Opera Cake

Although I’m inherently drawn to making desserts, I rarely make cakes. But because this year’s (Canadian) Thanksgiving fell on the same day as my friend’s birthday, I felt compelled to make a birthday cake for our Thanksgiving celebration, even though my cake decorating skills were severely lacking.

To play it safe, I decided to make an Opera cake which I had first attempted several months earlier. At just over 1½ inches in height, this seven layer cake consists of three layers of coffee-soaked joconde (almond sponge cake), two layers of coffee buttercream, one layer of ganache, and one layer of chocolate glaze. It’s common for the word ‘Opera’ to be written in chocolate across the cake, or for individual slices to be garnished with a chocolate treble clef or flakes of gold leaf. But since edible gold leaf is banned in Canada, I left my cake blank, and saved myself from having to show off my messy writing.

The Opera cake actually dates back to 1903, when Louis Clichy premiered it as the ‘Clichy’ at the Exposition Culinaire in Paris. Many years later, the renowned Parisian pâtisserie Dalloyau reintroduced and popularized it as ‘L’Opera.’ At any rate, the Opera or Clichy is delicious. The moist layers of joconde, combined with the rich and bittersweet ganache, and the smooth and creamy buttercream makes this an impressive dessert that’s not overly filling, perhaps because of its thin layers.

While Opera cakes are normally rectangular in shape, I thought it looked more like a birthday cake if it was round. Under normal circumstances, however, the recipe below will make a 10” square cake. In keeping with the coffee theme, I made a sauce of coffee flavoured crème anglaise.

The recipe I’ve adapted is from the cookbook Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan (found here), which in turn was adapted from Dalloyau. The cake should be prepared a day in advance to allow time for the flavours to blend together. Although Greenspan recommends that the cake is best served slightly chilled, I think it’s most delectable at room temperature, or even slightly warmed.

As a side note, I also brought along three Thanksgiving-esque ice creams to what was a wonderful dinner. From left to right: corn, ginger and pumpkin. The pumpkin and ginger ice creams were very nice and refreshing. The corn? Well, some people liked it, while others thought it was ‘interesting.’

Opera Cake
Adapted from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

Joconde

- 4 tbsps (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 tbsps (30g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (225g) almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 2 cups (225g) icing sugar, sifted
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line two 12½ x 15½-inch jelly-roll pans (pans with raised edges) with parchment paper, and coat parchment with 1 tbsp of the melted butter.

In a clean, dry mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whip on low speed until the whites become foamy, then whip on medium-high speed until the whites reach soft peaks. Add granulated sugar, and whip on high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy.

In a separate mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat almond flour, icing sugar, and eggs on medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and voluminous. Add flour and beat at low speed until it disappears. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold meringue into the almond mixture, then fold in the remaining melted butter until just combined. Divide batter between the two pans and spread evenly.

Bake cake layers for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from their pans, and let them cool to room temperature.

Coffee Syrup

- ½ cup (125g) water
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsps (7g) instant coffee powder

In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and coffee powder, and bring to a boil, while stirring to dissolve ingredients. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool.

Coffee Buttercream

- 2 tbsps (10g) instant coffee powder
- 2 tbsps (15g) boiling water
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup (100g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60g) water
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 14 tbsps (200g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

In small bowl, combine coffee powder and boiling water and stir until dissolved.

In a mixer bowl, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg and egg yolk on high speed until pale and foamy.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, and vanilla extract, and bring to a boil, while stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook without stirring until it reaches 255F(124C). With the mixer on low speed, pour the syrup from the saucepan into the mixer bowl, trying to avoid hitting the whisk. Raise speed to medium-high and beat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, satiny, and at room temperature.

Use a fork or whisk to beat the butter until it is soft and creamy, but not oily. Reduce the mixer to medium speed and add the butter to the mixer bowl in 2 tablespoon chunks. Raise mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is thickened and sanity. Add the coffee syrup, and beat until combined. Transfer the mixture to a container; cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until it is firm enough to be spread.

Ganache

- 8oz (240g) bittersweet chocolate (70% +), finely chopped
- ½ cup (125g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (60g) heavy cream
- 4 tbsps (60g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan, bring milk and cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt for 30 seconds, then gently stir the mixture until smooth and fully combined.

