Opera Torte

By LoriCaputo

Ingredients

• METHOD:
• I. Joconde/Almond Spongecake
• 3 SHEETPANS BAKED IN VERY THIN LAYERS.
• 16 16
• 16 16 OZ.
• 16 WHITES 16 OZ.
• 1 1/4 TARTAR 1 1/4 tsp.
• 5.5 5.5 OZ.
• 21 FLOUR or ground nuts 21 OZ.
• 5.5 FLOUR - sifted 5.5 OZ
• 5.5 - melted & cooled 5.5 OZ.
• METHOD: SEPARATION EGG FOAMING METHOD
• 1) Grease & flour parchment well, or use a silicon mat.
• 2) 16 16 to 120F 3rd 10 oz. sugar. Warm mixture to 120F over a simmering water bath. Whip on 3rd speed until fully volume is reached; about 10 minutes.
• 3) 5.5 whites with the cream of tartar till soft peaks; then slowly add 5.5 oz. of sugar and whip till firm peaks.
• 4) Sift together the flour and almond flour.
• 5) ** Carefully fold-in the dry ingredients, while alternating with the meringue into the egg foam.
• 6) 2 to 2 cups of the batter and place in a bowl. Add the melted butter to this, and blend together till just combined. Now carefully fold this back into the egg foam.
• 7) Spread evenly and thinly over the prepared sheetpans.
• 8) 400 7 400 degrees until lightly golden brown, but not dry; about 7 minutes.
• 9) to to joconde off the sheetpan onto a cooling rack. While still warm, invert joconde and loosen the parchment - but do not remove. Reinvert. Allow to cool and cover to prevent drying.
• II. Mocha Italian Butter Cream
• 1-2-3 MOCHA ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM 1-2-3
• 1# WHITES 1#
• 1/2 OF TARTAR 1/2 TSP.
• 2# 2#
• 8 8 OZ.
• 3# - very soft 3#
• 2 JUICE 2 TSP.
• 1/2 EXTRACT 1/2 OZ.
• 2 PASTE 2 OZ.
• METHOD: ITALIAN MERINGUE
• 1) to 240F. and water together in a pot. Place over medium heat, and stir till sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to high and cook till 240F. Washing down sides of pot with water throughout this process.
• 2) 230F to begin whipping egg whites and cream of tartar, whip them to soft peaks.
• 3) 240F 2nd to 3rd 30 slowly begin pouring the hot sugar syrup into the soft peak egg whites. * Machine is on 2nd speed! After all the sugar is added, turn machine up to 3rd speed, and whip till cool - this takes about 30 minutes.
• 4) Separately cream the butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract till light and soft.
• BUTTER CREAM
• 5) to 2nd to 3rd 5 to the meringue. With the machine running on 2nd speed using the whip. After the butter is all added, turn the machine up to 3rd speed for about 5 minutes, until light and airy.
• 6) to mocha paste to taste, and whip again till smooth.
• III. Coffee Simple Syrup
• III. COFFEE SIMPLE SYRUP
• 16 Strong Coffee 16 oz.
• 8 8 oz.
• 6 6 oz.
• 2 2 oz.
• to together water and sugar, stirring till dissolved. Remove from heat when it comes to a boil. Slowly stir in sugar syrup into coffee, until a slightly sweet coffee mixture is achieved. Then add brandy. Reserve for soaking cake layers.
• IV. Ganache Filling
• IV. GANACHE FILLING
• 12 Chocolate 12 oz.
• 8 Cream 8 oz.
• 2 2 oz.
• 1 1 oz.
• METHOD:
• V. Special Opera Glaze
• V. SPECIAL OPERA GLAZE
• 16 Chocolate 16 oz.
• 7 Semi-Sweet Chocolate 7 oz.
• 2.5 Oil 2.5 oz.
• METHOD:
• 105F to all ingredients slowly over a simmering water bath. Stirring until 105F is reached. Hold and reserve at this temperature, until ready to use.
• OPERA TORTE BUILDING PROCEDURE
• to Take the first sheet of Joconde (I) and apply a very very thin layer of coating chocolate to the top.
• to Allow to set, then flip over the sheet of cake onto a clean parchment lined sheetpan. This now becomes the bottom of the cake, or the foot.
• * Soak with Coffee Simple Syrup (III). Spread on a layer of Mocha Butter Cream (II)
• * Top with a second layer of Joconde (I).
• * Soak with Coffee Simple Syrup (III).
• * Spread on a layer of Ganache (IV).
• * Top with a third layer of Joconde (I).
• * Soak with Coffee Simple Syrup (III).
• * Spread on a layer of Mocha Butter Cream (II). Make this very smooth and even.
• 15 to the Opera Torte in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will allow the butter cream to firm, and make it ready for the glazing procedure.

Preparation

Step 1

* Chill in the refrigerator. Remove , and slice into 1-1/2" strips by 2" lengths.
* Using Writing Chocolate or thickened tempered chocolate, complete the cake, by writing OPERA on each portion. Place in paper cups.