Opera Torte (Operatårta)

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• dry bread crumbs for coating pan
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cake flour
• 1 package unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ALMOND PASTE:
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg white
• powdered sugar for dusting cake

Preparation

Step 1

Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with dry bread crumbs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Separate 3 of the eggs and put the whites into a clean, dry bowl. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the 3 egg yolks with one whole egg. Add the 2/3 cup sugar until light and lemon-colored. Sift the flour over the mixture. Add the beaten egg whites and fold everything together, using a rubber spatula, until the dry ingredients and egg whites are blended. Turn into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the cake springs back when touched.

For the filling, mix the gelatin with the sugar and 1 cup cream in a heavy saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, to simmering. Whisk the egg yolk in a little bowl. Whisk a bit of the hot cream into the eggs, then add the yolk mixture to the mixture in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Turn into a metal bowl and place over ice. Stir until cooled. Whisk in the remaining cream and whip until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.

To prepare the almond paste, put the almonds through a food processor and process until pulverized. Add the powdered sugar and egg white and blend until smooth and pasty. Chill. Place between sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter. Chill until ready to use.

Cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread the filling on two layers and stack. Add the third layer.

Peel off one sheet of the plastic wrap from the almond paste and center the paste on the cake, covered side up. Carefully peel off the plastic. With hands dipped in powdered sugar, shape the paste over the top and sides of the cake (like fondant) until smooth. Dust with powdered sugar and chill until ready to serve.