CCOS/CULX 1091

Basic Baking Concepts

Group Project: Specialty Cakes and Tortes

“Opera Torte”

Submitted to-
Chef Patricia Evans

Submitted by-
Shashank Shekhar (C0914950)
Subarna Basnet (C0924329)
Hephzibah Beulah Anthony Cruz (C0923942)

Date- 30 October 2023

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SERIAL NO. TOPICS PAGE NUMBER

1 Historical reference and country of origin 3
2 Elements of Opera Cake 4-5
3 Ingredients and method of making 5-8
4 Opera Cake diagram 8
5 Citation links 9

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HISTORICAL REFERENCE AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Opera cake is a decadent pastry with bold flavours of chocolate and coffee. This rich, creamy art of
taste is built with 6 layers of almond sponge cake, chocolate ganache, coffee buttercream, and
coffee syrup.

The origin of the opera cake can be traced back to the 20th century in France. The creation of the
opera cake has notable findings for its existence, but at the same time, there are different views on
it available in historical books. The most popular origin is associated with French pastry chef
‘Cyriaque Gavillon', who was known for modernising the cakes of that time. He was associated
with the iconic Dalloyau shop in Paris. It has been found that opera cake was his unique inspiration
back in 1955, which was the idea of a profusion of flavours in every morsel. It was referred to as
opera because of the similarity in design to the architecture of the stage at the Palais Garnier (the
Paris Opera House), and that’s how its origin came into existence.

On the other hand, some historians had different views of the opera cake's origin. It was described
that the opera cake was created in a famous pastry and candy maker’s kitchen, ’Louis Clichy’. It was
showcased in an esteemed culinary fare in Paris in 1903. It was found out that the cake was
renamed in later years as Opera Cake, but originally Chef Louis called it ‘Clichy Cake’.

Overall, the cake is an idea, welcoming a new artistic angle into the world of classic recipes, which
may resemble the opera stage, but its reason or purpose in that era is still controversial and unclear.
The culinary historians were aligned with its distinct elements and its elegant build-up. This beautiful
and scrumptious cake is a beloved dessert in France, and its essence has influenced the entire world.
It is an iconic and high-end product to be found in sophisticated patisseries across the world.

ELEMENTS OF OPERA CAKE

To get the well-balanced taste that is characteristic of Opera Cake, each layer is necessary. Joconde, a
light and airy almond sponge, is the perfect vessel for the potent coffee syrup. The rich, rich
chocolate ganache counterbalances the bitterness of the coffee, while the thick, creamy buttercream
accentuates it. Not to mention, the chocolate glaze provides the cake with a smooth, glossy finish
that improves its look and flavour with a delicious crunch.

To create amazing recipes, you need great ingredients. The following explanation illustrates how the
elements in the recipe combine to create the greatest opera cake.

1. ALMOND FLOUR: Almonds without the peel are blanched and ground into a fine flour. This
opera cake is enhanced by the inclusion of almond flour, which creates a light sponge.
2. ICING SUGAR: Powdered white sugar mixed with a little cornstarch is known as icing sugar.
Cornstarch prevents the cake from over-baking, giving it a deliciously soft texture. Icing sugar
is great for sponge cakes because it melts rapidly and smoothly, unlike granulated sugar.
3. CAKE FLOUR: Cake flour, which is manufactured from soft wheat, has a protein concentration
of 5% to 8%, which is still sufficient to give our cake structure, but it produces a more
delicate sponge than all-purpose flour.
4. UNSALTED BUTTER: The main component of this decadent frosting is Coffee Buttercream.
Unsalted butter, with a higher fat content than other butter, is used to make the beautiful

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 frosting that coats the sponge cake with ease. We use unsalted butter to control the quantity
of salt in this recipe since various types of butter have varied salt content.
5. DARK CHOCOLATE: Using dark chocolate helps to balance the sugar throughout the layers,
little bitterness complements the sweet elements in the cake.
6. INSTANT COFFEE: The coffee helps intensify the chocolate flavour in the cake.
7. EGGS: Whole eggs and egg whites are used in the recipe to give the sponge cake an
incredible lift and luxurious texture, while also serving as a help in leavening and adding
moisture.
8. VANILLA EXTRACT: The use of vanilla extract lifts the chocolate and coffee notes in the cake
and helps mask the egg aroma from the sponge.
9. WATER: The coffee, cognac or brandy, and powdered sugar are combined with water to
make a powerful concoction that is drizzled over the jaconde (almond sponge) to keep it
moist while still tasting delicious.
10. GARNISH: It is an important element that beautifies the product's appearance. There is no
fixed garnish for the opera cake, some examples are-

GOLDEN FLAKES CHOCOLATES

FRUIT NUTS

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 PIPED GANACHE

OTHER TRENDING OPERA FLAVOURS:

• HAZELNUT
• MATCHA
• RASPBERRY
• VEGAN STYLE
• CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE
• COFFEE AND HAZELNUT

INGREDIENTS AND METHOD OF MAKING

SERIAL NO. INGREDIENT NAME QUANTITY

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE (JACONDE)

