Opera Cake Recipes

OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until soft peaks form. Slowly add white sugar and whip on high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy.
• Beat almond flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a separate bowl for 3 minutes. Add flour and beat on low speed until combined. Gently fold egg whites into the almond mixture until combined. Divide batter between the jelly roll pans; spread evenly.
• Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and peel off parchment paper; let cool.
• Make coffee syrup while cake is cooling. Combine boiling water, sugar, and coffee powder in a small bowl; stir until dissolved.
• Stir 2 tablespoons boiling water and coffee powder together for the buttercream. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture reaches 255 degrees F (124 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, beat egg and egg yolk in a stand mixer on high speed until pale and foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup carefully down the side of the mixer bowl, mixing continuously until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch.
• Beat butter in a separate bowl until creamy. Add butter gradually to the egg mixture, beating until frosting is fluffy. Add the dissolved coffee mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• Place dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring milk and cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter until ganache looks smooth and creamy. Let cool.
• Cut cooled cake layers in half crosswise. Place 1 piece on a rectangular serving plate. Sprinkle some coffee syrup on top. Add an even layer of buttercream. Repeat with a second cake layer, more coffee syrup, and another layer of buttercream. Spread 1/2 of the ganache on top. Repeat with remaining, cake layers, coffee syrup, and buttercream. Top cake with remaining ganache.

OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Make sponge cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter baking pan, then line bottom with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on short sides, and generously butter paper. Dust pan with cake flour, knocking out excess.
• Beat whole eggs in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until eggs have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add almond flour and confectioners sugar and mix until just combined. Resift cake flour over batter and gently fold in.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until whites just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar, then increase speed to high and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• Fold one third of whites into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in butter, then pour batter evenly into baking pan, spreading gently and evenly with offset spatula and being careful not to deflate (batter will be about 1/4 inch thick).
• Bake until very pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Loosen edges of cake with spatula, then transfer cake (on paper) to a cutting board. Cut cake into strips and squares. Trim outside edges slightly, then carefully peel paper from strips and squares and set back on paper.
• Make coffee syrup:
• Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved. Bring sugar and remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer syrup, without stirring, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cognac and coffee mixture.
• Make coffee buttercream:
• Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved. Bring sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage; see cooks' note, below).
• While syrup boils, beat yolks in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed 1 minute.
• Add hot syrup to yolks in a slow stream (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), beating, then add coffee mixture and beat until completely cool, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thickened and smooth.
• Make glaze:
• Melt butter and all but 2 tablespoons chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate until smooth, then cool glaze until room temperature but still liquid.
• Assemble cake:
• Put 1 cake square on a plate, then brush generously with one third of coffee syrup. Spread half of buttercream evenly over top with cleaned offset spatula, spreading to edges.
• Arrange both cake strips side by side on top of first layer (any seam will be hidden by next layer), then brush with half of remaining coffee syrup. Spread half of glaze evenly over top, spreading just to edges.
• Top with remaining cake square and brush with remaining coffee syrup. Spread remaining buttercream evenly over top, spreading just to edges. Chill cake until buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Reheat remaining glaze over barely simmering water just until shiny and spreadable (but not warm to the touch), about 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon glaze over top layer of cake and spread evenly just to edges. Scrape remaining tablespoon glaze into sealable plastic bag and twist bag so glaze is in 1 corner. Snip a tiny hole in corner and decorate cake (leave a 1/2-inch border around edges). Chill cake until glaze is set, about 30 minutes, then trim edges slightly with a sharp serrated knife.

FRENCH OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and grease a 6" square cake pan (or as many as you have since you'll need six layers) .
• In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract and whole eggs. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, at high speed, until the color lightens and the batter looks fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, beat the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with the egg whites, at medium high speed, just until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes. Don't over-whip (if you do, see the troubleshooting section).
• With a clean spatula, gently fold 1/3rd of the egg whites into the batter until it's fully incorporated. Fold in the second 1/3rd of the egg whites into the batter and then the last 1/3rd.
• Sift half of the flour over the batter, gently fold it in just until it's combined and then repeat with the second half. Pour the melted butter around the edge of the bowl and gently fold it in until it's fully incorporated.
• Pour 1/6 of the batter into the prepared pan (about 3.5oz) and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Bake the cake for 7 seven minutes, on the middle rack, just until it releases from the edge of the pan a little and the cake springs back when you press on it.
• Invert the cakes onto a flat surface and then repeat with the rest of the batter. You should get 6 thin layers total.
• Brew the coffee and mix it with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside to cool completely.
• Place the chocolate in a medium, heat safe bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, just until it's simmering (not boiling).
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate until the cream is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and allow the chocolate ganache to cool completely to room temperature.
• Make 1 batch of French buttercream. Add in the espresso and vanilla, mixing just until they're fully combined.
• To assemble the cake, place the first layer on a flat surface and brush it generously with the coffee soak. Spread a layer of buttercream, about as thick as the cake layer itself, onto the cake.
• Top with another layer of cake and coffee soak and then spread a layer of chocolate ganache, about as thick as the cake. Repeat with the rest of the layers and then smooth out the edges as much as possible. Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours to let it set.
• Slice the edges off the cake to make them smooth and then with the rest of the buttercream, frost the outside of the chilled cake until it's fully covered. Refrigerate it for about an hour, until the buttercream feels firm, and then make the chocolate glaze.
• Place the chocolate and oil in a small aluminum bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate on top of a small simmering pot of water (about ¼ -½ cup of water), to create a double boiler.
• Stir the chocolate frequently until it's smooth and silky. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before pouring it on top of the cake.
• Place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes so the chocolate sets.
• To get clean slices, run a large serrated knife under hot water and dab the water off. So the chocolate doesn't crack, slowly go back and forth to create grooves into the chocolate before you press down and slice.

FRENCH OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 10x15" pan and line with parchment. Allow parchment to overhang the edges by a couple inches.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, 4 eggs, and vanilla. Whip until thick and pale. The whisk will leave tracks and ribbons will form if you drizzle the mixture onto itself. Mix in flour mixture and then the melted butter.
• In a clean bowl of a stand mixer, begin to whip the egg whites on medium. When they start to foam, add the cream of tartar. Continue whipping while slowly adding the granulated sugar. Turn mixer to high and whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold egg whites into the cake mixture. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 5-10mins or until the cake springs back when pressed. Cool for 10mins before removing from pan.
• Place sugar, espresso powder, and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2mins. Remove from heat and stir in coffee liqueur. Cool completely.
• In a small bowl, combine espresso powder and hot water. Set aside.
• Place sugar and water into a medium saucepan. Stir to combine but do not stir from this point forward. Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the mixture reaches 240F.
• Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, whip egg yolks on high until thick, pale, and ribbons form.
• When the sugar reaches 240F, remove from the heat. Turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the yolks in a thin, steady stream.* Increase mixer to high and continue whip until the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (~10mins).
• Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add the espresso mixture and whip until combined and the frosting is smooth.
• Finely chop chocolate and place into a bowl. Bring cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 2 mins. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before using on cake.
• Using a 6" cake ring, cut out three cake rounds from the cake. Brush each with the coffee soak.
• Place one cake round on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup of the ganache. Refrigerate until ganache sets. Spread with 1/2 cup of the french buttercream. Repeat with next layer.
• Place last layer of cake on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill for 20mins.
• Spread ganache over the top of the cake. Do a decorative border with remaining frosting if desired.