Opera Cake

Name: Opera Cake
Cook time: 170 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 200g Almond Flour, blanched, finely ground; 200g Icing Sugar; 6 large Eggs; 60g Cake Flour, or very fine all-purpose flour; 60g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled; 6 large Egg Whites; 60g Granulated Sugar; 240ml Espresso, strong (or very strong coffee); 60g Granulated Sugar; 5 large Egg Yolks; 150g Granulated Sugar; 60ml Water; 300g Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 2 tsp Espresso Powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water (or 2 tbsp coffee extract); 1 tbsp Water, hot, for dissolving espresso powder; 250g Dark Chocolate, 55–70% cacao, finely chopped; 250ml Heavy Cream; 20g Unsalted Butter; 200g Dark Chocolate, 60–70% cacao, finely chopped; 30ml Neutral Oil, grapeseed or sunflower; 1 pinch of Salt, fine; 1 pinch of Salt, fine

Opera cake is a refined, multi-layered French dessert of thin almond sponge, coffee-soaked layers, silky coffee buttercream and glossy chocolate ganache. Each slice balances tender nuttiness, bold espresso and rich chocolate for an elegant finish that’s perfect for special occasions. The result is a compact, sliceable cake with a smooth, shiny top and intense, harmonious flavors.

Opera cake is a refined, multi-layered French dessert of thin almond sponge, coffee-soaked layers, silky coffee buttercream and gl... Show more

Traditional French Recipe

Health Grade

D- · Occasional

Rating

4.1

Time

2 hrs30 min

Price

1,61 €

Calories

877 kcal

vegetarian

low sodium

holiday/special occasion

french

Method

Preheat the oven

Heat the oven to 425° F and line two thin sheet pans with parchment paper. Set a rack in the center so the sponge bakes evenly.

Make the batter

Sift together the Almond Flour, Icing Sugar, and Cake Flour in a large bowl. Beat in the Eggs until the mixture is smooth and a little lighter in color, then stir in the melted, cooled Unsalted Butter until glossy.

Whip the meringue

In a clean bowl, whip the Egg Whites with the Granulated Sugar and a pinch of Salt until you have glossy medium peaks. Fold this meringue into the almond batter in two additions so you keep the batter airy.

Bake the sponge

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it into very thin, even layers. Bake at 425° F for 8 to 10 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when touched.

Cool the sponge

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment and cool completely on a rack. The layers need to be fully cold before you trim or stack them.

Trim the layers

Use a long sharp knife to trim the cooled sponge into 3 even rectangles. Keep the scraps nearby; they make a good baker's snack.

Make the coffee syrup

In a small saucepan, warm the Espresso with the remaining sugar over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it cool before you brush it onto the sponge.

Cook the buttercream syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the Water and the sugar for the buttercream and cook until it reaches 240° F. While it heats, whip the Egg Yolks until thick and pale, then be ready to stream the syrup in as soon as it hits temperature.

Finish the buttercream

Keep beating the yolks on medium-high and slowly pour in the hot syrup in a thin stream. When the bowl feels just warm, beat in the room-temperature butter a few pieces at a time, then add the espresso paste made from the Espresso Powder dissolved in hot water and a pinch of salt. Beat until the buttercream is silky, light, and glossy.

Make the ganache

Put the finely chopped Dark Chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the Heavy Cream until it is just steaming, pour it over the chocolate, and let it sit for 2 minutes before stirring from the center outward. Stir in the remaining butter until the ganache is smooth, shiny, and spreadable.

Make the glaze

Melt the remaining dark chocolate gently over a barely simmering water bath, stirring until completely smooth. Off the heat, stir in the Neutral Oil until the glaze is glossy and fluid enough to pour in a thin sheet.

Assemble the cake

Set one sponge rectangle on a serving platter and brush it generously with coffee syrup. Spread on about half of the coffee buttercream, add a second sponge layer, brush it with syrup, and spread the ganache evenly over the top. Finish with the third sponge, brush again with syrup, and spread the remaining buttercream in a smooth, thin layer.

Chill the cake

Chill the assembled cake for 30 minutes so the fillings firm up and the top is cold enough for the glaze.

Glaze the top

Set the chilled cake on a wire rack over a tray if you have one, then pour the chocolate glaze over the center of the cake and nudge it to the edges with a spatula. Work quickly so the glaze stays smooth and even.

Set the glaze

Chill the cake for 20 minutes until the glaze is fully set and the surface feels firm to the touch.

Slice and serve

Trim the edges with a sharp knife if you want perfect sides, then cut the opera cake into 12 neat servings. Wipe the knife clean between cuts for the sharpest layers.

Ingredients

Method

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

For the almond joconde sponge (2 thin sheet pans, trimmed to 3 layers)

200g Almond Flour, blanched, finely ground
200g Icing Sugar
6 large Eggs
60g Cake Flour, or very fine all-purpose flour
60g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
6 large Egg Whites
60g Granulated Sugar
1 pinch of Salt, fine

For the coffee syrup (for soaking all layers)

240ml Espresso, strong (or very strong coffee)
60g Granulated Sugar

For the coffee French buttercream

5 large Egg Yolks
150g Granulated Sugar
60ml Water
300g Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 tsp Espresso Powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water (or 2 tbsp coffee extract)
1 tbsp Water, hot, for dissolving espresso powder
1 pinch of Salt, fine

For the chocolate ganache layer

250g Dark Chocolate, 55–70% cacao, finely chopped
250ml Heavy Cream
20g Unsalted Butter

For the chocolate glaze (pouring top)

200g Dark Chocolate, 60–70% cacao, finely chopped
30ml Neutral Oil, grapeseed or sunflower

🧈 Plus ~15g of fat

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

877 kcal

44% of Daily kcal

Protein

14 g

28% RDI

Fat

63 g

30g sat fat

Carbs

66 g

24% RDI

Sugar

50 g

99% RDI

Fiber

6.4 g

21% RDI

Salt

0.3 g

5% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

D- · 4.2 / 10

Comments

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Ingredients

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

For the almond joconde sponge (2 thin sheet pans, trimmed to 3 layers)

200g Almond Flour, blanched, finely ground
200g Icing Sugar
6 large Eggs
60g Cake Flour, or very fine all-purpose flour
60g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
6 large Egg Whites
60g Granulated Sugar
1 pinch of Salt, fine