The Opera Cake | Day 6
The Opera Cake! Is this a traditional holiday dessert? I'm not quite sure. It is certainly impressive, decadent and delicious enough to be one. In case you have yet to hear of this tasty delight, it consists of silky coffee buttercream and rich chocolate ganache sandwiched between several thin layers of coffee-soaked almond sponge cake then topped with a smooth layer of dark chocolate. The origin of this sophisticated treat is disputed but some claim that it was created and named for the Paris Opera itself. Tres chic!
I first became interested in this cake after seeing it prepared in many iterations on the Great British Bakeoff. As you may recall from one of my first posts, baking has always been a little difficult for me because of the precision required. With its numerous components, the opera cake seemed to be the perfect challenge for me. I spent the better part of two days preparing a construction the cake and this post will illustrate the trials and triumphs of that process. If you are looking for a DaphneHasFun recipe though, I will have to steer you to other blogs (listed below). I'd never made this before, so I followed the lead of those more experienced than myself and cannot take credit for their recipes. Having found success, however, I plan on creating some DaphneHasFun variations at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Joconde Sponge: Splendid Table
Coffee Buttercream: Joe Pastry
Coffee Syrup: Splendid Table
Chocolate Ganache: heat 3/4c. heavy cream just before boiling; mix with 8 oz. dark chocolate until you have a smooth mixture. Cool until it is solid enough to spread.
Chocolate Glaze: I just poured 6 oz. of melt dark chocolate on top of the assembled cake.
Assembly: Joe Pastry and the Great British Bakeoff
Without ado, I present, Daphne Makes An Opera Cake. Enjoy!
Share you're favorite holiday desserts in the comments or via social media using #MoreThanThe25th.
