So I attempted to make this french cake called the Opera cake. Its a cake known for its distinctive layers, consisting of an almond sponge called a Joconde, buttercream, and ganache. I went for the classic and flavored mine with coffee. Traditionally, a shiny ganache is used to cover the cake, but in my case, I substituted it for a chocolate mirror glaze I had at the back of my freezer. I found that it gave the cake an overall sharpness, with its almost black tint that contrasted with the browner color of the ganache.
We'll first start by making the Joconde, as it requires some times to both bake and cool.
For the sponge, you will need:
3 egg whites
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
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1 cup of almond flour
1 cup of icing sugar
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
2 tbsp melted butter* measure 2 tbsp or 28g of the butter and leave the rest of the stick to come to room temp, we'll use that for both the buttercream and ganache later.
Start by separating the 3 eggs, reserve 2 egg yolks. Crack 3 whole eggs and set aside.
Combine the whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a bowl. Start on low and increase to high until soft peaks form. Transfer the whipped whites to another bowl. I like the all in one go method more compared to whisking the whites first before adding the sugar. I find that it gives a much more stable and thicker foam. But maybe that's just me.
(excuse the messy kitchen please)
As the eggs are whipping, melt the 2 tbsp of butter + extra. Line your standard size baking pan with parchment paper and grease over it, making sure to grease the sides as well.
Fold in the egg whites in three addition.
Once all the whites are in, add the 2 tbsp of melted butter down the side of the bowl, fold until homogeneous.
Shake, tap, and swirl the pan until the batter is evenly distributed. This is very important if you want a consistent sponge thickness > equal layers in the opera cake.
Bake for ten minutes at 190˚C or 375˚F.
Some signs to look out for to test if the cake is done:
– The edge shrink backs
– The sponge springs back when pressed down
Once done, turn off the oven and leave the cake in the pan for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly before taking it out of the oven.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake to prevent any tears as the cake shrinks slightly while cooling. Leave on the counter until cool enough to handle.
Flip the sheet cake over and peel off the parchment paper.
Combine the whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a bowl. Start on low and increase to high until soft peaks form. Transfer the whipped whites to another bowl. I like the all in one go method more compared to whisking the whites first before adding the sugar. I find that it gives a much more stable and thicker foam. But maybe that's just me.
(excuse the messy kitchen please)
In the same bowl you whisked the meringue, add eggs, almond flour, and icing. Whisk until pale and thick(ribbon stage). If your almond flour are slightly chunky(depending on the brand), you can process it more together with the icing before adding it to the eggs.
⇓Once the eggs are ribbon-ey, sift in the all purpose flour. This is added later to prevent the gluten from forming within the batter, making the cake tough and dense.
Fold in the flour by hand. Once incorporated, the consistency of the batter should look like this.
Once all the whites are in, add the 2 tbsp of melted butter down the side of the bowl, fold until homogeneous.
Shake, tap, and swirl the pan until the batter is evenly distributed. This is very important if you want a consistent sponge thickness > equal layers in the opera cake.
Some signs to look out for to test if the cake is done:
– The edge shrink backs
– The sponge springs back when pressed down
Once done, turn off the oven and leave the cake in the pan for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly before taking it out of the oven.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake to prevent any tears as the cake shrinks slightly while cooling. Leave on the counter until cool enough to handle.
Flip the sheet cake over and peel off the parchment paper.
The cake should ideally be just a little less than 1 centimeter thick.
