Feb 13, 2021

Opera Torta

Opera Torta

Opera is a great classic of French pastry. It was born in the middle of the 20th century and the houses. Some attribute the creation of the opera cake to the French confectioner Siriac Gavillon, who worked at the prestigious Dalloiau store in Paris. Reportedly, Gavilion created this cake recipe in 1955, inspired to create a dessert who's every bite would encompass all of his tastes. This French cake is beautiful and juicy and everyone adores it. Opera cake made of almonds and coffee, very juicy and delicious. Follow recipe.

Ingredients:

Almond Cake:

1/2 cup + 4 Tbsp sugar
1 and 1/2 cups almond flour / meal
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp butter/ melted
3 large egg whites

Coffee Syrup:

2/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee
1/4 cup coffee liquor or dark rum or brewed coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache or Sauce:

Coffee buttercream frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp instant coffee

Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill a measuring cup with flour until the required amount is obtained. Scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour bag will firmly pack flour, resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Opera-torta-cake-dessert-with-raspberries — Opera torta

Preparation:

Preheat oven 200 °C.
Line an 28 × 44 cm jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside
In a stand mixer with whip attachment, whip together 1/2 cup sugar, almond flour, flour, 3 eggs and vanilla extract. Whip on high for 5 minutes.
Add one egg and whip for another 3 minutes, add the last egg and whip another 3 minutes.
Pour mixture into another large bowl. Clean mixing bowl and whip attachment for next step.
Whip 3 egg whites and 4 tablespoons sugar to medium (not stiff) peaks and set aside.
Add melted butter to almond mixture, and then fold whipped egg whites delicately into almond mixture.
Use an offset metal spatula to spread mixture onto parchment lined pan.
Bake approximately 11–12 minutes, or until the center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed.
For coffee syrup, bring 2/3 cup sugar and 2/3 cup water to boil. Remove from heat and add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee. Let instant coffee cool, then add coffee liquor (or rum or brewed coffee) and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Prepare ganache and set aside.
Prepare coffee buttercream by beating 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter until fluffy, add powdered sugar and mix for 3–4 minutes until fluffy.
Warm 2 tablespoons milk until lukewarm and add along with 2 tablespoons instant coffee; mix well. Let cool, then add to buttercream mixture.
Turn cake out onto a work surface lined with plastic wrap. Do not remove paper yet! Cut cake into 3 equal layers. Leave paper on!
Line the backside of a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Place one cake layer on it. Remove paper.
Moisten with 1/3 of coffee syrup using a pastry brush.
Retain 2 tablespoons of buttercream frosting aside and spread the remaining amount onto moistened cake.
Place second cake onto assembly and remove paper. Moisten with another third of syrup.
Spread slightly more than half of the thickened ganache onto the 2nd layer. (Should be consistency of mayonnaise.)
Cover with last cake layer and remove paper. Moisten cake layer with syrup and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Spread about 2–3 tablespoons of ganache onto the surface of the cake, just to seal the “pores” of the cake. Place bowl with remaining ganache over low simmering pan of water until ganache thins to a fluid consistency.
Pour onto surface of cake and spread evenly. Place in refrigerator for 15–30 minutes.
Cut / trim sides of cake to expose layers.
Place remaining buttercream in a small piping bag and write Opera on the surface or decorate with coffee beans.
Remove cake from refrigerator 1 hour or more before serving.

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2. RECIPE OPERA CAKE

Prepare the Mona Lisa Cookie:

4 eggs
125 g icing sugar
125 g ground almonds
20 g melted butter
30 g of flour
3 egg whites

For the Coffee Buttercream:

4 egg yolks
100 g caster sugar
30 ml of mineral water preferably
160 g of softened butter
3 tsp coffee extract

Coffee Syrup:

80 ml of coffee
50 g caster sugar

Chocolate Ganache:

120 g of dark chocolate
120 ml full cream

For the Chocolate Icing:

130 g dark chocolate
15 g grape seed oil

PREPARATION:

Mona Lisa Cookie:

Melt the butter, set aside. Preheat the oven to 150 °C rotating heat and cover two 30x40cm baking sheets with lightly greased baking paper. In the bowl of the food processor, whisk the eggs with the icing sugar to whiten the mixture and triple in volume. Add the ground almonds and whisk again.
Remove the bowl from the food processor and add the cold melted butter, mix gently.
Sift the flour over the mixture and mix in the same way. Assemble the egg whites in supple snow and incorporate them delicately. Divide the Mona Lisa biscuit maker in 2/3 1/3 on the baking sheets. Spread the device with a spatula to form a rectangle of 20×40 cm on a plate and a square of 20 cm from side to side. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes of baking. The cookies should be golden but not stick to the finger. The cooking time may vary depending on the oven. Take out of the oven and let the cookies cool to room temperature.

Coffee Buttercream:

Whisk the egg yolks briskly. At the same time, bring the water and powdered sugar to 115 °C.
Pour this syrup in a stream over the egg yolks, whisking at medium speed.
When all the syrup is added, turn up the speed to maximum and whip the dough until completely cooled. Then add the softened butter in small pieces, little by little, while whisking the mixture.
Finally, add the coffee extract, taste and readjust according to your taste. Reserve at room temperature.

Coffee Syrup:

Bring the coffee and sugar to the boil, set aside.

Chocolate Ganache

Bring the liquid cream to the boil and pour it, in three batches, over the chocolate, stirring vigorously to create an emulsion. Reserve at room temperature.

Montage of the Opera at the Café

Prepare a 20 cm side frame on the serving dish.
Place a Mona Lisa cookie the size of the frame at the bottom of the mold and moisten it with syrup with a brush. Pour half of the coffee buttercream over the cookie and smooth it with a spatula.
Place a second square of Mona Lisa cookie on the buttercream and soak it in syrup.
Pour the chocolate ganache over the cookie and smooth it with a spatula.
Place the third square of Mona Lisa cookie on the ganache and soak it in syrup.
Pour the rest of the coffee buttercream, smooth the surface with a spatula, and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Melt the chocolate with the grape seed oil and mix well.
Pour the frosting over the cooled buttercream and tilt the frame in all positions to evenly spread the chocolate frosting. Reserve in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After resting in the cold, gently remove the frame by sliding the blade of a knife over the edge of the cake.
Melt a little dark chocolate in a cone and write “opera” on the dessert. Serve.