The Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (” Reine de Saba” in French) has been made famous in North America by cooking instructor Julia Child. It is said to have been the first French cake she ate when she arrived in France. She loved it so much that she featured it in her first recipe book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, calling it a “dark beauty made of chocolate”. 

 “The queen of Sheba is a dark beauty made of chocolate, and almonds, and rum and butter. Let’s go into the kitchen and make the best chocolate cake you’ve ever put in your mouth.” (Julia child)

In keeping with French baking tradition, the Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake contains no chemical leavening: no baking soda nor baking powder. This dense chocolate cake relies only on subtle leavening from whipped egg whites.

In one of the episodes of her TV show, The French Chef, Julia Child made the Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake to teach viewers the technique of delicately folding whipped gg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula to obtain a natural, subtle cake leavening.

My baking tips:

I am sharing Julia Child’s original recipe here, only re-written in my own words and with slight tweaks to make it even more approachable. In addition to Julia Child’s original recipe, I also want to share with you a few extra tips to master this recipe.

• For flavoring this chocolate cake, Julia Child suggests either rum or coffee. I tried this recipe multiple times with both, and they are equally delicious!
• Gently melt the chocolate over a bain-marie – meaning over barely simmering water, in a double boiler (or a bain-marie as we call it in French). If heated too rapidly, the chocolate risks to separate or break.
• Use great-quality chocolate. With just a few ingredients in this recipe, the flavor and texture of this cake relies a lot on the quality of your ingredients, and especially that of the chocolate. I recommend splurging a bit for this recipe and buying top-quality chocolate – you won’t regret it. 

• Beat the eggs whites to a stiff peak. Not soft, not firm, but stiff: meaning the peaks will stand straight up when the beaters are lifted upside down.
• Use older eggs. For best results in getting stiff egg whites, choose eggs that aren’t too fresh (3 to 4 days old, at least), and make sure you take them out of the fridge 1 hour before starting, to allow them reach close to room temperature. When beating older egg whites at room temperature, their proteins will have more elasticity. They will stretch and welcome in more air, rather than break if too fresh or too cold.
• Use pristine equipment. When beating the egg whites, make sure you are using a bowl and beater that are perfectly clean. Egg whites tend to refuse to whip if they encounter any residual fat or even if there are tiny traces of egg yolk.
• Let the melted chocolate cool. After melting the chocolate, allow it to cool at least 10 minutes before mixing it into the sugar mixture. It should come to a barely warm temperature, so it incorporates perfectly with the eggs. If too warm, it will “cook” the eggs and form little hard chunks. If too cold, the chocolate could seize up.

• Fold, don’t stir. When folding the egg whites in with the chocolate mixture, use a large rubber spatula and be gentle. The important thing is not to stir, but fold. In small additions, carefully place a portion of the egg whites on top of the chocolate mixture and fold it in by using a flipping motion. Stop when the batter is just uniform – do not overmix. 
• This cake is meant to be slightly under baked so that its center remains underdone. Follow the instructions and bake it for 25 minutes (in a non-convection oven) – no longer. If you bake it just a few minutes too long, it will lose its creaminess at the center that makes this cake so special.
• Let the cake cool completely before spreading the chocolate glaze on top. Allow the glaze to set and harden for about 20-30 minutes before serving.

How to store this Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

• Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this cake – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Don’t freeze it. I don’t recommend freezing this cake.

I hope you’ll love this Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French cake recipes you may like: 

• Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• French Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardechois) 
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois) 
• Classic French Apple Cake
• Lemon Yogurt Poppy seed Cake
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
• Classic French Pear Cake

Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

Print Recipe

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 18 voted )

Ingredients

4 ounces (115g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp (30ml) rum or strong brewed coffee/espresso
4 ounces (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
⅔ cup (65g) ground almonds
¼ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp (12g) sugar
½ cup (65g) cake flour

For the buttercream:
2 ounces (60g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp (30ml) rum or strong brewed coffee/espresso
6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Sliced almonds, for garnish

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease a 9-inch circular cake pan with butter, sprinkle the sides with flour, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and set aside.

Step 1 – In a medium steel bowl, over a bain-marie, melt the chocolate with rum (or coffee). Once melted, set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. 

Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar with the soft butter until pale and fluffy. Whisk in egg yolks, followed by the melted chocolate, the ground almonds and finally the almond extract.

Step 3 – In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the 3 egg whites and salt to a stiff peak. Add the 1 tablespoon (12g) of sugar gradually while still beating.

Step 4 – With a spatula, fold about ¼ or less of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold gently and stop mixing when just uniform. Sprinkle in about 1/4 of the flour and fold until just incorporated. In three or four more additions, fold in the rest of the egg whites and flour - alternating between each.

Turn the batter into the prepared cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on a rack. Flip the cake upright and allow the cake to cool for two hours at room temperature or until it is thoroughly cooled.

