Decadent Designation

• The Queen of Sheba torte was developed in the Brittany region, located on the rocky coastline of northwestern France. The torte's reference to the Queen of Sheba is more fanciful than historical, given that the dessert wasn't associated with the 10th century B.C. African monarch during her lifetime, nor was it based on an African dessert, or even ingredients indigenous to that continent. Instead, the queen's excessive wealth and lavish habits inspired the name of this intensely rich cake.

Noble Names

• As a dessert, the Queen of Sheba is variously described as a cake or torte. Both terms are accurate; the torte is a subcategory of the diverse cake category. Tortes tend to be lower in height than other cakes. Even the types with layers remain dense enough to bake in a single springform pan. The desserts get this dense quality from the absence, or minimal amount of, flour in their composition, as well as the lack of baking powder. Instead, tortes often get their substance from ground nuts, as well as a large number of eggs.

Imperial Ingredients

• The Queen of Sheba torte owes its richness to bittersweet chocolate, more than a stick of butter, generous quantities of sugar and as many as eight eggs, depending on the recipe. The torte also contains a hefty amount of ground almonds, a taste that is underscored by the addition of almond extract. Queen of Sheba cake is also distinguished by the inclusion of rum. A chocolate glaze, made of melted chocolate, butter and rum, typically glosses the cake.

Aristocratic Adaptations

• As with most old desserts, a few variations on the torte recipe exist. Some Queen of Sheba tortes are flavored with brandy instead of rum. Others use walnuts along with almonds, and may also include dried currants. When chocolate glaze covers the Queen of Sheba, it may also be garnished with whole almonds. Some cooks forgo the glaze and simply "crown" the Queen with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, and perhaps an additional dollop of whipped cream.