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy and stir it into the bowl in two or three additions. Pass the mixture though a sieve, and cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally until it is firm enough to spread.

Coffee Crème Anglaise

- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tsps instant coffee powder

In a small saucepan combine milk, cream, vanilla and 1 tbsp sugar. Heat over medium heat while stirring to dissolve sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 2 tbsps sugar until mixture turns light yellow.

Pour half of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk, and return the tempered mixture to the saucepan. Heat mixture over medium-low heat stirring often, until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Add coffee powder and stir until dissolved.

Strain the mixture through a sieve and into a bowl sitting on a cold ice water bath. Let the Strain into a container and refrigerate until cool. The mixture will thicken as it chills.

Assembly

On a cutting board, use a ruler to trim each joconde sheet to produce one 10-inch square and one 10x5-inch rectangle. Place one 10-inch square on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and moisten with 3 tablespoons of coffee syrup. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread half of the buttercream over the joconde. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes to allow it to firm.

On top of the buttercream, place the two 10x5-inch rectangular pieces of joconde side by side. Moisten with 3 tablespoons of coffee syrup and use and offset spatula to evenly spread the ganache over the joconde. Place the last 10-inch joconde square on top of the ganache, and moisten with the remaining coffee syrup. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes to allow it to firm.

Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the remaining buttercream over the joconde. Make sure the surface is very smooth and even. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, or up to 6 hours. Alternatively, freeze the cake for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze

- 8 tbsps (115g) unsalted butter
- 5oz (150g) bittersweet chocolate (70% +), finely chopped

Transfer the cake to a rack on a level surface.

In a small saucepan, bring the butter to a boil. Remove from heat and clarify the butter by spooning off and discarding foam and solids. In a double boiler, or in a bowl over a pot of hot water, melt the chocolate, and stir in the clarified butter until combined.

Working quickly, pour the glaze onto the cake and use an offset spatula to smooth the glaze evenly across the top, allowing the glaze to drip off the sides. If more than one minute has elapsed, do not return to fix any small imperfections, as the buttercream underneath the glaze may have melted, and smoothing the surface may mix the buttercream with the glaze. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, or until the glaze has hardened.

If making a square cake, use a dry, hot knife to cut a thin slice from each side of the cake to remove the dripping glaze and reveal the cake’s layers. If making a circular cake, place a 9 to 9½-inch ring mold, on the cake and push down to cut through the cake’s layers. You may need to use a blowtorch or hairdryer to remove the cake from the ring. Save any scraps to eat as leftovers.

Serve the cake at room temperature or slightly warmed with the coffee crème anglaise.

Comments

[Sam]

have you seen the new food bloggers photo contest proposed on the IMBB site by Ronald? I am convinced you are going to win it every month, Clement!

[Clement]

Thanks Sam - I'll definitely find something to enter for that! I'm constantly in awe by photos that other food bloggers take - 101 cookbooks and tastingmenu.com are my favourites.. they look so professional. Btw, thanks for sharing your Chowhound picnic photos - I really like the closeups and the food looks delicious!

[scott]

it seems every posting creates a new legion of fans impressed with your photography and food-- what suggestions can you give to us of the masses for achieving more impressive images of our food?

[Sam]

I am getting a new camera soon. It's on order, I am always trying to take better looking pictures. I asked a friend who is a professional photographer for some tips. I haven't tried out her suggestions yet. But the main thing she said was that using daylight is the best solution. My photography teacher said the same thing. This is hard for me as our appartment is very dark inside and I nearly always do my cooking at night. The alternative would be to buy some serious lights, but well, buying the camera wiped out my bank account so i'll just have to wait.

[Clement]

My setup for photography is fairly simple. Basically, I place my food on a piece of white cardboard that's sloped against a window, take many shots, choose the best one, and do some post-processing in Photoshop. I'm currently using a Canon S230, a point and shoot digital camera. When I learn more about photography, I'd like to find a camera with more manual features that will at least give me greater control over the depth of field, so that I can better control what’s in and out of focus.

I agree with Sam that natural light makes a huge difference, particularly compared to incandescent lighting which tends to produce unfocused, yellow pictures. My flash makes food look fake, so I always leave it off. But I understand that if you place a flash at a 45 degree angle to the camera, and use something to diffuse its light, it should be a good substitute for daylight. Any lights with a colour temperature of 5000K should also work well to simulate daylight.

