
Yields:
10 - 12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 50 mins
Cal/Serv:
689
Opera cake is one of those baking projects that will make you feel like a pastry chef superstar. Coffee- soaked almond cake, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache are layered together to create a French masterpiece that’s equally stunning to look at and enjoy.
Opera cake, or Gâteau opéra, is a traditional French patisserie dating back to the 20th century. Several claim to have popularized it, but all agree on one thing: Its name comes from the way the layers resemble the stories of the opera house.
Like most French classics, opera cake is made of several separate components assembled to create a dessert that’s more than the sum of the parts. None of these are difficult or take long to make—and a few can even be made in advance—but there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind. Here’s the lowdown on all those layers:
Cake:
The traditional cake for an opera cake is a whisked almond sponge called a joconde. Unlike modern cakes leavened with baking powder or soda, the joconde gets its rise from a combination of whole eggs beaten with sugar until super light and separately beaten egg whites. The recipe is a little step-heavy, but once it’s in the oven, the cake bakes in just 15 minutes. And as a bonus, you don’t need to worry about slicing the cake into horizontal layers like you might with a deeper American-style cake. Just cut the large rectangle into three smaller rectangles, and you’re good to go.
Coffee soak:
The simplest of all the components, this is just instant espresso powder, sugar, and water heated gently together until they dissolve. Make this up to 3 days ahead of assembly and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.
Coffee French buttercream:
I won’t sugarcoat it: This is one of the trickier buttercreams. Made by steaming hot sugar syrup into beaten egg yolks, beating until cool, then whipping in chunks of room temp butter, this rich buttercream is best served in small portions and paired with strong flavors, which is why it’s traditional for this opera cake. Flavored with coffee, it’s the perfect contrast to the lighter cake and the strong chocolate.
My top tip? Don’t fear the process. Any nerves you have over the whole hot sugar syrup situation are infinitely worse than reality. Use a thermometer to ensure the syrup is at exactly 240°, keep the mixer on low as you pour, and aim for the area between the whisk and the bowl. You’ll be just fine.
This buttercream will solidify in the refrigerator, which is great for the structural integrity of the cake once it’s assembled but not helpful if you’re trying to get it back to a spreadable consistency. For this reason, I highly recommend making the buttercream the same day you’re planning to assemble the cake.
Ganache & glaze:
This is as easy as pouring hot cream over chocolate, letting it sit for 2 minutes, then stirring until smooth. Time and temperature are key here: once the ganache is made, it will need to cool until it solidifies to a spreadable texture. If your kitchen is warm, you can pop the bowl in the refrigerator to help expedite this process. Just don’t leave it too long: you don’t want it completely solidified.
The glaze is almost identical to the ganache, with two exceptions. First, this glaze has a little corn syrup in it to give it a gorgeous shine and soften the texture slightly once it’s chilled. Second, instead of letting it cool to a spreadable temperature, you’ll pour it over the top of the cake when it’s still warm enough to flow like lava.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
Joconde Sponge
Cooking spray
- 4
large egg whites
- 3 Tbsp.
granulated sugar, divided
- 4
large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups
(145 g.) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/4 cups
(120 g.) almond flour
- 1/3 cup
(40 g.) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp.
unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Coffee French Buttercream
- 2 Tbsp.
instant espresso powder
- 4
large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup
(100 g.) granulated sugar
- 1 cup
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
Espresso Soak
- 6 Tbsp.
granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp.
instant espresso powder
Ganache
- 4 oz.
(113 g.) bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao)
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
Glaze & Assembly
- 1/2 cup
(113 g.) bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao)
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp.
corn syrup or honey
Directions
Joconde Sponge
- Step 1Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Grease a 16" x 11" baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment.
- Step 2In the large bowl of a stand mixer f itted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. With the motor running, sprinkle in granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. (Do not overwhip.) Transfer meringue to a clean bowl. Wipe out stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment.
- Step 3 In bowl of stand mixer, beat eggs, confectioners’ sugar, and almond flour on low speed to incorporate. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is pale golden and leaves a thick trail when lifted from bowl, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4Sprinkle with all-purpose flour and beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in butter.
- Step 5Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using a flexible rubber spatula, carefully fold in one-third of meringue until no streaks remain. Add remaining meringue and continue to fold until no streaks remain.
- Step 6Gently pour batter into prepared pan; smooth and level top with spatula. (It won’t even itself out in the oven.)
- Step 7Bake cake until springy to the touch and it pulls away from sides of pan, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool in pan.
- Step 8Make Ahead: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store in pan tightly covered with plastic wrap (do not let plastic wrap touch surface of cake or it will stick).
Coffee French Buttercream
- Step 1In a small bowl, whisk espresso powder and 2 Tbsp. hot water until espresso powder is dissolved. Let cool.
- Step 2 In the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3Meanwhile, in a small pot over low heat, heat granulated sugar and 1/4 c. water, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and cook, undisturbed, until an instant-read thermometer registers 240°, 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Step 4Reduce mixer speed to medium. With the motor running, pour in hot sugar syrup mixture, aiming between whisk and side of bowl. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until mixture is room temperature. (This can take 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.)
- Step 5With the motor running, add butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in espresso mixture.
- Step 6If buttercream looks curdled, it’s too cold; just continue to beat to bring it up to room temperature. If it seems soupy, refrigerate 15 minutes, then mix again.
Espresso Soak
- Step 1 In a small pot over medium heat, cook granulated sugar, espresso powder, and 1/4 c. water, stirring, until sugar and espresso powder are dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 2Make Ahead: Soak can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Ganache
- Step 1 Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small pot over medium heat, heat cream until tiny bubbles form around the edges. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes.
- Step 2Using a rubber spatula, carefully stir until mixture is smooth. Let cool until ganache is a spreadable consistency.
Glaze & Assembly
- Step 1Remove cake from pan and place on a large cutting board. (Cake will still be attached to parchment, so it should be easy to transfer.) Trim 1/2" off each side of cake, yielding a large rectangle about 15" x 10". Cut into 3 smaller rectangles, each 10" x 5". (Once the cake it cut, it will be easier to peel back the layers.)
- Step 2Set a wire rack in a baking sheet. Place 1 smaller cake rectangle in the center of the rack. Brush with 1/4 c. espresso soak. Using a small offset spatula, spread with half of buttercream (about 1 c.). Top with a second rectangle of cake. Brush with another 1/4 c. soak. Spread chocolate ganache on top. Top with remaining cake layer and brush with another 1/4 c. soak. Spread remaining buttercream over top, smoothing to get the top as level as possible.
- Step 3Refrigerate cake until solid, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Step 4Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small pot over medium heat, heat cream until tiny bubbles form around the edges. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes.
- Step 5Using rubber spatula, carefully stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in corn syrup. The glaze should be a smooth, pourable consistency, but not too runny.
- Step 6Remove cake from refrigerator and carefully pour glaze over cake. Using small offset spatula, smooth and level top. Continue to refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour more.
- Step 7Using a sharp knife, trim edges of cake (and expose those gorgeous layers!). Let come to room temperature before serving.
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