Opera Cake Recipe

Ok this is like the whole another level of cake recipe. It has many many steps, a lot of eggs, very very creamy and yummy as heaven. If you are an ardent coffee and chocolate lover, I would reckon you try this. This is my first time trying anything quite technical. It didn't turn out polished or perfectly neat but the taste sold the cake! I mean not literally sold.  

The cake has 3 important components and one simple coffee syrup, which is basically a cup of coffee. Duh! First the jaconde, second the coffee buttercream and third the chocolate ganache. You may add chocolate glaze but I didn't because I decided to use the remaining chocolate ganache.

Recipe

Jaconde

Ingredient A

80 g Ground Almond

50 g Caster Sugar

3 Eggs

30g Butter (melted)

Ingredient B

30 g All Purpose Flour (sifted)

Ingredient C

60 g Egg Whites ( Roughly 2 eggs)

1/4 tsp Cream of tartar

25 g Caster Sugar

• Preheat oven at 180C and line a square baking pan with parchment paper.

• Mix Ingredient A at a medium speed till frothy and eggs have doubled in volume.

• Fold in the sifted flour.

• Using a clean beater and bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy. Then, add the sugar  and beat at high speed till stiff peaks are formed.

• Fold the egg whites into the almond batter in two batches.

• Spread evenly in the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Coffee Buttercream
1 Tbs instant-espresso powder dissolved in 1 Tbs hot water
1/4 cup Water
6 Tbs Caster sugar
2 Large egg yolks
1/2 cup Butter (cubed)

• In a sauce pan, dissolve sugar in the water using medium heat and let it boil without stirring till it reaches 238F. 

• While the syrup is heating, beat egg yolks at medium speed till pale. 

• Leave the beater running and pour in the hot syrup.

• Add the coffee mixture , continue beating till the bowl is at room temperature.

• Beat in one cube of butter at a time till the mixture is smooth and creamy. ( They may curdle, but just go for it!)

Coffee Syrup
Just make a cup of coffee using one sachet of instant coffee mix. (Easiest of all!)
Chocolate Ganache
100 g White chocolate chips
100g Semi Sweet Chocolate
30 g Butter
150 g Thickened/ heavy cream

• In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the white chocolate chips using medium heat.

• Once the chocolate chips are dissolved. Turn off the heat.

• Pour the solution into a bowl with semi sweet chocolate and butter.

• Stir till the chocolate melts completely.

• Refrigerate to ease spreading.

To assemble the cake.

It will get messy but once you cut the edges, it would look better

• Half the cake and slice each section into two. As in make it thin layers.
• Take one slice, brush some coffee on top .
• Spread the coffee buttercream.
• Place another layer brushed with coffee,pour the ganache and keep in the freezer for a few minutes so it firms up.
• One more cofee-ed layer, spread the buttercream.
• Last layer and pour the ganache.
• Place it back in the freezer for half an hour.
• Trim the edges and make a perfect rectangle.

It's pretty complicated and tiresome but definitely worth it!

Renuka G