Opera Cake

This is probably my favorite cake – which is also a multi-step process.  Usually this is made as two large (half sheet) pans, but that is a lot of cake – so this is a smaller version.

Prep 1 half sheet pan (15×12 inches the biggest you have in your home kitchen) by coating it with non-stick spray, then cover with parchment, then spray the parchment.

Pre-heat the oven to 425° F

1.0 Cake – Traditionally Almond Cake, but in this case Hazelnut 

Ingredients:

• 3      ________________ egg whites (save the yolks for the buttercream)
• 1 TBSP   ________________ sugar
• 130 grams  ________________ hazelnut flour (ground hazelnuts, or almonds if you want)
• 130 grams  ________________ confection sugar, sifted
• 3   ________________ eggs
• 32 grams  ________________ all-purpose flour
• 3 TBSP   ________________  melted butter
• 1 tsp   ________________ vanilla
• ¹⁄₄ tsp  ________________ salt

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, or stand mixer whip the egg whites, with the sugar.
  • Start the whites with a whisk, by hand, to avoid un-whipped egg whites from collecting in the bottom of the bowl
• Whip to stiff peaks – stiff but not dry.
• Scoop whipped egg whites into another clean bowl (I do this, just to reuse the same bowl)
• Beat the yolks, confection sugar.
• Add the ground hazelnuts
• Mix in the cooled melted butter.
• On low, add in the flour, until just combined
• Remove from mixer, and fold in one third of the egg whites.
• Fold in the rest of the egg whites, carefully.
• Distribute into the pan
• Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.  Check at 5 minutes.
• Remove, and let cool.
• Flip onto a cooling rack, and pull the parchment off, cover the cake with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
• You can also wrap the cake and freeze it.
• (Note: You can also make these cakes in 3 pans, dividing the batter evenly, which is what you see in the pictures)

2.0 Espresso Syrup

Ingredients:

• ¹⁄₂ Cup  ________________ simple syrup (using 2 C sugar to 1 C water)
• 2 oz   ________________ espresso (fresh shot, or 2 TBSP powder, in 2 TBSP water, but ick)
• ¹⁄₂ oz  ________________ dark rum (cognac, bourbon, though alcohol is not strictly necessary here)

Instructions:

• Pull espresso shot, or brew a moka pot of espresso.  Or mix the instant powder with the water.
• In a small spray bottle, mix the espresso, and simple syrup, and rum.
• Close, and shake.
• Alternatively, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl, and find your pastry brush.

3.0 Espresso French Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 1  ________________ egg
• 3 ________________ egg yolks (the ones from before!)
• 1 oz ______________ Espresso (fresh shot, just like the espresso syrup)
• 250 grams  _________ granulated sugar
• 2 TBSP ____________ water
• 1 tsp ______________ vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ______________ corn syrup (to keep the sugar from crystallizing)
• 200 grams __________butter (14 TBSPS, most of 2 sticks, room temp)
• 100 grams __________confectioners sugar

Instructions:

• Place egg and egg yolks in stand mixer, and beat with a TBSP of the sugar.
• Place the rest of the sugar, and the water in a sauce pan.
• Bring to a boil.
• Cook to 250° F – then turn off the heat, add the vanilla extract, corn syrup, and the espresso.  Stir to combine.
• Let cool a little, then stream it into the mixer, while it’s mixing.
• Cut the butter into small pieces, and add a little at a time, until all the butter is mixed in.
• Add the confectioner’s sugar – keep whipping until it has a nice texture.
• Set the bowl aside.

4.0 Ganache, Dark Chocolate & More Espresso

Ingredients:

• 10 oz    ________________ Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped, or melted – I use our warming to melt it)
• ¹⁄₂ Cup ________________ Cream
• ¹⁄₂ Cup ________________ Whole Milk
• 4 TBSPs  ________________ Butter
• 1 tsp   ________________ glucose syrup (or corn syrup, about a squirt)
• 2 TBSPs   ________________ Crushed Espresso Beans (or, 2 TBSP of the espresso syrup)

Instructions:

• Heat the cream, don’t let it boil.
• Add the espresso beans to the cream and let it sit for 20 minutes, while you deal with the chocolate.
• Melt the chocolate, in a double boiler, or lightly in a microwave, or however you want.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate (straining out the espresso beans)
• Whisk to combine, starting in the middle.  Don’t use a spatula or spoon on ganache. Whisk.
• Add in the butter, and glucose syrup, whisking to combine.
• Set aside, and wait for it to cool to at least 70° F or room temperature, before beating lightly.
• Don’t beat as much as you would for ganache icing, but don’t leave it as dense as truffle filling.
• Tip: Melt all the chocolate at once, and keep the glaze chocolate warm over some simmering water, a heating pad, or if you’re hardcore like me, a tempering machine.

5.1 Assembly

• Fine a piece of cardboard, or a cake board, and cut it into a 12×5″ rectangle
• Use this as a guide to cut the cake into thirds that are 5″ by 12″ – or 3 even pieces, if you used a different size pan.
• Get out a new sheet pan.
• Put a tiny bit of buttercream on the cake board, and place your bottom layer on it. (Use the ugliest layer for the middle)
• Coat the top of the cake layer in Espresso Syrup – easier with the spray bottle.
• Spread ¹⁄₄ of the buttercream (or a reasonable amount), on the layer.
• Place the middle layer on top.
• Espresso Syrup the top of that layer
• Spread most of the ganache on top
• Place the last layer on top of the ganache
• Espresso Syrup the top of the layer, spread a light layer of buttercream on top, and some ganache if you have some left.
• Chill the cake, for at least an hour, before you glaze it.
• If for some reason you freeze it, let it come to fridge temp  – don’t glaze it while frozen.
• Save the rest of the buttercream and ganache… for snacks

5.1 Glaze

Ingredients:

• 5 oz    ________________ Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped, or melted – I use our warming to melt it)
• 8 TBSPs  ________________ Butter, melted, clarified (scoop off the bubbly browning bits)

Instructions:

• Melt the chocolate (double boiler, etc)
• Whisk in the butter.
• Place the cake on a rack on a sheet pan, and tilt the pan up.
• While the glaze is still warm.
• Pour the glaze over the top and let it stream over the cake.
• Decorate with strips of white chocolate, or white fondant icing – making lines, and pulling lines through it.  Or just leave it plain.
• Allow to set before serving.