Reine de Saba avec Glaçage au Chocolat | Chocolate Almond Cake (Julia Child's Birthday)

Today,15th Aug 2012 is Julia child's 100th birthday.Julia child was an American chef,author and Television personality.She is most recognised for bringing the French cuisine to the American public with her debut cook book,Mastering the Art  of French Cooking.The most notable television programme was 'The French Chef' premiered in 1963.As a tribute to her,we @ Baking Partners decided to make the favorite cake of many-Chocolate Almond Cake.A very special cake of almond ,butter & chocolate that is some what moist in the center,it literally melts in mouth.This is my first French cake tried & tasted ever,a very light cake.In this cake there are is no enhancing agents like baking powder,baking soda;eggs are separated with yolks & whites and the beaten egg whites are folder in the batter.Enjoy making this cake at home for your dear ones:-)

Ingredients 

For 9 inch round pan  

 cake flour /all purpose flour (scooped and leveled, turned into a sifter) 2/3 cup /64g 

 pulverized ground almonds  73.12g (slightly lesser than 3/4th cup)

 semi-sweet chocolate melted with 2 ¼ teaspoon of rum or coffee 4 .5ounce/ 1bar +1/2squares/127.57 g

 softened butter + 1tablespoon/ 127g  (¼ lb. or 1 stick & 1tbsp)

 granulated sugar/ 150.8g (3/4 cup) REFER NOTES

 eggs 3 ( Yolk and white separated)

 Pinch of salt

 granulated sugar (1 ½ tbsp)

 almond extract   1/2 tsp(refer notes)

 For chocolate icing

 semisweet baking chocolate 2 .25ounces (7 small squares)/ 63.7 g

 rum or coffee 7tsp

 unsalted butter 6 to 7 Tablespoon

Method

- Preheat oven to 350F/ 180 C.Butter and flour the cake pan.Pat the excess flour out.

- Set the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan(I used coffee), cover, and place (off heat) in a larger pan of almost simmering water( In a steel bowl mix chocolate and rum/ coffee and place it over another bowl with  boiling water, chocolate will melt after 5 minutes) ; let melt while you proceed with the recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.

- Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture. Beat in the egg yolks until well blended.

-Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed (gradually increase the speed of your mixer and for about 5 minutes); sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed (make use it should have peaks not deflate ones).PLEASE REFER THIS LINK FOR REFERENCE OF PEAKS

-With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the ground almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir in one-fourth ( ¼) of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter. Delicately fold in a third  (1/3rd) of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one-third  ( 1/3rd) of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated.( Fold in remaining whites alternately with flour in 2 more additions each until you finish the  egg whites and flour)

- 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 for 25minutes. Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a needle plunged  into that area comes out clean; the centre should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle  comes out oily(Bake cake until it puffed andgently set in center and tooth pick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20-25minutes. (My cake took 25 minutes to cook  started checking from 15th minute,then 20 and finally cooked only by 25th.)Cool cake in pan 10 minutes.).

-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 (about 2 hours); it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

-To serve, use the chocolate-butter icing recipe below, and then press a design of almonds over the icing.

TO PREPARE  ICING-

-A bowl filled with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them and set aside.

-Place the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan, cover, and set in a larger pan of almost simmering water.  Remove pans from heat and let chocolate melt for 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.(Combine chocolate and rum/coffee in small metal/steel bowl. Set bowl over small saucepan/pot of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove steel bowl from over water. Using wooden spoon, mix and incorporate 1 tablespoon of butter, use only 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth. Place the chocolate bowl over the 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 sides of cake. The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

  

Servings~ 1 round cake of 9"
NOTES
* You can use almond extract as the original recipe,my family doesn't like the flavor much.So I have added vanilla extract.
* The sugar mentioned is 3/4th cup but my friends who finished baking early told that it was mildly sweet so increased sugar to another 1/4 cup i.e used 1 cup instead of 3/4 th cup.And so probably the cake took 25 minutes to cook.
* Substitute for cake flour While measuring the cake flour,add a tbsp of corn flour and fill the rest of the cup with all purpose flour.I used this way.
* The egg whites should be beaten in a clean bowl with no greasy,oily touch and not even any part of egg yolk should be mixed.Otherwise the peaks will not be formed.You can add a tsp of vinegar and salt in the bowl using for beating ,wipe it with a paper towel.Don't wash,this helps to stabilise the egg whites.

* You can use a double boiling method to melt the chocolate.  Or you strictly follow Juila’s method.

* Cake won’t set at the center, it is shaky, sides will set, and tooth pick comes out clean, where as in the center it will be oily.

* You can make this cake without any stand mixer.

* The original Julia child recipe calls for a 8" cake pan for which the ingredients listed are as follows-

    cake flour (scooped and leveled, turned into a sifter) ½ cup/ 57g(refer notes)

    pulverized ground almonds 1/3 cup/ 65g

    semi-sweet chocolate melted with 2  tablespoon  of rum or coffee 4 ounce/1 bar /113.4 grams   of

    softened butter 113g(¼  lb. or 1 stick)

    granulated sugar 134g(2/3 cup )

    Eggs  3 ( Yolks and White Separated)

    Pinch of salt

    granulated sugar 1 Tbsp

    almond extract 1/2 tsp  or vanilla extract

 
Chocolate Icing

For Icing

   semisweet baking chocolate 2 ounces (1/2 bar)/ 56.7 g 

   rum or coffee 2 tbsp

   unsalted butter 5-6 tbsp

rest of the method remains the same like 9" cake.

*Even though recipe says about 25 minutes, start checking the cake from 20 minutes if you are using 8 inch cake pan,   9 inch cake pan then from 15 minutes.(Mine was done only by 25 minutes since I increased the sugar to 25 minutes)

* You can make this cake without any flour using entire almond meal.

* Butter can be substituted with butter + oil combo.

If u wish to be part of our team and would love to develop your baking skills,then this group is the right one for you-Baking Partners an effort by Swathi @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen :-)