How To Make Classic Opera Cake

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

dark chocolate

🥗Healthier: cacao nibs

💰Cheaper: semi-sweet chocolate

Cacao nibs are lower in sugar and calories.

espresso

🥗Healthier: strong brewed coffee

💰Cheaper: instant coffee

Instant coffee is more accessible and cost-effective.

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil is a healthier fat option.

Set parchment paper on trays and prepare all ingredients ahead.

Sift powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl; add whole eggs and mix until even.

Warm the egg mixture using a water bath until it feels comfortably warm.

Remove from heat and place a bowl of butter in the water bath to melt it.

Whip the egg mixture until it looks pale and contains a lot of air; stop when it feels at room temperature.

Make meringue by whipping egg whites until fluffy but not too stiff.

Pour the whole egg mixture into the meringue and fold until about 75% combined; add all-purpose flour and continue folding until no flour is visible.

Add a big scoop of warm butter to the mixture and fold until blended evenly.

Pour the batter into trays and spread evenly; one batch is for two half-size sheet pans or one full sheet pan.

Switch the positions of the pans in the oven towards the end to bake evenly.

To make coffee syrup, heat water and sugar in a pan until simmering; then stop the heat and add milk coffee, covering to let it steam for 10-15 minutes.

Add a generous amount of coffee liqueur to the syrup and mix well.

To make mocha buttercream, heat milk until simmering, then stop the heat and add milk coffee, covering to let it steam for 10-15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar until pale; strain and add the coffee liquid.

Pour back into a pan and gently heat until thickened, being careful not to scramble the eggs.

Cool the mixture to room temperature before adding butter.

Add about one-third of the butter to the cooled mixture and whip; then add the remaining butter and continue whipping until fluffy.

To make ganache, melt dark chocolate and heat heavy cream until slightly warm; add cream in quarters, mixing until blended each time.

Once the ganache is mixed, let it cool to thicken for spreading.

Spread melted chocolate mixed with oil on one sponge layer to help transfer the cake easily.

Soak the sponge layer with coffee syrup; cut the surface to help the syrup soak in better.

Spread ganache on the soaked sponge layer; if ganache is too firm, heat slightly to soften.

Pipe buttercream on the ganache layer; refrigerate until ganache and buttercream set completely, ideally overnight.

To make the chocolate glaze, melt milk chocolate and mix with oil; check temperature before pouring on the cake.

Pour the glaze on the cold cake and spread quickly with a spatula before it hardens.

Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens