“Sally Ann's of Concord shares a Valentine's cake recipe”

Sally Ann's of Concord shares a Valentine's cake recipe

One of the more unusual desserts the Sally Ann Food Shop in Concord has planned for Valentine's Day is a Queen of Sheba cake, a French recipe filled with chocolate and nuts that was first popularized in America by Julia Child. Sally Anne's version comes in serving size heart shapes and uses rum and hazelnuts.

Owner Bill Griffin has agreed to share his recipe.

SALLY ANN FOOD SHOP'S QUEEN OF SHEBA CAKE

For the cake

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

4 oz. almond paste

6 eggs, separated into yolks and whites

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped fine

For the ganache:

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

6 oz. heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

To make the cake:

1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the rum.

2. Mix together the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Mix the almond paste and egg yolks together and add to the butter mixture, then quickly mix in the chocolate and rum mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture.

4. Carefully fold the flour and hazelnuts into the batter.

5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

To make the ganache:

1. Melt the chocolate and cream together over a double boiler. Add the corn syrup to make the mixture shiny.

Assembling the cake:

1. If desired, use a cookie cutter to cut the cake into heart shapes after it has cooled.

2. Frost the cake hearts with the chocolate ganache and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Sally Ann Food Shop, Concord