Hey Friends, Recently I went across Chef BRUNO ALBOUZE page and was in love with all the dessert recipes in his page. And without any reason I wanted to make opera cake. Opera cake is a French cake. It is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as Joconde in French) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze. I send the whole cake to my husbands office and they all enjoyed it. Hope there is someone like me who is looking for a good opera cake recipe. A) Jaconde Biscuit (Almond Sponge cake) Makes one 18x13 inch Baking tray Meringue 1. Egg whites - 75 gms(2-3 each) 2. Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp/few drops of lemon juice 3. Granulated Sugar - 1/8 cup (25 gms) Almond Mixture 1. Almond Meal - 125 gms 2. Confectioner Sugar - 125 gms 3. All purpose flour - 40 gms 4. Eggs - 2-3 large (125 gms) 5. Butter - 1.2 tbsp (20 gms) Method for Meringue 1. In a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggwhite along with cream of tartar. 2. Gradually add the sugar, until stiff peaks are formed. 3. Then transfer into a clean bowl. Method for Almond cake 1. In the same standing bowl, no need to wash combine eggs and powdered sugar, beat on high for 5 mins. 2. Then add the melted butter. 3. Finally add almond flour and all purpose flour. Combine well. 4. Using spatula or wooden spoon, slowly fold in the meringue into batter. 5. Pour into pan, covered and greased with parchment paper. 6. Spread evenly and bake in preheated oven for 7 mins at 450 F. 7. Cool for 10 mins cover the top with parchment paper and flip upside down and cool completely in cooling rack. B) Coffee Buttercream 1. Whole milk - 75 ml 2. Instant Coffee Powder - 1 tbsp ( I used granulated coffee and strained) 3. Granulated Sugar - 1/8 cup ( 25 gms ) + 1/8 cup 4. Egg yolks - 1 5. Coffee extract/ vanilla - 1/2 tbsp 6. Butter, room temp - 5 1/2 tbsp 7. French coffee beans - 15 gms ( I didn't use) Method 1. Bring milk, sugar and granulated coffee powder/coffee beans to simmer. Here am using microwave.If using coffee beans leave it for sometime for the flavors to infuse. Note - If you are using instant coffee powder you can add at step 7 2. Meanwhile in another bowl beat egg yolks and sugar to blend together. 3. Sieve (because I used granulated coffee powder) and dd hot Coffee milk into egg sugar mixture. 4. Return the custard back to heat and boil just below the boiling point to slowly thicken. 5. Check the consistency using spoon and run your finger behind the spoon, the line should remain clear. 7. Remove from heat and sieve the custard. ( If using instant coffee powder you can add at this point.) 8. Cool the custard to room temp and add softened butter and whip until cream. Note - This buttercream can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for 3 months. C) Chocolate Ganache 1. Dark chocolate - 75 gms 2. Heavy Cream - 1/4 cup 3. Light Corn Syrup/Honey - 1 tbsp 4. Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp Method 1. Combine heavy cream and chocolate and melt chocolate by double boiling or using microwave. 2. Add honey and butter to the melted chocolate and combine well. 3. Cool the ganache until buttercream consistency. Note - Ganache can be refrigerated for a week. D) Coffee Syrup 1. Water - 150 ml 2. Granulated Sugar - 65 gms 3. Instant coffee- 1/2 tbsp Method 1. Bring everything to boil and cool. E) Chocolate glaze 1. Dark chocolate - 80 gms 2. Oil - 8 ml Method 1. Melt chocolate and oil into pourable consistency. Assembling 1. Divide the cake into 3 equal parts. 2. Take one layer and coat the bottom part with chocolate glaze(E). Even thin layer. 3. Cover the chocolate covered part with parchment paper and refrigerate. 4. Take out from refrigerator and place it chocolate side down. 5. Now brush the top part with coffee syrup. 6. Carefully spread a thin even layer of Coffee buttercream (B) over the first sponge layer. 7. Buttercream should be of the same height as the cake. 8. Cover with next cake layer. 9. Brush with coffee syrup and spread a even layer of Chocolate Ganache (C). 10. Now place the last cake layer and brush with coffee syrup. 11. Spread even layer of Chocolate Ganache (C) and chill until its firm. 12. Now that the Ganache is firm, spread an even layer of Coffee buttercream (B). 13. To get even layer, heat the spatula and run through the layer. 14. Now chill the cake overnight. 15. Transfer the cake to a cooking rack placed on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
16.Reheat the Chocolate glaze (E) to 95 F. Pour able consistency but not too hot to melt the buttercream layer. 17. Pour the glaze over the cake to form an even layer. 18. Tap and remove air bubbles. 19. Refrigerate for an hour. Trim the sides and serve.
