Julia’s Child 3 Chocolates Queen of Sheba (reine de saba)

1. For the Dark Chocolate (¼ lbs or 113 g), I recommend a quality chocolate, with 70% grade minimum. If you can, take a good brand like Valrhona.

2.  If you live in the Los Angeles area, you may find professional grade chocolate, like Valrhona at Surfas (close to downtown), Jane Cake Supplies (La Cañada), or Nicole Market (South Pasadena)

Nicole's market
921 Meridian Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USA

Jane's Cake & Chocolate Supply
645 Foothill Blvd
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
USA

3.  Melt the Dark Chocolate (¼ lbs or 113 g) with the Coffee (2 Tablespoons or 30 g) in a double-boiler

Scanpan SaucepanLarge Mixing Bowls, Stainless Steel

4. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted

5. Set aside, to let cool slighty

6. For the next steps, you may mix everything "manually" with a spatula, or with the stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid appliance), using the 'paddle', or with a electric beater

KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand MixerHand Mixer

7. In a bowl, cream the Sugar (½ Cup or 135 g) and the Butter (½ Cup or 113 g), for several TXT_MINUTS

8. Separate the Eggs (3) (whites and yolks)

9. In a bowl, beat in the Egg Yolks

10. Add in the Almond Flour (½ Cup or 38 g) and the Almond Extract (¼ teaspoon) and mix

11. With a rubber spatula, blend in the melted chocolate

12. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed

13. When the whites are fluffy, add in the Sugar (2 teaspoons or 12 g) and continue beating the whites

14. We now have 3 bowls : The melted chocolate, the flour, the beaten egg whites

15. Mix in 1/3 of the beaten whites to lighten the mixture

DeBuyer WhiskKitchenAid Whisk

16. The, delicately fold in the second 1/3 of the beaten whites

17. Using a rubber spatula or a wire whip, gently fold the batter whithout whisking

18. Sift the Flour (½ Cup or 64 g) and the Baking Powder (½ teaspoon or 2 g)

19. Gently fold

Sifter for BakingFlour Sifter

20. Alternate by adding 1/3 of the beaten egg whites

21. and gently fold in

22. The batter you get must be fluffy

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The cake pan

23. For the cake pan, use a metal or glass mold, 7.87" (or 7 7/8" or 20 cm) in diameter

8 Inch Round Cake Pan SiliconeDeep 8-inch Pastry Ring, Heavy Gauge

24. Butter and flour the cake pan, or use a Cooking spray

Sunflower Oil Cooking SprayAvocado Oil Spray

25. Turn the batter into the greased cake pan, and spread the batter with an offset Icing Spatula

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Baking

26. Bake in preheated oven at 340 °F / 170 °C for 20/25 minutes

27. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and transfer to a cooling rack

Round Cooling RackNonstick Cooling Rack

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The ganache

28. Place in 3 different bowls : the Dark Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g), the White Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g) and the Dulcey Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g)

29.  The DULCEY chocolate is a "blond" chocolate, from the brand VALRHONA. You may find it in specialty stores (Los Angeles: Jane's Cake Supplies, or Nicole Market). You may replace 2 ways :
1- melt some white chocolate and add some "blond' food coloring
2- bake at very low temperature white chocolate. After a while, the white chocolate turns into Dulcey

30.  Bring to a boil the Cream (½ Cup or 120 g)

31. Pour on the Dulcey Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g), let it melt without stirring for 5 minutes

32. Then start stirring

33. You may mix with an immersion blender (sometimes called 'hand blender')

Immersion Multi-Purpose Hand Blender Immersion Hand Blender Bamix

34. Pour onto a tray with a silicone mat or with a parchment paper

35.  Freeze

Perforated Baking PanSilicone Baking Mat

36. Proceed the same way for the other ganaches : the White Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g) with the Cream (½ Cup or 100 g), and the Dark Chocolate ( 11 oz or 300 g) with the Cream (⅔ Cup or 150 g)

37. Freeze

38. After 1 hour, take the trays out of the freezer

39. Wait so that the ganaches become softer

40. Slice long stripes in each ganache, approx. 0.78" (or 25/32" or 2 cm) in width

41. Transfer the stripes onto a new pan with a silicone mat or with a parchment paper

42. Aternate : Dark, Dulcey and white ganaches

43. To make sure the stripes are parallel, push them with a tray

9 x 13 inch

44. Each time you add a strip, squeeze them gently so you leave no gap

45.  Refrigerate (the ganaches melt quite fast)

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Assembling

46. You need to use a pastry ring, 0.78" (or 25/32" or 2 cm) larger than the cake

47. If you cake is 7.87" (or 7 7/8" or 20 cm) in diameter, take a ring that is 8.66" (or 8 21/32" or 22 cm) in diameter

9 inch Pastry Ring, deepAdjustable Cake Mold 6 to 12 inch

48. Once the ganache softens at room temperature, press the ring onto the ganache

49. Take the unused chocolate (around the ring), microwave it (to melt), and spread on one side of the cake

50. Place the cake onto the "stripes" - the side with the melted chocolate should touch the stripes (the melted chocolate acts as a glue)

51. You may use an acetate film

Transparent Acetate Roll

52. For the "side ganache", simply microwave a bowl with the Dark Chocolate ( 7 oz or 200 g) and the Cream (¼ Cup or 60 g)

53. Stir, and pour on the side of the cake (between the cake and the ring)

54.  Freeze for at least 1 hour

55. Take out of the fridge and remove the ring

56. Place on a cake stand

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The almond candies

57. For the almond candies, I am placing in a silicone mold with large square cavities the Crushed Almonds (3 Tablespoons or 32 g)

58. Make a caramel by melting in a saucepan the Sugar (½ Cup or 120 g)

59. Pour the hot caramel and wait that it sets