Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba) (2024)

Julia Child's famous chocolate cake.

by Audrey March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

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This Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake is one of Julia Child’s most famous recipes, and for all the right reasons. It’s a simple cake recipe that yields a rich chocolatey taste with hints of almonds and a thin layer of chocolate buttercream to wow your guests. If you are learning French baking and need a staple dessert up your sleeve, the cake is a must!

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 adouble 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 thisQueen 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 thisQueen of Sheba Chocolate Cakeas 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: 4.6/5

( 16 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
⅔cup (133g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
⅔cup (65g) ground almonds
¼ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp (12g) sugar
½cup (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.

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53 comments

Karly October 4, 2017 - 1:11 am

Oh my land does this look amazing or what. I could eat this cake every day for the rest of my life!

Pardon your French October 4, 2017 - 12:17 pm

Thanks Karly! This cake has a big wow factor, but is actually pretty easy to make. And yes I am just like you … I could eat (and bake!) this cake every day for the rest of my life…

Jenny October 30, 2017 - 7:00 pm

So psyched I found you Pardon! My husband is French and we spent a week in France last month, it reawaken ed my love of French cooking. Can’t wait to try this and other recipes! I love the commentary, and the photos are sharp yet subtle. Merci bien de Iowa, USA.🇺🇸🇫🇷

Pardon your French October 30, 2017 - 8:36 pm

Welcome Jenny, happy to have you here! I was in France last month too … oh how i miss it ! Merci for the kind comments, and let me know where you try recipes 🙂

Suzanne March 30, 2023 - 12:16 pm

Hi Audrey,
Love your recipes! I have loved everyone I have tried. I am planning on trying this chocolate cake. What brand of chocolate did you use when you lived in Canada?
Suzanne

Audrey March 30, 2023 - 12:29 pm

Hello, Suzanne. Thanks for the kind words! If I am in the mood to splurge (and I can find it) Callebaut chocolate was always a good choice. For day to day applications, both Baker’s brand and Ghirardelli have always worked well for me.

Michelle March 30, 2023 - 1:47 pm

This cake looks amazing. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute for the almond flour. I can’t eat nuts anymore which makes a lot French baking a challenge!

Audrey March 30, 2023 - 3:06 pm

Hello, Michelle… Two suggestions, since you cannot eat nuts. 1) just replace it with regular flour, or 2) cassava flour. I cannot comment on how cassava flour tastes/works, but I have been told and read that it work well as a 1:1 substitute.

The cake will lose flavour and there will be a change in texture, but it could work. Are you able to still use almond extract, by chance?

Denise April 11, 2023 - 4:54 pm

J’ai fait ce gâteau pour pâques: c’était superbe! Merci pour la recette!! Votre site web: aussi superbe! Merci!

Audrey April 11, 2023 - 6:13 pm

Merci pour votre gentil mot, Denise!

William May 7, 2023 - 12:20 pm

Bonjour! For those of us who are diabetic, is there a way to make this using an artificial sweetener instead of granulated sugar? Merci.

Audrey May 7, 2023 - 3:09 pm

Hello, William. Thanks for the inquiry, and I truly wish I had a response for you – but unfortunately, I don’t. I have no experience using artificial sweeteners, but I am happy to post this message in hopes that someone with experience using them will be able to chime in.

Suzanne McGavin May 7, 2023 - 4:25 pm

Dear Audrey,
I have tried the Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake twice since you posted it in March. The first time was for Easter and it was a hit with all of my family. The second time was for a birthday celebration. Once again, most delicious. The first time I used rum and the second time I tried it with the espresso, equally amazing, although different.
It is an easy recipe to make but there are many steps to it. This will definitely become a celebration cake in my family.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes, Audrey.
Suzanne, Ottawa

Audrey May 8, 2023 - 8:00 am

Suzanne, I very much appreciate all the kind words. I am so glad you love this cake and love that’s it’s already made an appearance for two important events. You are right that this cake does have its steps, and there is nothing wrong with it being a celebratory cake. I have many simple “every day” cakes and loaves on the blog that you might love as well! We can’t make fancy cakes every day (and probably for good reason!)

Anonymous May 19, 2023 - 5:04 am

Thanks very much Audrey for the metric measurements! Will be baking The Queen for the weekend.

Audrey May 19, 2023 - 8:06 am

You’re very welcome. Metric measurements are basically “law” over here, and the only way to really ensure a recipe can be recreated as accurately as possible.
Would love to hear how the cake turns out! Enjoy!

Anonymous May 20, 2023 - 9:48 am

Despite my over beating the egg whites, it still came out beautifully. I baked two cakes and thus I have no chocolate left for the buttercream icing, so I might try a white choc buttercream (???) on one and sifted icing sugar on the other. Thanks again.

