Classic French Opera Cake
on Friday, 05 January 2018.
Posted in French Friday, Provence
The French Opera cake is known throughout the world. It is a square cake, made with four layers of almond flavoured sponge, sometimes soaked in a coffee syrup, and topped with a coffee butter cream, then topped with deep, dark, chocolate ganache.
The pastry chef who created this cake wanted to make a cake, when in taking one bite, would have the taste of the whole cake.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Almond Sponge
- 6 large egg whites (room temp)
- 2 tblsp sugar
- 200 gr ground, blanched almonds
- 220 gr sifted icing sugar
- 6 eggs
- 70 gr plain flour
- 40 gr melted and cooled butter
Coffee Butter Cream
- 2 tblsp instant espresso coffee
- 2 tblsp boiling water
- 220 gr sugar
- 3 tblsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 200 gr butter at room temp
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 220 gr dark chocolate
- 120 gr milk
- 60 gr heavy cream
- 60 gr butter
Method
Method
To make the Almond Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Line two 30cm x 30cm pans with baking paper and brush the surface of the paper with butter. Set them aside for a moment.
- Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites on high until they become foamy and start to expand. Sprinkle in the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, until all of it is incorporated into the egg whites. Continue beating the meringue until it is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, beat the ground almonds, icing sugar, and whole eggs on medium, just until the mixture becomes light and foamy. Gently fold the flour into the almond batter.
- Gently stir 1/4 of the almond batter into the whipped egg whites. Fold the remainder of the almond batter and the melted and cooled butter into the egg whites. Divide the sponge cake batter between the two prepared pans and bake the cakes for 10 minutes, until the surfaces spring back from a light touch.
- Cover the top surface of each cake with a fresh piece of baking paper and carefully invert them onto a clean surface. Slowly peel back the old baking paper from the cakes and allow them to rest loosely over the cakes to prevent them from drying out. Very carefully slice each cake through the centre so that you end up with 4 layers of cake to work with.
To make the Coffee Butter Cream
- Stir together the coffee powder and boiling water and set the mixture aside for a moment. In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, bring 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a boil. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk until they begin to get fluffy. Continue to beat the mixture and add the hot sugar syrup to the bowl in a smooth, steady, slow stream. Once the syrup is incorporated, mix in the reserved coffee mixture. Continuing to beat on medium-high, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until it is fully incorporated into the buttercream. The coffee buttercream is complete once it turns thick and fluffy.
To make the Dark Chocolate Ganache
- In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, bring the milk and cream to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring the chocolate for 2 minutes, to ensure a completely smooth texture.
- Stir in the butter and continue stirring the ganache for 2 minutes.
To assemble the cake
- Line a serving plate with baking paper. Have another place prepared for another layer of cake. Place one layer on the serving plate. Carefully spread a quarter of the coffee buttercream over the surface of that cake.
- On the other layer of cake, spread ganache evenly. Place that layer on top of the butter cream. Keep layering until the last thing you do is smoothly spread ganache over the entire cake.
- Allow the cake to set in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight if possible, before serving.
