Reine de Saba (Chocolate and Almond Cake)

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a 9" cake pan with softened butter. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and the pinch of salt. Whisk on high speed until the eggs lose their yellow appearance and begin to foam.

Step 2

Sprinkle the tablespoon of granulated sugar over the egg whites and continue to whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should stick to the whisk when the whisk is held upside down, and they should look just a bit more firm than shaving cream.

Step 3

Transfer the egg whites to a medium bowl and temporarily set aside. Rinse out the stand mixer's bowl.

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. To the mixer, add the egg yolks and mix until the batter is light yellow (vanilla-colored).

Step 5

Add the melted chocolate and coffee to the batter, then mix just to incorporate. Then mix in the almond meal and almond extract. Finally, on low speed, mix in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten up the batter.

Step 6

Now, use a rubber spatula to stir in half of the cake flour. Fold to incorporate. Add another third of egg whites to the batter, and very gently fold the whites into the batter to incorporate. Add the remaining cake flour and gently fold to mix. Finally, add the remaining egg whites and gently fold to incorporate. There shouldn't be any unmixed egg whites.

Step 7

Gently pour the cake batter into your prepared pan, using a light hand to evenly spread out the batter in the pan. Bake the cake for 16 to 20 minutes. If you want a fudgey texture, the center of the cake should slightly wobble. Otherwise, remove once cake is set all over. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before running a sharp knife along the edges. Flip the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 8

Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and make sure it's smooth. Add in the butter and stir until the butter has melted as well and the glaze is smooth.

Step 9

Place the cake on your serving plate, then pour the glaze over the cake. Smooth the glaze across the top of the cake first, giving time for the chocolate to somewhat set before smoothing down the sides. As each minute passes, the chocolate will set more and more, making it less runny. Gently press shaved almonds along the sides of the cake.