Ahead of World Chocolate Day, Mir Hasibul, pastry chef at DoubleTree by Hilton, Gurugram, Baani Square, shared the recipe of one of the delicious and timeless French desserts that can delight your guests. Opera cake is a classic French dessert featuring delicate almond sponge layers soaked in aromatic coffee syrup, layered with smooth coffee buttercream and rich dark chocolate ganache, and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze for an elegant and indulgent treat.
Ingredients
For the joconde sponge
● 100 g almond flour
● 100 g icing sugar
● 150 g whole eggs
● 130 g all-purpose flour
● 90 g egg whites
● 20 g granulated sugar
● 20 g unsalted butter, melted
For the coffee syrup
● 100 ml water
● 70 g granulated sugar
● 5 g instant coffee
For the ganache
● 150 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
● 150 ml heavy cream (35%)
● 20 g unsalted butter
For the French coffee buttercream
● 60 g egg yolks
● 120 g granulated sugar
● 40 ml water
● 200 g unsalted butter, softened
● Dissolved instant coffee (to taste)
For the chocolate glaze
● 100 g dark chocolate (60%), chopped
● 15 ml neutral oil
Method
Here’s a step-by-step process to make Opera cake at home:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Step 2: Prepare the Joconde sponge by whisking the almond flour, icing sugar, and whole eggs until pale and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form.
Step 3: Fold the flour into the almond mixture, gently incorporate the meringue, and finally fold in the melted butter.
Step 4: Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared trays in a thin layer and bake for 6–8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely before cutting into three equal-sized layers.
Step 5: Prepare the coffee syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the instant coffee, and allow the syrup to cool completely.
Step 6: For the buttercream, cook the sugar and water to 118°C. Gradually pour the hot syrup into whipped egg yolks while beating continuously until pale and thick. Add the softened butter a little at a time until smooth, then mix in the dissolved coffee.
Step 7: To prepare the ganache, heat the cream until just simmering and pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Let it stand for 2 minutes, stir until smooth, and mix in the butter. Allow it to cool until spreadable.
Step 8: Assemble the cake by placing the first sponge layer on a tray and brushing generously with coffee syrup. Spread half of the buttercream over it. Add the second sponge layer, brush with syrup, spread the ganache evenly, and chill for 15 minutes. Top with the final sponge layer, brush with syrup, spread the remaining buttercream, and chill for another 30 minutes.
Step 9: For the glaze, melt the dark chocolate with the neutral oil until smooth. Pour over the chilled cake, spreading quickly to create an even finish.
Step 10: Chill for 10 minutes before trimming the edges and slicing into neat portions.
