If you saw the movie Julie and Julia, you will no doubt recall the hilarious scene where Julie and her husband smear a cake all over their faces trying to stuff it into their mouths...this is that cake...this is worth stuffing, although I highly recommend savoring to stuffing.
Julia Child had this to say about this cake: "This extremely good chocolate cake is baked so that its center remains slightly underdone; overcooked, the cake loses its special creamy quality." I dare say my version of this wonderful cake almost lost its "special creamy quality" because it was a tad on the done side...but still oh so good. The icing is amazing...chocolate-butter icing, wait, let me rephrase that...chocolate-BUTTER icing. There, that's butter, I mean better.
After reading through the cake section in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, this is the one cake that jumped off the page - I knew I would love it and the mister would not, but that just meant more for me. As it turned out, the mister who, after years of being served colorful desserts, remains a dessert-racist, (someone who only likes white cake and lemon pudding) was seduced by this unassuming looking little cake...smitten to the core...as in two servings in one sitting.
You can see the dark edges on my cakes...so sorry Julia!! I tried! And not just once but TWICE! Yes, I made TWO cakes and each one was in the oven too long...The centers were still a bit creamy, not nearly as much as they should have been but the next time I make this cake - and it will be soon - I will pay close attention to the time and not be on-line ordering cookbooks from Amazon.com or chattering away on the phone!
Chocolate and Almond Cake - Reine De Saba - Adapted (Ever so slightly) From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck
Cake:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons rum or brewed coffee (I used coffee)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs, separated
Large pinch of salt
1/3 cup finely ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
Chocolate-Butter Icing:
1 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon rum or brewed coffee
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sliced almonds for decorating
Whipped cream for serving, optional, but OH SO GOOD!
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan. Combine chopped chocolate and rum or coffee in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over medium saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Cool melted chocolate, stirring occasionally.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale. Add egg yolks and beat until blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and pinch of salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.
Fold chocolate mixture, then almonds and almond extract into yolk mixture. Fold in 1/4 of whites to lighten batter. Fold in 1/3 of remaining whites. Sift 1/3 of flour over and fold in. Fold in remaining whites alternately with flour in 2 more additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Push some batter 3/4 inch up sides of pan with rubber spatula (batter will slip down).
Bake cake until puffed and gently set in center and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE...TRUST ME! Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Go around pan sides with a knife to loosen and carefully turn cake out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
To make Chocolate-Butter Icing: Combine chocolate and rum or coffee in small metal bowl. Set bowl over small saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Using wooden spoon, beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth. Place bowl over medium bowl filled with ice water. Continue to beat until icing is cool and thickened to spreading consistency. Place cake on platter. Scrape icing onto top center. Using small offset spatula, spread icing evenly and thinly over top and side of cake. Press sliced almonds around the sides of the cake. Serves 6 to 8. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. This cake can be made one day ahead, just cover it with a cake dome, and to really keep it fresh, cover the dome with platic wrap so the cake is completely sealed inside. Store at room temperature. Bon Appetit!
"Eat, drink and be sensible." ~ Julia Child
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One year ago today: Cuban Pork Roast Sandwiches
