Skip to main content

Opera Cake




 Opera Cake

Baking partners challenge for July is the yummy and famous  French pasty Opera cake. This months recipe was suggested by Savitha of Savitha's Kitchen. Swathi also shared one recipe with me. You can find the recipe here. If you take a look at the  recipe you will notice that  there are different stages to make this cake before the final assembly. This cake has a rich almond coffee flavor. It consists of almond sponge cake with layers of  French coffee butter cream, chocolate butter cream and chocolate ganache on top. Thanks Savitha and Swathi for this recipe.

 Ingredients

 For the almond sponge
Cake flour-3 tbs
Egg- 2 large 
Almond flour - 1 cup
Confectionery Sugar- 1/2 cup
Egg whites-2
Cream of tartar- 1/8 tsp
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Granulated sugar- 1tbs
Butter unsalted- 2 tbs

 For the coffee Syrup
Espresso powder- 1 tsp
Water- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 2 tsp

 Coffee Butter Cream
Granulated sugar-  1/2 cup
Egg yolk-2
Butter- 1 stick
Espresso- 1 tsp
Water- 1/3 cup

 Chocolate butter cream
Chocolate - 4 oz
Heavy cream- 1/4 cup
sugar -2 tbs
Butter- 2 tbs

 Chocolate glaze
Chocolate - 8 oz
Heavy cream- 1/2 cup

To make sponge cake
Bring butter and eggs to room temperature. Pre heat oven to 350 degree F. Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor blend almond flour and sugar and salt till it is thoroughly combined. Shift cake flour on top mix well and keep aside.
Using a hand mixer or a standing mixer beat two egg till thick and fluffy. Add butter and mix. Add the almond flour little by little and fold in till just combined. 
In another clean bowl beat two egg whites till it is frothy.Add the cream of tartar and beat for one minute. Increase speed and add granulated sugar and beat until egg whites just hold stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the egg white mixture into the almond mixture in three additions. Spread evenly into thin layers into two pans and bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow this to cool down a bit in the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. When the cake cools down trim the edges and cut into four equal squares.

 To make the coffee syrup
Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Bring down the heat and let it reduce for 4-5 minutes on the stove. Allow this syrup to cool down

 To make a butter cream
First step is to make a sugar syrup with sugar and 1/3 cup water. The syrup will thicken and reduce. You can use a candy thermometer and it will register 230 degree F. Mean while in a large bowl beat egg yolk for about and minute. Keeping the mixer on add the hot sugar syrup into the egg in a slow steam. Add espresso powder and continue to beat till the egg mixture attains room temperature. Add the butter and continue to beat. At this stage it will be thin liquid. Continue to beat till it attains the desired consistency and thickness

 To make chocolate butter cream
Chop chocolate and place in a glass bowl. Heat heavy cream till it is just about to boil. Pour till over the chocolate and let it sit for two minutes. Using a wire whisk mix till smooth and velvety. Add room temperature butter and powdered sugar and whisk. Place on top of a bowl filled with ice cubes and whisk till it thickens.

To assemble the cake 
Place one cake layer on a plate and spread a thin layer of chocolate butter cream. Place a parchment place on top and turn the cake square up side down. Gently brush the other side with coffee syrup and spread an even  layer of coffee butter cream. Place a next layer and brush first with coffee syrup and then with chocolate butter cream. Continue the same process with the remaining layers alternating with coffee butter cream and chocolate butter cream. Place in refrigerator and allow to chill and get firm.
Meanwhile prepare the final glaze. You can use melted chocolate and butter or a chocolate ganache. Chop chocolate and place in a glass bowl. Heat heavy cream till it is just about to boil. Pour till over the chocolate and let it sit for two minutes. Using a wire whisk mix till smooth and velvety. Allow it to cool completely but should be spreadable pour over the cake layer and spread evenly. When the glaze is set trim edges and slice the cake.

 

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!
Labels:

Comments

  1. SwathiJuly 22, 2015 at 2:20 PM

    Adipoli opera cake, kallaki ketto.

