The opera

Is a chocolate and coffee entremets.

It consists of a succession of Joconde biscuit soaked in a syrup in Grand Marnier or coffee, ganache and cream in coffee butter, covered with a chocolate icing.

The biscuit Joconde is a batter cookie biscuit close to the sponge cake or Savoy biscuit. It consists of powdered almonds and whites in snow, flour, sugar and butter. It is 3 to 5 mm thick. Its texture is supple and aerial.
The biscuit, soaked in syrup or cream, becomes melting. This makes it indispensable in the realization of many pastries. It is used as a base for entremets, Christmas logs but also for piling baking circles. It can be decorated with motifs before cooking using a cigarette device: combs, rolls, pockets, dyes or chocolates.

History

The invention of opera cake was claimed by Gaston Lenôtre in the 1960s, but could be due to Dalloyau's house. Earlier, an advertisement in Le Gaulois in 1899 proposes an opera cake.

According to the house Dalloyau, this cake was created in 1955 by Cyriaque Gavillon. According to sources, it was named by Andrée Gavillon, the baker's wife, either because of its similarity with the scene of the Opéra Garnier, or in tribute to the dancers of the Opera who came to the shop.

Dalloyau is a French company in the field of gastronomy and pastry. It is founded in Paris but its origin dates back to 1682, to the Court of the Castle of Versailles. Pâtissier, chocolatier, caterer, Dalloyau now operates in two sectors: a network of boutiques and tea parlors, including the sale of take-away dishes, and a network of receptions with the organization of events.
The company has been a member of the Comité Colbert since 2001, among 81 French houses, representing luxury and the French art of living in the world.
In 2007, Dalloyau was awarded the label "Entreprise du patrimoine vivant". A distinction awarded to companies with rare, renowned or ancestral know-how.

Recipe

Ingredients (16 portions)

For the Almond Cake:

6 large egg whites (room temperature)
2 tablespoons sugar (granulated)
2 cups ground blanched almonds
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted)
6 large eggs
1/2 cup flour (all-purpose)
3 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)

Coffee Buttercream:

2 tablespoons instant espresso
2 tablespoons water (boiling)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
ablespoons butter (at room temperature)

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
tablespoons butter (at room temperature)

For the Chocolate Glaze:

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)

Realisation

Almond sponge cake

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line two 15-inch by 12-inch pans with parchment paper and brush the surface of the paper with butter.
With an electric beater, beat the egg white on high until they become foamy and start to expand. Sprinkle in the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, until all of it if incorporated into the egg whites. Continue beating the meringue until it is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
In a separate bowl, beat the ground almonds, confectioners' sugar, and whole eggs on medium just until the mixture becomes light and foamy. Stir the flour into the almond batter.
Stir 1/4 of the almond batter into the whipped egg whites. Fold the remainder of the almond batter and the melted, cooled butter into the egg whites.
Divide the sponge cake batter between the two prepared pans and bake the cakes for 5 minutes, until the surfaces spring back from a light touch.
Cover the top surface of each cake with a fresh piece of parchment and carefully invert them onto a clean surface. Slowly peel back the old parchment from the cakes and allow them to rest loosely over the cakes to prevent them from drying out.

Coffee buttercream

Stir together the espresso powder and boiling water and set the mixture aside for a moment. In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, bring 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a boil. Continue cooking it until it reaches 255F on a pastry thermometer. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk until they begin to get fluffy. Continue to beat the mixture and add the hot sugar syrup to the bowl in a smooth, steady, slow stream. Once the syrup is incorporated, mix in the reserved coffee mixture. Continuing to beat on medium-high, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until it is fully incorporated into the buttercream. The coffee buttercream is complete once it turns thick and fluffy.

Ganache

In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, bring the milk and cream to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring the chocolate for 2 minutes, to ensure a completely smooth texture. Stir in the butter and continue stirring the ganache for 90 seconds.

Assemble the cake

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut one 10-inch by 10-inch square out of each layer of cake and place it on the baking sheet. Carefully spread 3/4 of the coffee buttercream over the surface of one cake. Lay on another layer of cake.
Spread the ganache over another cake in a smooth layer. Place the last layer of cake over the ganache, and then spread it with a thin layer of the coffee buttercream. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour before glazing it.
To glaze the cake:
Clarify the butter by boiling it and skimming off and discarding the solids. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir in the clarified butter until the glaze is smooth. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake and allow it to set in the refrigerator bore serving.
This opera cake recipe makes 16 servings.

(Pictures source)