Opera Cake

Opera cake is a renowned French delicacy made of layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, spread with coffee cream and chocolate ganache, and finally topped with a chocolate glaze. This is a truly elegant and rich dessert that offers a perfect harmony of flavors, ideal for lovers of coffee, chocolate, and almonds.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 110 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 40 minutes
  • Difficulty: 1
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

Biscuit

  • 80 g Butter, unsalted

  • 380 g Nuts, almonds, blanched

  • 460 g Sugar, white

  • 100 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

  • 500 g Egg, fresh

  • 340 g Egg, egg white, fresh

Butter coffee cream

  • 120 g Water

  • 320 g Sugar, white

  • 145 g Egg, fresh

  • 60 g Egg, egg yolk, fresh

  • 780 g Butter, unsalted

  • 66 g Coffee, espresso

Coffee syrup

  • 500 g Sugar, white

  • 720 g Water

  • 145 g Coffee, espresso

  • 8 g Alcohol, Rum

Ganache

  • 330 g chocolate, dark

  • 200 g Milk, whole milk

  • 50 g Sweet cream

  • 90 g Butter, unsalted

chocolate glaze

  • 460 g chocolate, dark

  • 250 g Butter, unsalted

  • 38 g Oil, plant, sunflower

Steps

  1. First, prepare the sponge cake. Beat the egg whites and 80g of sugar into stiff peaks. Melt the butter. Whisk the eggs and 380g of sugar until frothy, then manually mix in the melted butter. Add the white and almond flour. You should get a smooth, homogeneous mixture, into which you gently fold the beaten egg whites.

  2. Spread the batter thinly onto several baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. You should get a very thin sponge cake.

  3. Coffee syrup: Put all the ingredients, except the rum, into a pot, mix, and bring to a boil. Add the rum and let it cool completely.

  4. Chocolate ganache: Bring the cream and milk to a boil, pour over the chocolate, and mix well until the chocolate is melted. Add the butter and mix with a hand blender until you get a smooth ganache.

  5. Buttercream: Bring the water and sugar to a boil and cook until it reaches 123 degrees Celsius. Whisk the eggs and yolks until frothy and slowly pour in the sugar syrup. Add the butter and mix well. Finally, add the coffee paste.

  6. Chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter over a water bath, add the oil, and mix well with a hand blender. Use when cooled to 35 degrees Celsius.

  7. Assembling the cake: Use a square frame measuring 30cm x 30cm. Place a layer of sponge cake in the frame and soak it with the coffee syrup. Spread 300g of coffee cream on top. Follow with another layer of sponge cake, also soaked in syrup. Spread 300g of chocolate ganache on the second layer of sponge cake. Add another layer of coffee-soaked sponge cake and spread 300g of coffee cream on top. Chill the cake well and finally pour the chocolate glaze over it.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 364.93 kcal
  • Fat: 25.15 g
    • Saturated Fat: 13.04 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30.95 g
    • Sugars: 27.06 g
  • Protein: 4.02 g
  • Fiber: 1.48 g