Since the food I'm shooting is usually small, I use the camera's macro function (the flower button), to shorten the depth of field.

In Photoshop, I rotate the photo (if it's obviously crooked), and crop it to the proportions I want. Then I'll adjust the Levels (usually just the highlights and midtones), and if the photo still has a tinge to it (usually blue from the sky), I'll play around with the Color Balance, or use Replace Color to make the photo less blue.

I should mention that I'm fairly new to photography, so the way I work isn't necessarily (and probably isn't) the best way. A while ago, Heidi, from 101 Cookbooks, posted some tips on eGullet which I found very useful.

[Jillian]

Great site! I'm wondering if you think the opera cake would be as delicious if a substitution was made for the almond flour to which I'm deathly allergic. Would all-purpose work?

[Clement]

Hi Jillian - The closest substitute for almond flour would probably be another nut flour such as finely ground hazelnuts/filberts. I find that nut flours tend to make the sponge more moist and rich compared with wheat flour.

Since the coffee syrup and the cake's other layers will help keep the sponge moist, any sponge cake, preferably one with a fine crumb, should be a good substitute for the joconde. Simply bake the sponge in a sheet pan to get the thin layers.

[Jessica]

Hi Clement,
Wow, awesome! The cake looks like it came from a professional pastry chef.

[Steverino]

Kudos on your blog, photos and cooking!

I am going to attempt L'Opera this coming weekend.

In regards to food photography:
If you place the pastery on a sheet of flexible white board and sweep the board up a bit towards a window, you will get nice back top light, which is the kind many food photographers use.
Additionally, they use medium white or dull silver cards placed to the side(s) of the object to "bounce" light back into the object to "fill in" the shadows. This is crucial if you have dark parts consisting of chocolate. Try it and you will be pleased with the results. Don't be afaid to place the cards very close to the object, just be sure to not include the card in the live picture area.

Good shooting!

Steve in chilly but sunny Chicago

[Clement]

Hi Steve - Thank you very much for the lighting advice. I've been trying to figure out the best way to remove the hard shadows I get when I shoot at night - I'll definitely try to fill in the shadows as you suggested. Best of luck with the Opera cake; it's well worth the effort!

[Tarçın]

Deasr Clement your web pages is very beautiful and this cakes is special becaus I'm opera singer. Tahnks
www.tarcininmutfagi.com

[Clement]

Hi Tarçın - Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a chance to try making Opera Cake sometime, it's one of my favourite cakes too!

[Steverino]

Bonjour Clement!

I revisited your site today and discovered my posting about photography and my attempt at making an opera cake. I would like to report back on my results.

I was very dilligent and kept notes as I went so as to learn from any mistakes I might make and be able to back track.

I may not have been perfect, but it turned out fabulous. I made it in honor of my son in-law's birthday and it was enjoyed by all.

I followed your directions very close and they gave me the confidence required.

I am mostly a home chef, and not a baker, but I learned the science of baking from mother and that gave me additional confidence.

Thank you for your assistance!

Steve in extraodirnarly windy Chicago on 3-13-02

[Brenda]

This is the best cake ever!!!!
Do you think it would freeze well? I need to make two for Christmas and would like to do this ahead of time.

THANKS

[Becky]

I've made this cake numerous times in Culinary School. Our room usually remained in the 80's, which made it close to impossible to make. It is such a delicate cake, I miss it so. It has been three years, and believe me, once you've had it again, it will probably be another three years.

[Sunshinemom]

Just came here from the recommendations given by daring bakers for 'opera cake'. Very beautiful cake and lovely blog too! I shall be coming back again and again:)

[Haniff]

Hi, i just made the opera cake using your recipe, it's so delicious, everyone love it ^^.

I have a food blog too, I hope you don't me posting the recipe in my blog, of course I will give the credit and link it back to you.

[Rae]

Hi, i just wanted to thank you for this recipe. i made it as a birthday cake for someone and they loved it, They couldn't stop talking about it. Sadly i haven't tasted it yet, (im my toughest critic)so i still haven't had my say. I thank you again for this, the cake apperance wise was really good even though i cant decorate a cake to save my life. This recipe was really easy to follow...thanks again