One French Cake

A few weeks ago, we had my dad and step-mom over for dinner to celebrate their birthdays. We decided this would be a grand opportunity (either we were slightly delusional at the moment of decision or we are really this insane) to make both Julia Child’s Boef Bourginon and the infamous Chocolate Almond cake. We could’ve done an entire blog about the beef alone, but decided that everyone loves cake. So here goes…(oh and by the way, the beef truly was a veneral masterpiece of flavor).

First we needed a snack….we discovered a new goat gouda cheese at Earthfare. Two of our favorites in one beautiful block? Yes, please. Oh and the fig spread I’ve been wanting to try was on sale! The label read best with goat or gouda cheese. Yes, yes it was. Perfection. Anyway, I digress…onto the actual topic at hand…cake. 

After our very french snack of cheese, we were ready for our cake journey.

You must prepare the pan for its grand cake adventure too. This means a coating of butter (what else!) and then flour. 

Before we could actually begin the batter, we had to make the pulverized almonds that will go into the cake batter itself. Therefore, first we blanched the almonds for 1 minute. Then let them cool. Then remove the shells, toast in the oven, then just as the name implies, pulverize them in a food processor with sugar. 

Julia says to pinch the almonds between your thumb and pointer finger, then they will just pop right out of their shell. At first, we were a little skeptical. Then, amazingly Julia was right!

Julia has very persnickity methods for basic baking techniques such as creaming butter and sugar. The hubs wondered why can’t you just cream the butter and sugar, why does it matter? I said, “well, because it’s Julia. It just matters. You just do what she says because she says to.”

So since I forgot initially to read her particular method, I had to take the butter and sugar out of the bowl to warm it slightly (this was her very particular rule for creaming butter and sugar – you must warm the bowl beforehand). Then we were back on track. 

The French like to use a lot of alcohol in their cooking and this cake is no exception. You melt semisweet chocolate with rum. Yum!

You must very gently (and alternatingly) fold in all of the egg white and flour. A light and fluffy batter is a must for a light and fluffy, not tough and chewy cake. 

Carefully pour the batter into the cake pan and push it up to the sides. 

Baking away for a short 25 minutes.

Cooling on a rack before we can ice it. 

The finished cake decorated with sliced almonds. 

It was creamy, gooey, chocolate almond deliciousness in cake form with the perfect thin layerof ganache frosting. I would have smeared it all over my face, like Julie Powell and her husband in the movie, if we hadn’t been in the presence of company in the form of my parents. The cake really was that good, as the four of us devoured half of it in one sitting. 

Thank you Julia.