Queen of Sheba Cake

I read about this cake that inspired Julia Child. It may be the first cake she

tasted in France. I was dying to try it.

Christmas is the perfect occasion, right?

I invited some friends over for dinner on Christmas eve eve.

I made a simple fish stew, and that was nice with the cheddar biscuits and a salad.

It was all really an excuse for me to finally take on the 'Queen'.

Of course, you know it was a disappointment.

How could I have worked myself up like that and not experience a let down?

The cake is good. It really is.

However, what cake can live up to mythic standards?

Changes I made: The recipe made only one 8" round, so I doubled it and used a 9" round, and a 4 1/2"round. Next time I would ground the almonds finer. Though they looked finely ground in the processor bowl, but once baked in the cake, they seemed coarse. I had stopped grinding for fear of the almonds becoming a paste.

I also doubled the icing, which is a sort of ganache. It was mythic and epic and I'd like a bowl of it right now!