Step 5 – Make the chocolate buttercream. In a medium steel bowl, over a bain-marie, melt the chocolate with rum (or coffee). Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and add the cubed butter. Mix until the butter has completely melted. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, or until the buttercream has thickened to a spreadable consistency.

Using a spatula or offset knife, spread the buttercream icing onto the cake in an even layer. Sprinkle shaved almonds all around the outer rim and press slightly so they stay in place.

Notes...

This recipe was first posted on the blog on October 2, 2017. It was reposted on March 29, 2023 with new photos, step-by-step photos in the recipe and to include baking tips.

The post Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

So what makes it a French Apple Cake?

Unlike in US/Canada, a French Apple Cake doesn’t call for any spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, nor a crumble top, nuts or glaze. The fame of this French cake rather relies on its simple crumb made from a generous amount of butter and flavored with dark rum, making it incredibly fragrant. In texture, it is reminiscent of the German Versunkener Apfelken or the Russian Sharlotka, both made in similar ways, with more fruit than actual cake dough – but really, I think the buttery crumb and dark rum truly makes the difference here.

Choose the Right Apples

The recipe begins by choosing the right apples.  And for this Classic French Apple Cake, or most apple cakes really, choose baking apples . Compared to eating apples, baking apples aren’t as juicy and won’t turn mushy once baked. Good baking varieties I recommend are (in US/Canada):

• Jonagold
• Braeburn
• Honey Crisp
• Mutsu
• Pink Lady
• Northern Spy
• Granny Smith 

This cake requires 2 large or 3 small apples. The recipe is pretty forgiving and the result won’t be impacted if you use a little less or more apple. You can opt for one single variety or a mix. For instance, you can combine tart and tangy Granny Smith apples with sweet Honey Crisp apples for a nice balance of textures and flavors.

A key step : Ribboning the eggs and sugar 

For the batter, you must start by ribboning together the eggs and sugar. This is a key step in making this recipe, so I want to emphasize a bit on this technique here.

“Ribboning” is achieved by beating the eggs and sugar together (by hand or with a hand mixer) for a long period (usually 5 to 10 minutes) until the sugar crystals dissolve and the mixture becomes pale, thick and forms a ribbon when falling from the whisk. The mixture should be smooth and hold its shape, but not dry. You can watch this video for more instructions. This process is important as it incorporates air into the mixture, which is essential to achieve the tender, airy cake crumb that makes this Classic French Apple Cake so unique. 

My Cooking tips:

• Choose baking apples, such as Fiji, Honeycrisp, Mutsu, Jonagold or Braeburn. You can opt for one variety, or mix it up so you can have different textures (soft or crunchy) and tastes (sweet and tart).
• I like to peel the apples, but you can certainly leave them unpeeled if you wish. 
• If you don’t have dark rum on hand, you can substitute for Cognac. For a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute the rum for apple juice; although I really recommend you use rum or Cognac – it truly makes the cake!
• The cake is rather delicate in texture, so I recommend using a well-greased springform pan so it is easier to remove it from the pan (flipping it onto a plate may break it). This recipe works in a 8″ or 9″ circular pan. 

How to store this French Apple Cake?

This cake can keep for up to three days in the fridge, covered. Note that the sugar crackly top will soften after a day, and may get wet/stuck if covered with plastic film. Instead, I recommend covering the cake with a cake dome or any large bowl that won’t touch the top of the cake. 

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Apple Cake as much as I do! It is simple, quite elegant and truly a delicious French staple. Serve it warm or cooled down, with a big dollop of crème fraiche on top in true French fashion. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More recipes to enjoy apple season: 

• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin
• Apple Cinnamon Galette 
• Spelt French Apple Cake 
• Apple Breton Pound Cake
• Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake

Classic French Apple Cake

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.7/5

( 125 voted )

Ingredients

½ cup (125g) unsalted butter + 1 tbsp (for greasing the pan) 
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 large baking apples (or 3 small apples)
¾ cup (150g) sugar + 2 tbsp for sprinkling
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp (45ml) dark rum (or Cognac)

Icing sugar (optional - for serving)
Crème fraiche (optional - for serving) 

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) with a rack in the middle. Line 8-inch or 9-inch (20-22.8cm) springform pan with parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides with 1 tbsp of butter. 

Step 1 - Melt the butter in a sauce saucepan and set aside to cool.

Step 2 - Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1/2-inch (1.25cm) pieces.

Step 3 - In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 4 - In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and a ribbon forms from the whisk. Whisk in the dark rum and vanilla extract. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, gently stir. Add in half of the melted butter, gently stir. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.

Step 5 - Fold in the apples until they are evenly coated with the batter (it will look like there is too much apple and not enough batter, but this is normal).  Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little bit, with a spatula. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly on top of the batter.

Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes and remove it carefully from the pan.

Enjoy warm or cool. For serving (optional), dust with top of the cake with icing sugar and serve each slice with a dollop of crème fraiche on top. 

The post Classic French Apple Cake appeared first on Pardon Your French.