    ReplyDelete
  2. coralcrueJuly 22, 2015 at 3:10 PM

    this looks so delectable. amazing pics

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 22, 2015 at 4:34 PM

    Looks so inviting

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rafeeda ARJuly 22, 2015 at 10:41 PM

    Seeing the opera cakes is making me really drool... urs looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. FullscoopsJuly 22, 2015 at 11:36 PM

    This looks exotic!! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. JulieJuly 23, 2015 at 7:14 AM

    loved the cake,super yumm :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My KitchenJuly 23, 2015 at 7:31 AM

    Awesome cake!!! Though involves lot of ingredients, looks gorgeous, worth the effect!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. HemaJuly 30, 2015 at 8:36 AM

    The cake looks awesome, just so tempting..

    ReplyDelete
  9. Vikis KitchenAugust 3, 2015 at 7:11 AM

    Cake looks very delicious and decadent dear.....love the ingredients !

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Thalashery Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is very important for festive occasions in Kerala. Different styles like Kozhikodan Biryani, Malabar Biryani, Thalashery style, Kayees Biryani famous in Central Kerala especially Cochin....the list goes on and on..... This recipe I had noted in my recipe book some time back  from a TV show. Talasherry Biryani ingredients are not much different from the usual Kerala styles,but the preparation and taste is definitely unique. In the ingredients you will find a total absence of curd and chilly powder. The rice I has used is long grain basmathi rice, as I did not have the smaller variety which is actually used in this biryani. Give this recipe a try..you will surely feel the difference. Ingredients For the Rice Basmathi Rice- 3 cups Salt to taste Cloves- 5 Cinnamon 1 inch tick Cardamon- 3 Ghee- 1 tsp Rose water- 2 tsp Water- 6 cups For the masala Chicken- 2 lb Onions thinly sliced- 6-7 medium Tomatoes- 4 medium Ginger - 2 inch thick peice Garlic- 1...
57 comments
Read more

Mathanga Parippu Curry/Pumpkin Dal Curry

Mathanga Parippu Curry  This is a basic home style lentil curry with pumpkin and moong dal. This is a coconut based curry and goes well with rice. It is similar to the nadan parippu curry. Pumpkin added to lentil brings in extra flavor and a little sweetness which is pleasing to the palate. Ingredients Pumpkin/Butternut squash cubed - 2 cup Moong dal- 1/2 cup Coconut grated 3/4 cup Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Green chilly- 4 Cumin- 1/2 tsp Fennel- 1/3 tsp Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp Garlic - 2 Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Shallot- 2 diced Dry Red chilly- 2 Oil - 2 tsp Curry leaves Dry roast the moong dal till it gets a nice aroma but it should not be browned up. Allow to cools down a bit. Pour two cups of water and pressure cook till soft ( three whistles) Chop pumpkin into cubes. Add this into the cooked dal with half cup of water and salt to taste and cook till pumpkin becomes soft and tender. Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin and fennel into a fine paste....
43 comments
Read more

Berry Cake

This is a berry cake which I made a few days back. Here I used white cake recipe but dashed in a few black berries and strawberries. This cake complements any type of filling or frosting but I have just dusted it with powdered sugar to make it an accompaniment with coffee and my family really enjoyed this cake . I used self rising flour but you can use all purpose flour instead by adding in one third tsp of salt and one and one half tsp of baking powder to each cup of plain flour. Ingredients Self Raising flour- 2 cups Egg white- 3 eggs ( half Cup) Butter - one stick ( 4 ounce) Sugar- 1 cup  Confectionery sugar- 1/3 cup Milk- 1/2 cup  Vanilla essence- 2 tsp Black berries- 1 pint Strawberries - 1/2cup Preheat oven to 350 F. Set rack in he middle of the oven Grease pan with butter and layer with parchment paper and again grease with butter and dust with flour. This will ensure that the cake comes off properly. Set aside.  Beat egg whites and vanilla extra...
33 comments
Read more