1 Eggs 4 pcs
2 Almond Flour 125 gms
3 Icing Sugar 90 gms
4 Cake Flour 30 gms
5 Egg Whites 3
6 Granulated Sugar 2 tbsp
7 Unsalted Butter 3 tbsp
8 Vanilla Extract 6 gms

COFFEE SYRUP
1 Granulated Sugar 50 gms
2 Instant Coffee Powder 2 tsp
3 Water 60 ml

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 4 Brandy/Cognac ¼ cup

COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
1 Instant coffee powder 2 tsp
2 Hot Water 60 ml
3 Granulated Sugar 125 gms
4 Egg Yolks 6
5 Unsalted Butter 240 gms

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1 Dark Chocolate 225 gms
2 Unsalted Butter 100 gms

Detailed method of preparation:

First, get the cake batter ready-

1. To begin, crack the eggs into a large mixing
basin and whisk rapidly on medium-high
speed until foamy.
2. Add the icing sugar and almond flour to the
beaten eggs gradually while whisking the
mixture until it thickens and becomes pale.
3. Add the flour and mix just until everything is
well mixed.
4. Whisk the egg whites until foamy in a
separate mixing basin.
5. While the mixer is running, gradually add
the sugar and beat until firm peaks form.
6. In three consecutive additions, carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the flour mixture.
7. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 450 °F.
8. Stir in the melted butter, and vanilla extract and transfer the batter onto a lined and
prepared 17 x 11-inch bake sheet pan, bake at 450 °F for 7-10 minutes until cooked.
9. After the cake has been baked, move it to a cooling rack.

Get the coffee buttercream ready-

1. To begin, whip the egg yolks on medium-high
speed in a mixer until they thicken.
2. Concurrently, put the sugar and water in a pot
over medium-high heat and boil until the
temperature reaches 240°F.
3. Pour the heated sugar syrup into the beaten
egg yolks in a steady stream, taking your time
and being cautious.
4. The egg yolk combination should be beaten
until it is very firm, adheres to the beater, and
the outside of the bowl is slightly heated.
5. In a small dish, dissolve the espresso powder in 1 tablespoon of water.
6. Drizzle the coffee into the egg yolk mixture and add the butter one tablespoon at a time
while beating on medium speed.
7. Once the mixture is well blended, scrape down the bowl's sides and continue beating.

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 8. Eventually the coffee buttercream is ready.

Get the chocolate glaze ready-

1. Raise the water level in a small saucepan to approximately two inches
and simmer over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat.
2. Combine butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Make sure
the bowl is not in contact with the water when you place it over the
simmering water.
3. Once the butter and chocolate have melted and blended well, stir the
mixture.
4. Take it off the stove and let it cool, stirring now and again until it
thickens and becomes glossy but still spreadable.

Get the coffee syrup ready-

1. Take a saucepan, and heat water sugar, and coffee at medium heat until dissolved well.
2. Remove from the heat, add the brandy/cognac, and mix well.
3. Your concoction is ready for cake assembly, cool it well before use.

Put the cake layers together-

1. After the cake has cooled down, move it to a cutting board and
make two long slices by slicing a 4 ½-inch broad strip down one
side.
2. Make four pieces by cutting both long portions in half crosswise.
3. Begin constructing the cake: On a cake plate, arrange one big
rectangle.
4. Apply one-third of the chilled coffee syrup on it.
5. Using an even hand, cover the whole surface of the cake with half
of the coffee buttercream.
6. Keep adding layers: Place the two strips, each about 4 ½ inches
wide, side by side on top of the buttercream.
7. Use half of the leftover coffee syrup to brush them.
8. Cover the cake with half of the chocolate glaze.
9. Finally, add the layers: Place the remaining cake pieces on top and drizzle with the leftover
coffee syrup.
10. Smooth as much of the leftover buttercream as you can over the cake.
11. Refrigerate for half an hour or until the buttercream solidifies.

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Complete and embellish the cake-
1. The leftover chocolate glaze should be warmed through but
not cooked.
2. Set aside two tablespoons of the glaze and transfer it to a
piping bag or a corner of a zip-top bag.
3. Apply a thin, uniform coating of the leftover glaze to the cake's
top.
4. The cake should be chilled for two hours or more, or until the
glaze hardens.
5. After it solidifies, cut the cake's sides to create crisp, straight
edges.
6. Using the saved glaze or piping, decorate the cake by writing
"Opera" on top.

OPERA CAKE ILLUSTRATION

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CITATION LINKS
1. https://www.tastingtable.com/944685/types-of-cake-explained/
2. https://tamingofthespoon.com/opera-cake/
3. https://www.cakere.com/history-of-opera-cake/
4. https://thegoodlifefrance.com/opera-cake-history-and-french-flair/
5. https://www.google.com/search?q=opera+cake+significance&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN978IN978&
oq=OPERA+CAKE+SIGNI&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBECEYoAEyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATI
HCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigAdIBCDQzNjFqMGo5qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
6. https://preppykitchen.com/opera-cake/
7. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/opera-cake-230481
8. https://www.sprinklebakes.com/2021/01/classic-opera-cake.html
9. https://www.thespruceeats.com/opera-cake-recipe-1375077
10. https://bakefromscratch.com/baking-school-in-depth-opera-cake/

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