Opera Cake

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Traditional Home, February/March 2017, page 40.

Elegant and lady-like, opera cake is a relative newcomer to the world of French patisserie. It gained popularity in the late 1950s, amidst a refined world of white gloves, Dior gowns, and veiled hats. Here, a piece of opera cake rests on Iittala’s “Kastehelmi” glass plate, patterned with rows of dewdrop-like forms.

Prep: 1 hour
Bake: 8 minutes to 10 minutes at 425° F
Cool: 45 minutes
Stand: 30 minutes
Chill: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Ingredients

  • Sponge Cake:
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1-1/4 cups sliced almonds
  • 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Coffee Syrup:
  • 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Coffee Buttercream:
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup butter, softened and cubed
  • Mexican Chocolate Ganache:
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
  • 2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

For Sponge Cake, allow egg yolks and egg whites to stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease three 8x8x2-inch square baking pans.* Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper or waxed paper.

In food processor combine almonds and powdered sugar. Cover; process with on/off pulses until nuts are finely ground; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°F. In medium mixing bowl beat 6 egg yolks with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon color. Add milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat on low speed until combined. Fold in almond mixture. Fold in flour; set aside.

Thoroughly wash beaters. In large mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl).

Gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold half the beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture; fold egg yolk mixture into remaining beaten egg whites. Divide batter between prepared pans, spreading evenly.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until top is golden. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; remove paper. Cool completely on wire racks (cake layers will be thin).

For Coffee Syrup, in small saucepan combine 1/4 cup coffee and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes; set aside.

For Coffee Buttercream, in heavy, small saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about half of hot mixture into the 3 egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup coffee and 1 teaspoon vanilla; cool. In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed until fluffy. Add cooled egg yolk mixture, beating until combined. If necessary, chill until mixture reaches spreading consistency.

For Mexican Chocolate Ganache, in small saucepan bring cream just to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add semisweet and Mexican chocolates (do not stir). Let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth (Mexican chocolate has a somewhat grainy appearance). Cool 15 minutes.

Building the Opera Cake: To assemble, place one Sponge Cake layer on serving plate. Brush with one-third of Coffee Syrup. Spread with half of Coffee Buttercream. Top with another cake layer; brush with one-third of syrup. Spread with half of Chocolate Ganache. Top with remaining cake layer; brush with remaining syrup. Spread with remaining buttercream. Chill at least 1 hour or until layers are firm. Casually spread top with remaining ganache. Using long sharp knife, trim sides of layers to make even. Makes 8 servings.

*Tip: If you don't have three 8x8x2-inch baking pans, bake one or two pans at a time, keeping the remaining batter chilled until ready to bake. Cool, grease, line, and flour pans between each batch. Wrap cooled layers and store at room temperature up to 24 hours or label and freeze in freezer container up to 3 months. Chill assembled cake up to 24 hours.

Recipe by Chef Mary Payne Moran

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