Reine De Saba
17 August 2012
46 comments
I’ve been home from Bristol for four days and I think I have just about recovered from our typical weekend of excess. I shared a few photos from our weekend away earlier this week, and as you could probably tell there was a lot of food and even more fun times!
As is usually the way the best food was engulfed before it occurred to me to photograph it. If anyone is in Bristol, I can’t recommend Magic Roll highly enough for late night fare; I had a halloumi toasted roll which was so good that even my inebriated boyfriend remembered it the next morning (the highest praise indeed!).
The real star of the weekend was MashUp, it was one of the best pies I’ve eaten; the mash lid was a genius addition that I plan to replicate on all my future pies. The fillings were full of flavour and the gravy was thick and rich.
{photo provided by the lovely guys @mashuppie}
I can’t wait for the next time I cross paths with the stall, and hopefully the festival won’t be as disappointing at the Balloon Fiesta, as they had to cancel the mass ascent due to too strong wind.
{happy 100th birthday Julia}
Apart from that minor let down, it was the perfect birthday weekend for my lovely boyfriend and I want to say a huge thank you to Haj and Becky for being such wonderful hosts.
The only recipe that I was certain I wanted to make before the end of the month was the chocolate cake decorated with almonds that has been my mental image for the perfect chocolate cake since it was used as a culinary prop for matrimonial bliss.
{Julia and Paul Child making Reine De Saba from Julie and Julia}
What better cake to celebrate my lovely boyfriend’s and of course the great lady herself’s birthdays?
{Julie and Eric Powell tucking into Reine De Saba from Julie and Julia}
It really didn’t disappoint, the sponge was moist from being slightly underdone (as the recipes dictates) and the
lack of sugar in the icing made it gooey and rich without being sickly. I was surprised by how much of the almond flavour came through along side the chocolate. Though I can’t see this becoming my go to chocolate cake recipe as it’s a bit heavy (in the richness sense of the word) to be made into a layer cake, it is the perfect addition to an afternoon tea spread.
Reine De Saba
(Chocolate and Almond Cake)
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
4 oz plain chocolate
2 tbsp rum or coffee
¼ lb softened butter
¼ lb castor sugar
3 eggs seperated
pinch of salt
1 tbsp castor sugar
2 oz pulverised almonds
¼ tsp almond extract
2 oz plain flour
Butter and flour an 8 inch tin and leave to one side and preheat the oven to 350F.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water with the rum or coffee until smooth and glossy. Set to one side.
Cream the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Beat egg yolks into the butter and sugar until well blended.
In a separate bowl (Julia Child must have loved washing up as much as she loved cooking!) beat the egg white and salt until they form soft peaks, sprinkle with the tbsp of sugar and then continue beating until it forms stiff peaks.
Using a rubber spatula stir the melted chocolate into the butter mixture until well blended, then stir in the almond extract and ground almonds.
Fold in ¼ of the egg white, when partial blended fold in ¼ of the sieved flour, then alternate between egg whites and flour until both are fully incorporated.
Pour into your cake tin and using your rubber spatula press into the edges of the tin.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, until it has slightly puffed and the outer 3 inchs are set, so an inserted skewer comes out clean, and the centre wobbles slightly and an inserted skewer comes out greasy. The slight undone bake gives the cake it’s creamy quality.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then on a rack for an hour or two if icing.
Glaçage Au Chocolat
(chocolate butter icing)
ices one 8 inch cake
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
2 oz plain chocolate
1 tbsp rum or coffee
2 oz unsalted butter softened
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water.
When smooth and glossy transfer the bowl into a bath of iced water to cool.
Whilst cooling melt the butter into the warm chocolate by stirring in each tsp addition.
Once all the butter is added stir the icing until cooled to a spreadable consistancy.
Unflattering pose aside, I like this post. And the highest praise I can give for this cake is that my Dad scoffed it and remembers eating it. JC (and Bake Jenny) done goooooood!
I’m really glad your Dad’s doing better! and I think you look gorgeous in that photo!
What a wonderful piece! This Tribute to Julia Child was just splendid. I cannot wait to look at the rest of your blog. Great job!!!
thank you! that’s really lovely to hear!
All of the Julia posts this week have made me so happy. This is a wonderful cake!
I can’t recommend this cake enough it was delicious!
A wonderful sounding cake and I love the picture with the candles!
thank you! I had to promise heather I wouldn’t include her face!
A beautiful way to celebrate Julia’s legacy
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
thank you! she was one hell of a lady!
I love that you made this cake. I watch Julie & Julia at least once a week, sometimes more. My way of living vicariously through a food blogger with a book deal.
Hope you are doing well, my friend!
I’ve wanted to make this cake ever since I watched the movie! it was delicious!
I love Julie & Julia and reading your post is making me want to watch it again and bake a cake like this! It looks great.
thank you! this cake would make a brilliant rainy afternoon watching J&J treat!
That cake is GORGEOUS. I love the almonds around the edge – I’m totally borrowing that idea!
thank you! it’s a really easy healthy decoration – just don’t do it in a rush!
Yum! Great Julia choice and happy belated birthday to your boyfriend. Cheers!
thank you! I’ll pass on the message, it was a great cake!
Oh Jenny.. this is a VERY fattening blog post.. Yum!! My kids would love it if I made shepherds pie (what we call them) all year round, and especially with the mash on top. Looks amazing.
And your Julia contribution, the Reine De Saba.. I have to make this!
So glad you visited my blog.. can’t wait to view more of your recipes.
I’ve never made a shephards pie with a crust before, but it’s going to be a standard from now on I think!
Truer words were not spoken! I completely agree and your cooking projects lots of <3 <3
thank you! Julia was such a genius!
It’s an absolute disgrace that I am still yet to buy Julia Child’s cookbook. This cake looks incredible. I’d love to try this xx
Thank you! I find it really intimidating just to flick through you have to know what you’re looking for!
That looks like such a great cake! All of this celebration of Julia’s recent birthday definitely has me wanting to pick up and flip through her cookbook again.
You should do! there’s so much in there
Gorgeous photos and a great tribute to Julia Child
Thanks Kiran!
like the look of those mash up pies
they’re so good! I can’t wait to have my next one!
Such a fantastic post and tribute. Love all of your gorgeous pics. And now I’m totally in the mood to watch that movie again.Sigh.
thank you! me too!
This looks like everything a chocolate cake should be…and more! A wonderful tribute to an absolute legend.
thank you! it was lovely! I only got a slice and a half before it was demolished by everyone else!
Love that you celebrated Julia with this beautiful cake. A job well done! She would be so proud.
Thank you! that’s really sweet of you to say!
What a gorgeous cake…and what delicious pictures leading up to it! I loved the quote by J. Child too. Just perfect. Thank you for sharing with me. Your post was a bright spot in my afternoon!
Thank you! the cake was lovely!
That cake looks so good!
Thank you!
Love this idea for a cake! The icing especially looks awesome!!
thank you! the icing was incredible!
Wonderful tribute to Julia. Such a fun post. The photos are great and your cake is fabulous!!!xx
Thank you! the photos were difficult as they were outside! I love a challenge though
I’ve been dreaming about these “mash up’s” ever since I last visited this post. My oldest daughter last week made a huge batch of mashed potatoes and asked me to make shepherd pies.. what we call them hear out west. I was so happy to make them adding the swirl of potatoes on top. I actually made miniature ones in these adorable crocks I had. They were a hit and YUMMY!! I didn’t have beef on hand so chicken had to do.. but it was all good! I’ll let you know when I put up the post with pics.
I can’t wait to see the pictures! I’m going to have a go tonight!
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