Audrey May 20, 2023 - 3:55 pm

Great to hear! Chocolate icing makes for an ultra rich and decadent cake, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with using another icing or just icing sugar. Hope you enjoy the taste and appreciate the feedback!

Anonymous May 22, 2023 - 6:49 pm

The cakes I baked was a bit crumbly and just a touch dry. Did I bake it for too long? It was really delicious, though.

Audrey May 23, 2023 - 2:56 pm

Hard to say. I’m glad it was delicious, though! The problem is, sometimes certain ovens run hotter than others> It could even come down to the “dryness” of your flour. What I suggest is, if you make it again, cutting the baking time by about 5 minutes. This should remedy the issue! Taste obviously #1 in importance, but a good texture is ideal as well. Thanks for letting me know!

Anonymous May 23, 2023 - 6:45 pm

Thanks very much for the feedback, Audrey. I’m with you about the flour -I live in a dry climate and this could probably influence the moisture content of flour here. I’ll definitely bake it again!

Audrey May 24, 2023 - 7:31 am

It very well could be the culprit! As suggested, I’d bake a few minutes less the next go round (maybe veen just 2-3) and see if that “resolves” the issue.

Nancy Dimitrijevich July 12, 2023 - 11:45 pm

It look delicious

Audrey July 13, 2023 - 10:58 am

Thank you, Nancy! It really is a delicious cake… Julia Child hit this one out of the park!

giles July 25, 2023 - 7:29 am

Looks delicious

Audrey July 25, 2023 - 3:30 pm

Thank you, Giles!

Helen December 3, 2023 - 2:41 pm

Bon jour, Audrey! As a Francophile myself, I am so enjoying your posts! I do have a question about the Queen of Sheba cake…do you use light or dark rum? Over the years I have swapped out one for the other in various recipes but have learned that choosing the wrong one can make or break it. Merci!

Audrey December 3, 2023 - 4:05 pm

Hello, Helen! Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it. In regards to your question, dark rum is my go to for this recipe. I’d use light if I didn’t have it on hand… But if you have dark, it’s the right choice!

Helen December 3, 2023 - 6:19 pm

Perfect! Thank you for responding so promptly. I can’t wait to try it!

Audrey December 3, 2023 - 6:21 pm

You’re very welcome!

Carla Hereford February 22, 2024 - 6:03 pm

I had to use an 8” Corning ware bowl to cook it in. I didn’t know how to adjust time and temperature. Do you know how to adjust for this stuff? Would you instruct me?

Audrey February 23, 2024 - 8:22 am

Hello, Carla! Good question, and my best response is “there is no true answer”… But you can still make it work, I promise! So what I always do, is say to myself, ok the pan is 1” smaller (in your case), which means the cake will be slightly “thicker”. Thicker should equal longer cooking time.

So, in this case, what I would do, is bake for the same 25min, and as quick as you can, stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake and see if it comes out “clean”. It might (because some ovens are actually hotter than they say they are). If not, I’d assume about an additional 5min or so at most and it should be ready!

Good luck! 🙂

Jilly March 13, 2024 - 6:30 pm

I would love to try this recipe, especially having watched the TV series and film re: Julia Childs! I will be baking in the UK and wondered whether ‘cake flour’ is our self-raising flour over here? If you are able to advise on this, I would be very grateful. Thinking of baking for our family Easter lunch as a special treat! Many thanks, Jill

Audrey March 14, 2024 - 8:30 am

Hello, Jilly. Great question. Cake flour is not the same as self-rising flour, and I’ll try to explain why you may just be able to use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. In North America, Canada in specific, all-purpose four tends to have a high protein content (10-12%), so we use cake flour which has a lower protein content for cakes like this. I find that in France (so perhaps it is the same in the UK) flours contain a generally lower protein content, so you can basically just use an all-purpose flour in that case.

So, what you’re looking for is a flour with a lower protein percentage (6,7,8%) if possible. Tip: If it doesn’t give the percentage on the bag, just look at how many grams of protein per 100g of flour – and that’s the percentage!

Dawn March 24, 2024 - 7:03 pm

I wanted to print out this recipe, however the type and picture does not align very well.

Audrey March 25, 2024 - 3:00 pm

Hello, Dawn. Are you using the “print recipe” button found in the recipe card (where the ingredients etc. are listed)? If so, I will send an email to the theme developer to let them know there is an issue with it. Thank you!

Audrey

Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.

Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba) (2024)

Julia Child's famous chocolate cake.

My baking tips:

How to store thisQueen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

More French cake recipes you may like:

Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes...

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