll notice my cake has a tender, yet fully baked crumb.
Why Less Is More
For me, the appeal of this reine de saba cake is in its simplicity. I love the idea of a single-layer cake. It’s a vintage idea that brings nostalgia for what home baking used to be.
The chocolate glaze on top is nothing but melted chocolate and softened butter stirred together to create one glossy coat. The only artful task in decorating this cake was the careful placement of shaved almonds along the sides of the cake.
This reine de saba proves that, more often than not, less can be so much more.
Reine de Saba (Chocolate and Almond Cake)
A delectable, yet simple chocolate and almond cake with a light, spongy crumb and sinfully good chocolate glaze. A recipe adapted from Julia Child.
Ingredients
Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar, (15 grams)
Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (115 grams) softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, (150 grams)
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 oz dark chocolate (72%), (114 grams) melted
- 2 tbsp brewed coffee, (30 grams)
- 1/3 cup almond meal, (26 grams)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract, (1.25 grams)
- 1/2 cup cake flour, (62 grams)
Chocolate Glaze
- 2 oz dark chocolate, (57 grams)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (57 grams) room temperature
Extras
- shaved almonds, for garnishing
- unsalted butter, softened, for pan
Instructions
Create the meringue
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a 9" cake pan with softened butter. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and the pinch of salt. Whisk on high speed until the eggs lose their yellow appearance and begin to foam.
- Sprinkle the tablespoon of granulated sugar over the egg whites and continue to whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should stick to the whisk when the whisk is held upside down, and they should look just a bit more firm than shaving cream.
- Transfer the egg whites to a medium bowl and temporarily set aside. Rinse out the stand mixer's bowl.
Create the cake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. To the mixer, add the egg yolks and mix until the batter is light yellow (vanilla-colored).
- Add the melted chocolate and coffee to the batter, then mix just to incorporate. Then mix in the almond meal and almond extract. Finally, on low speed, mix in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten up the batter.
- Now, use a rubber spatula to stir in half of the cake flour. Fold to incorporate. Add another third of egg whites to the batter, and very gently fold the whites into the batter to incorporate. Add the remaining cake flour and gently fold to mix. Finally, add the remaining egg whites and gently fold to incorporate. There shouldn't be any unmixed egg whites.
- Gently pour the cake batter into your prepared pan, using a light hand to evenly spread out the batter in the pan. Bake the cake for 16 to 20 minutes. If you want a fudgey texture, the center of the cake should slightly wobble. Otherwise, remove once cake is set all over. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before running a sharp knife along the edges. Flip the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Create the glaze
- Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and make sure it's smooth. Add in the butter and stir until the butter has melted as well and the glaze is smooth.
- Place the cake on your serving plate, then pour the glaze over the cake. Smooth the glaze across the top of the cake first, giving time for the chocolate to somewhat set before smoothing down the sides. As each minute passes, the chocolate will set more and more, making it less runny. Gently press shaved almonds along the sides of the cake.
Notes
If you want to make this cake gluten-free, you can substitute the cake flour with almond meal too. Follow the directions exactly the same way.
Almond meal can be substituted with almond flour or pulverized almonds.
Coffee can be substituted with rum or water.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 323
I will be making this cake for the first time and I just want to clarify before I start. My question is, do you use the same type of dark chocolate (72%) as stated for the cake, for the chocloate glaze?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica! Yes, you use the same type of chocolate! 🙂
I am worried I’m messing this cake up –
For the actual cake the recipe calls for egg yolks.
Then the instructions mention whites a few times. Am I meant to assume I’m using the 3 that came with the yolks?
I’m only confused because I already used the whites for the meringue.
Hi Sue, when it’s talking about the egg whites in the directions, it’s just referring to the whipped egg whites (aka meringue) that you created. You only use a total of 3 egg whites and 3 egg yolks in this recipe (aka 3 eggs). 🙂
I baked this cake last weekend. Like you, I prefer it cake like. It was so delicious.
I’m used to big cakes, sometimes double layered. All that butter and chocolate – a little slice with my coffee satisfied both my tastebuds and my soul.
Oh wonderful, Mary! I’m so happy you enjoyed this cake! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment! 🙂
Hi, I’m gonna ng to make this cake today. Could I use almond flour to replace cake flour?
Hi Ana, I’ve never tried it with almond flour entirely. One thing to note with almond flour is that it has a higher fat content and that could affect the texture of the cake. If you try it, please let me know! 🙂
Made this cake after watching the first episode of “Julia” on HBO. It was delicious! We baked it for 17 minutes (16-20 recommended) and it was seriously underdone and came apart when attempting to remove the cake from the pan. My spouse was able to save the day and make it presentable for Easter dinner. It was a hit.
Hi Bill! Thanks for the comment! Every oven is different so I would judge the cake next time by how set it looks all over. It will also continue to bake as it rests in the pan outside of the oven. 🙂
How is it I’ve not heard of this cake before watching the Netflix series Julia. This cake was amazing. I made it for our family birthday celebration and everyone was shocked at the light texture and rich chocolate flavor. This is definitely going into my “Family Favourites” cookbook. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for the kind comment, Ramona! It’s definitely a dessert that deserves more fame! 🙂
When you select “PRINT” at the top of the recipe, the resulting file doesn’t include the preparation instructions, only the ingredient list.
Hi Ron, I can’t recreate the same problem – it is showing me the whole recipe when I press print. Can you please email contact@monpetitfour.com if you are still experiencing this issue? Thank you!
Hello,
Thank you fir the easy to follow recipe. I’ve just made my cake and it looks lovely. It’s for my mom’s birthday tomorrow so I’m not going to frost it until tomorrow. I’ve wrapped it (fully cooled) in cling wrap. Do I also need to refrigerate it until tomorrow? Thx!
Hi Denise! Sorry this is probably late, but you don’t have to refrigerate this cake, even after it’s frosted! There’s no fresh cream in the frosting that would call for that. Happy belated birthday to your mom!