Opéra chocolate cake

La Soufflerie cake plate, Opéra Transparent, is a tribute to one of the most famous patisseries in France, the Opéra chocolate cake. There are many great French cakes but for connoisseurs, the cake known as Opéra represents a taste of France at its most sophisticated and delicious

The creation of the cake goes back to 1955 when the great French pastry chef, Cyriaque Gavillon, worked at the legendary Dalloyau pastry shop in Paris. When inventing the Opéra, Cyriaque wanted to create something that in one bite, would give a taste of the whole cake. He worked on layers and tastes and came up with this wonderfully sophisticated cake. Cyriaque’s wife told him it reminded her of the Paris Opéra House, the Palais Garnier. It was an image that stuck and the Opéra cake was born.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 eggs, whole
• 1 1/3 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 egg whites (save egg yolks for later)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Espresso syrup:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 cup water

Coffee buttercream:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon water

Chocolate ganache:

• 2 cups chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup butter

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a 12" x 16" baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they double in volume. Then, mix in the almond flour and powdered sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter you just made in three batches.
4. Add the all-purpose flour and melted butter to the mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the water and granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the espresso powder. Set the syrup aside.
6. To make the buttercream, beat the egg yolks for five minutes.
7. In a separate saucepan, cook the sugar and water over medium-high heat until the mixture starts boiling. Once the temperature reaches 235°F (113°C), remove from heat.
8. With the stand mixer running, gently pour the hot sugar syrup into the beaten egg yolks. Continue mixing until the bowl cools to room temperature.
9. Gradually add the softened butter to the mixture, one slice at a time. The frosting may appear curdled, but continue mixing until it becomes smooth.
10. In a small bowl, mix the espresso powder with water. Add this mixture into the frosting to flavor it with coffee.
11. For the chocolate ganache, microwave the chopped chocolate and butter in 30-second intervals for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
12. To assemble the cake, cut the cooled cake into three slices. Brush each layer generously with the coffee syrup.
13. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate, spread half of the buttercream over it, and top with the second cake layer.
14. Spread half of the chocolate ganache over the second cake layer, then place the final cake layer on top.
15. Cover the entire cake with the remaining buttercream frosting. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set.
16. Once chilled, pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
17. Trim the edges of the cake by cutting each side to create clean lines. Slice the cake into five pieces to serve.

Enjoy!