Name: Queen of Sheba Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons brewed coffee (or dark rum); 3/4 teaspoon almond extract; 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 cup almond meal; 2 tablespoons cake flour; 4 large eggs (separated); 3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided use); 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar; 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

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This luscious chocolate cake dubbed Queen of Sheba Cake was popularized by Julia Child. It’s a classic that’s perfect for any dinner party or special occasion.

A chocolate cake dusted with powdered sugar sits on a marble stand. One slice is cut and placed on a white plate with a fork on the side.

This recipe has been retested and updated since first publishing December 2009.

I adore chocolate, but I’m not necessarily the kind of person who will enjoy a big ol’ slice of chocolate layer cake. I much prefer chocolate in smaller, more deeply flavored doses, whether that means a cup of thick drinking chocolate or a few squares of dark chocolate.

That’s why I like this queen of Sheba cake so much — it’s richly flavored so just a small slice will do, and it doesn’t really need any dressing up.

Queen of Sheba Cake, or Reine de Saba, was reportedly one of the first things Julia Child ate when she went to France, and it became an essential recipe in her repertoire.

This elegant cake is made with almond meal and just a little bit of flour, giving it a nutty, rich texture with deep chocolate flavor. Fans of dark chocolate will really love this one!

Ingredients for queen of sheba cake

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

Ingredients arranged on a marble surface: almond meal, powdered sugar, sugar, almond extract, cake flour, butter, coffee, eggs, cream of tartar, and a chocolate bar.

You’ll need:

Bittersweet chocolate
Unsalted butter
Coffee or dark rum – If you are anti-coffee or avoiding alcohol, you can leave this out, but it helps enhance the rich chocolate flavor.
Almond extract
Almond meal
Cake flour
Large eggs
Granulated sugar
Cream of tartar
Powdered sugar

Almond meal and almond flour are sometimes labeled interchangeably, but they are slightly different. Almond meal is made from unpeeled ground almonds, while almond flour uses peeled, blanched almonds, making it lighter in color. You can use either in this recipe.

The eggs will need to be separated. I like to do this using three bowls (one for whites, one for yolks, and one to crack over) in case one of the yolks breaks. You don’t want to ruin the whole batch on the last egg!

A round cake dusted with powdered sugar, missing one slice. The slice is on a plate with a fork beside it. A striped cloth is nearby on a marble surface.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick spray, then place a round of parchment paper in the bottom.

Set a pot of water on the stove and bring to a low boil. Place a heat-proof bowl on top and add the butter and chocolate, stirring until almost completely melted.

A saucepan filled with dark and white chocolate pieces, placed on a gray striped cloth with a blue spatula beside it.

A saucepan filled with melted chocolate sits on a gray striped cloth. A blue spatula lies next to the pan on a marble surface.

Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth, then stir in the coffee, almond extract, and salt. Set aside to cool to room temperature. If the chocolate is too hot, it can scramble the eggs, so don’t skip this!

Stir the almond meal and flour together in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar until blended. Stir in the chocolate mixture.

A bowl of dry ingredients with a blue spatula, placed on a marble surface next to a striped gray cloth.

A grey bowl with a wire whisk containing a yellow liquid mixture on a marble surface next to a striped fabric.

In another bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining granulated sugar, a little bit at a time, until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the almond meal mixture and 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, scraping down the middle and around the side to incorporate. Once fully added, fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Be careful to not be too vigorous, otherwise the egg whites will deflate.

Bowl of whipped cream next to a whisk with cream on it on a marble surface. Striped cloth to the right.

A gray bowl with chocolate batter and a spoon on a marble surface, next to a striped cloth.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out slightly gooey, but toward the edges it will be clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan, set on a wire rack. The cake will deflate as it cools, but don’t worry! That’s what we want.

Round chocolate cake in a springform pan on a marble countertop next to a striped cloth.

A round cake topped with powdered sugar on a marble surface, next to a serrated knife with a decorative handle.

Once the cake is cooled, flip out onto a cake plate and remove the parchment paper round. Trim any scraggly edges if desired, and dust with powdered sugar to serve.

A chocolate cake with powdered sugar on top is on a marble cake stand. A slice is cut and placed on a white plate with a fork beside it.

Recipe suggestions

If you like, you can cover this cake with a chocolate ganache rather than powdered sugar. Combine equal parts chocolate and warm heavy cream, whisking until melted and smooth, then pour over the cake.

You can also decorate this cake with thin almond slices around the sides of the cake, stuck onto the ganache before it hardens.

Or, keep it simple with a dollop of whipped cream! This rich cake doesn’t need much adornment to be completely irresistible.

Slice of chocolate cake on a plate with a fork, whole cake in the background on a wooden stand. Both topped with powdered sugar.

One bite and you’ll know why Julia Child fell in love with Queen of Sheba cake.

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