inthekitchen
Royal Icing 1 . Whip egg white on high until soft peaks form . 2 . Slowly add icing sugar while whipping on low . Blend well .
Opera Cake
INGREDIENTS Vanilla Sponge Cake 12 eggs 1 2 / 3 cups white sugar 1 cup unbleached white all-purpose flour
Dark Chocolate Ganache 1 1 / 2 cups Callebaut dark chocolate callets 1 cup whipping cream 2 Tbsp glucose syrup
Royal Icing 1 egg white 1 / 2 cup icing sugar , or until desired consistency
Butter Cream 1 cup white sugar 1 cup water 8 egg whites 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
Butter Crème Café 1 / 3 Tbsp white sugar 1 Tbsp espresso coffee 3 / 4 cup whipping cream 2 / 3 cup butter cream
METHOD Vanilla Sponge Cake 1 . Separate egg whites and yolks . 2 . Whip egg whites , blending in sugar , to form a meringue . 3 . Whisk yolks in a bowl . Alternate folding in flour and meringue . 4 . Pour onto parchment-lined pan . 5 . Bake in convection oven at 350 ° for 20-25 minutes . 6 . Cool fully then use a round 3 ” cutter to make fifteen circles .
Dark Chocolate Ganache 1 . Mix ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly . Blend well and cool .
Butter Cream 1 . Mix sugar and water in a saucepan . Heat on medium high until 240 °. 2 . Whip egg whites in a bowl on high until soft peaks form . 3 . Add sugar mixture to egg whites in a steady stream while whipping on high until glossy with stiff peaks . 4 . Add butter while continuing to whip .
Butter Crème Café 1 . Mix espresso coffee with sugar and set aside . 2 . Whip cream in mixer on high until soft peaks form . 3 . Continue whipping and slowly add coffee slurry . Whip until firm peaks form . 4 . Fold in butter cream and chill .
ASSEMBLY 1 . In a 3x3 stainless steel baking collar , layer sponge cake , ganache , sponge cake , butter crème café , sponge cake and butter crème café . 2 . Make 5 and freeze . 3 . Place ganache on top and warm sides with a blow torch to remove collar . 5 . Write “ OPERA ” with royal icing to finish .
Yield 5 cakes
Photography by Tanith Nelson-Zahirney
Chef Sabrina Deighton The Frenchway Café This elaborate dessert features everyone ’ s favourite coffee-and-chocolate combination . Layers of espresso-steeped cream and dark chocolate ganache soak into thin rounds of sponge cake , ensuring rich , balanced bites . Named after the Opéra Garnier , the cake is topped with a delicate icing label . ciao ! / oct / nov / two thousand twenty-one 19