Julia's cake

Over the weekend Amy introduced me to the best-ever chocolate cake, Julia Child's Queen of Sheba cake. I love that it is petite and French, and I really love that it is a Julia recipe.

Cake - from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
3 ounces sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 T. strong coffee or rum
8 T. unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 egg whites
scant 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
2 T. sugar
1/3 cup blanched almonds pulverized with 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 t. almond extract
1/2 cup plain bleached cake flour, in a sifter set on wax paper

1. Set the oven at 325 degrees. Set the rack in the lower middle level. Butter and flour an 8- by 1 1/2-inch round cake pan.
2. In a double boiler or bowl set over a pan of 2 or 3 inches of water, combine the sweet and unsweetened chocolates with the coffee/rum. Bring water to a simmer,cover, and let chocolate melt,stirring until smooth. Turn off the heat.
3. In a 3-quart mixing bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer to cream the butter until soft and fluffy, then add the 1/2 cup sugar. Beat 1 minute, then beat in the yolks.
4. In another mixing bowl, beat the whites until foaming, beat in the cream of tartar and salt, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff, shining peaks form.
5. Blend the warm melted chocolate into the yolk mixture, then blend in the almonds and almond extract. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten it. Scoop the rest of the whites over the chocolate and, alternating with sprinkles of the flour, rapidly and delicately fold in the whites.
6. Immediately turn the batter into the prepared pan, tilting it in all directions to run it up to the rim, and set it in the oven.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake has puffed to the top of the pan and a toothpick plunged into it 2 and 3 inches from the edges comes out clean. (The center should move slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
8. Remove the pan to a rack and let it cool for 15 minutes, then unmold onto the rack. Let it cool completely, at least 2 hours, before storing or icing.

Icing - from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
2 ounces (2 squares) semisweet baking chocolate
2 Tb rum or coffee
5 to 6 Tb unsalted butter

Place the chocolate and rum or coffee in the small pan, cover, and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove pans from heat and let chocolate melt for 5 minutes or so, until perfectly smooth. Lift chocolate pan out of the hot water, and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then beat over the ice and water until chocolate mixture has cooled to spreading consistency. At once spread it over your cake with spatula or knife, and press a design of almonds over the icing.