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I am always in search of new recipes and came across a Chef Bruno Albouze blog. He had all these french recipes and I just wanted to try them all. I had most of the ingredients for French Fraisier and just wanted to make it as soon as possible. But I did search more about French Fraisier and found a much simpler recipe. I did take few components from both recipes. French Fraisier looks very heavy, but its very light and fresh. You can even add more chopped strawberries into pastry cream and make it taste more fresh. Ingredients Almond Sponge Cake 1. Almond Flour - 1/2 cup 2. All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup 3. Salt - 1/2 tsp 4. Eggs - 4 (separated) 5. Sugar - 3/4 cup 6. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp 7. Almond extract - 1 tsp (optional) Method 1. Slightly grease 8 - 9 inch spring pan and place parchment paper. 2. Whisk egg yolk with sugar until it increases in volume and turn into lemon yellow color. 3. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix well. 4. In a separate bowl whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. 5. Sieve and add flour, almond flour and salt into yolk mixture. Fold in gently into egg yolk mixture. 6. Alternatively add egg white and fold into mixture, using a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not over mix. 7. Pour into greased pan and bake in a preheated oven for 18 - 20 mins at 356 F. 8. cool and cut into 2 halves. And wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until other components are ready. Pastry Cream 1. Milk full fat - 2 cup 2. Vanilla - 1 tsp 3. Cornflour - 4 tbsp 4. Sugar - 1/2 cup 5. Egg - 2 6. Butter - 1/4 cup + 1 tsp 7. Cream - 2 cup 8. Gelatin - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Method 1. Mix 4 tbsp milk with gelatin. Stir And leave to soften. 2. Heat the rest of the milk. 3. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, cornstarch and sugar. 4. When the milk is hot. Slowly add the milk into egg mixture and whisk immediately else the egg will start curdling. Whisking is really important. 5. Then return back the mixture into saucepan and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens. Keep whisking. 6. When it start thickening, off the heat and add gelatin and whisk until it completely dissolves. 7. Then add Butter and mix until it is completely incorporated. 8. Transfer into a clean bowl and cool in room temp completely and refrigerate. 9. Once the mixture is completely cooled, in a separate bowl whip up chilled fresh cream until soft peaks are formed. 10. Then fold in pastry cream into the whipped cream. 11. Keep it refrigerated until ready to use. Note: If you want more thick pastry cream you can reduce the cream to half. Just use 1 cup cream. Then you will get a much thicker pastry cream. Strawberry Coulis 1. Strawberry - 2 pint (2 cup) 2. Sugar - 1/2 cup 3. Water - 2 tbsp + 2 tsp cold 4. Gelatin - 1 pack Method 1. Chop strawberry into small pieces. 2. Cook strawberry, sugar and 2 tbsp water. While it starts boiling. Puree them. 4. In a small bowl add 2 tsp water and gelatin, allow it to bloom. 5. Then add to strawberry mixture. When it is completely dissolved. 6. Sieve and cool. Sugar Syrup 1. Sugar - 1/2 cup 2. Water - 1/4 cup 3. Amaretto - 1/4 cup (optional) Method 1. Bring everything to boil and set aside. Assembling 1. Take the same spring form used to bake the sponge cake and grease the sides and line with parchment paper. 2. Place one layer of sponge cake and soak with sugar syrup. 3. Cut preferably same size of strawberry into half horizontally. Line them on the sides of the pan as you see in the picture. 4. Next layer is pastry cream. It will be easy to fill the pastry cream using piping bag. 5. Fill with pastry cream until the strawberry height. 6. Now place the last layer of cake and soak with sugar syrup. 7. Finally pour the strawberry coulis. And Chill the cake overnight before cutting.
As Christmas is coming closer, I was searching for Christmas recipes and came across this recipe. It is really simple to make with very few ingredients. One of my workmate/friends, bought Jam rolls for some treat. It was my first experience with jam roll. But it was not new for people in office as there was a famous Jam roll shop close to our office. It was a common item for them whenever somebody gives a treat. It was really delicious and also heavy. The max I could have, was 2 piece if i remember right. This is quite similar to Jam roll except that we are filling with whipped cream, hence its very light dessert. Whipped Cream frosting 1. Whipped cream chilled - 2 cup 2. Sugar Powder - 3 tbsp 3. Vanilla - 1 tsp Method 1. Chill the bowl and whisk for 15 mins before you start whipping the cream. 2. Start whisking chilled cream and sugar, using hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed. 3. Use immediately or keep refrigerated until ready to use. Ingredients 1. Eggs - 3 2. Sugar - 1 Cup 3. Water - 1/3 Cup 4. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp 5. Flour - 3/4 cup 6. Coco powder - 1/4 cup 7. Baking powder - 1 tsp 8. Salt - 1/4 tsp 9. Extra coco powder for dusting.Chill Method 1. Beat eggs using hand/stand mixer or a whisk. Whisk well. 2. Gradually add sugar to it and whisk until creamy and lemon color. 3. Now add water and vanilla essence. Whisk well. 4. Sieve and add the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, coco powder and salt. 5. Fold in the flour until well combined. 6, Pour into a heavy jelly-roll (10x15-inch) pan lined with greased parchment paper. 7. Bake for 12 to 15 mins at 375 F. 8. Immediately clean the edges and invert into a clean towel sprinkle with coco powder. 9. Carefully remove the butter paper. 10. Trim the edges if needed. 11. Now when hot, roll the cake and towel from narrow end. 12. Keep rolled in the cooling racking for 30 mins. 13. When cooled completely, roll out and fill the cake with whipped cream frosting or any frosting you prefer. Don't go too much to the edges with frosting, it will spread to the ends when we start rolling the cake.
14. Cutting will be easy when its chilled. |
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