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Remake: Julia Child's Chocolate Almond Cake

For a gluten free take on a classic French dessert, check out this updated version of Julia Child's chocolate almond cake!
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A party without cake is just a meeting.

Featured in Julia's first and most famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, this simple 1-layer chocolate cake is garnished with slivered almonds. But don't be fooled- the flavor is fit for a queen! Perhaps that's why this cake is also known as Reine de Saba or Queen of Sheba. And, with only 1/2 a cup of flour, it's very simple to make gluten free.

This cake was also featured in Julie & Julia, the movie about Julia Child featuring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Here, whipped egg whites serve as the leavening agent. Then, the rich chocolate icing is created with just 3 ingredients. And, there's no sugar! It's a true French buttercream. Even the cake is made using only a few ingredients. As such, it's important to choose a higher quality chocolate.

This chocolate cake may be simple, but often times, less can be SO MUCH MORE!

Bon Appétit!

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Reasons to Love

  • Classic chocolate cake with a rich icing!
  • Only one layer!
  • Icing made with only 3 ingredients!

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Julia Child's Reine de Saba chocolate cake with gluten free flour

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Ingredients in Julia Child's Chocolate Almond Cake

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Chocolate
  • Eggs
  • Almonds
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend

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French Chocolate Buttercream Icing

2 oz. chocolate

1 Tbsp. cold coffee

6 Tbsp. butter, cold & cubed

This is how the French make buttercream icing! Cold butter is whipped into melted chocolate, until a fluffy icing is created. Only add a little butter at a time and whisk until you can't whisk anymore!

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Must I use cake flour?

Sure, you can use cake flour for this recipe. Only 1/2 a cup of flour is needed, which is not very much for a cake. I used a gluten free flour blend.

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Storage

Cake can be frozen, unfrosted, for up to one month. Leftover cake can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

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Who is Julia Child?

Julia Child is a well known chef, author, and TV personality. She is most well known for co-authoring Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was published in 1961 and helped to make French dishes accessible to American women. She was one of the first women to host her own cooking show in 1962. She also hosted cooking shows such as Baking with Julia and Cooking with Masterchefs in the 1990s. Julia didn't even attend cooking school until her late 30s. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1951.

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Slice of Julia Child's gluten free chocolate almond cake

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Remake: Julia Child's Chocolate Almond Cake

For a gluten free take on a classic French dessert, check out this updated version of Julia Child's chocolate almond cake!

Prep:
20
min
cook:
25
min
total:
60
min
Author:

Ingredients
  • 4 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • 2/3 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp.
  • 1/3 c. ground almonds
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. gluten free flour blend

French Chocolate Buttercream

  • 2 oz. dark or semi sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tsp. instant coffee + 1 tsp. water
  • 1 Tbsp. milk
  • 1 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, chopped
  • 1/3 c. sliced almonds

Instructions
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt the chocolate by microwaving for 20-second increments. Stir well until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, until stiff peaks form. After the egg whites are foamy, add 1 Tbsp. of sugar.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy and has lightened in color. Then, beat in the egg yolks. Next, beat in the vanilla, ground almonds, and melted chocolate.
  • Carefully fold in the gluten free flour blend and the egg whites. Then, gently scoop the batter into an 8-in. round, greased cake pan. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
  • ICING: Melt the chocolate by microwaving for 20-second increments. Stir well until chocolate is melted and smooth. Scrape melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the instant coffee and the water. Next, whisk in the coffee mixture, milk, and dark cocoa powder. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. You may need to place mixing bowl into an ice bath to help the chocolate cool and the icing come together into a spreading consistency.
  • Carefully remove the cake from the pan. If desired, place strips of parchment paper under the sides of the cake. These will be removed and create a prettier presentation. Then, spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake. Remove the parchment strips. Finally, garnish the edges with the sliced almonds.

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