Opera cake

Ingredients

For almond sponge cake
• 3 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising), sifted after measuring, plus additional for dusting pan
• 2 whole large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 1 cup almond flour (3 ½ oz) or ⅔ cup blanched whole almonds (I used this recipe
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted after measuring
• 2 large egg whites at room temperature for 30 minutes
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, foam discarded, and butter cooled

For coffee syrup
• 1 ¼ teaspoon instant-espresso powder
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
For coffee buttercream
• 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and softened

For Chocolate Ganache
• 2 ounce / ½ cup grated semi sweet chocolate
• 2 ounce /1/4 cup heavy cream

For chocolate glaze
• 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 3oz /3/4 cup grated fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened; preferably 70 to 71% cacao), coarsely chopped

Instructions

Make sponge cake:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter baking pan, 13x9 nch then line bottom with a sheet of parchment or wax paper,s, and generously butter paper.

2. Beat egg whites in a bowl with cleaned beaters

3. at medium speed until foamy.

4. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until whites just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar,

6. . Add granulated sugar, then increase speed to high and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.

7. If you hold the pan upside it won't fall.

8. Transfer the beaten egg white in clean bowl

9. Wash and clean the kitchen aid bowl and beat whole eggs in a large bowl high speed until eggs have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add almond flour and confectioners’ sugar and mix until just combined. To this add melted butter and mix in.

10. Resift cake flour over batter and gently fold in.
11. Fold one third of whites into almond mixture to lighten,

12. and then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

13. then pour batter evenly into baking pan, spreading gently and evenly with offset spatula and being careful not to deflate (batter will be about ¼ inch thick).

14. Pour the batter into one 13- by 9-inch shallow pan

15. Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until it is golden brown like this

16. Leave the baked sponge for 1 minute and free the sides gently with knife and tilt and transfer the sponge into another parchment paper.

17. Gently peel of the parchment paper.
18. and cut the baked cake into 4 pieces First, cut the cake in half crosswise, cutting through the paper used to line the pan. Then cut off a 3 ¼-inch-wide strip from the bottom of each half so that you have a total of 2 (roughly 7-inch) squares and 2 (roughly 3- by 7-inch) rectangles. Put the two rectangles together to make the square middle cake layer,
19. Trim outside edges slightly, then carefully transfer one piece to new parchment paper.
Make coffee syrup:
20. Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved. Bring sugar and remaining ¾ cup water to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer syrup, without stirring, 5 minutes.then add coffee mixture.
21. your coffee syrup is ready.

Make coffee buttercream:
22. Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved.

23. Bring sugar and remaining ¼ cup water to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage;).

24. While syrup boils, beat yolks in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed 1 minute.

25. Add hot syrup to yolks in a slow stream (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), beating,

26. then add coffee mixture and beat until completely cool, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thickened and smooth. It will be soupy mixture at first, Upon beating it will becomes thicken to form buttercream structure.

Make glaze:
27. Melt butter and all but 2 tablespoons chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

28. Remove top of double boiler and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate until smooth, then cool glaze until room temperature but still liquid.

29. Assemble cake:
Chocolate Ganche
30. Heat chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.

31. until chocolate melt completely.

Assembly of cake
32. Put 1 cake piece on a plate,and then spread a layer of chocolate glaze

33. cover with parchment and refrigerate until it set

34. Then peel the parchment and turn chocolate side down, this make it easy handling of cake while cutting.

35. To the top, then brush with coffee syrup

36. Spread half of buttercream evenly over top with cleaned offset spatula, spreading to edges.

37. Arrange both cake strips side by side on top of first layer (any seam will be hidden by next layer),
38. then brush with half of remaining coffee syrup.

39. Spread chocolate ganche evenly over top, spreading just to edges.

40. Top with remaining cake square and brush with remaining coffee syrup. Spread remaining buttercream evenly over top, spreading just to edges. Chill cake until buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat this process until you finish entire piece.

41. Reheat remaining glaze over barely simmering water just until shiny and spreadable (but not warm to the touch), about 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon glaze over top layer of cake and spread evenly just to edges.

42. If you want decorating the top of cake scrape remaining tablespoon glaze into seal able plastic bag and twist bag so glaze is in 1 corner. Snip a tiny hole in corner and decorate cake (leave a ½-inch border around edges).
43. . Chill cake until glaze is set, about 30 minutes, then trim edges slightly with a sharp serrated knife.

44. Notes: To take the temperature of a shallow amount of syrup, put bulb in saucepan and turn thermometer face down, resting other end against rim of saucepan. Check temperature frequently. Opéra cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover sides with strips of plastic wrap and top of cake loosely with plastic wrap (once glaze is set) and chill cake. Remove plastic wrap from top immediately

Notes

Copyright ©2013 Zesty South Indian Kitchen by Swathi( Ambujom Saraswathy) All Rights Reserved