GCBS Opera Cake

This opera cake was the technical bake for French Patisserie Week on The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Ingredients Sponge:

Chocolate Ganache:

Coffee Buttercream:

Coffee Syrup:

Chocolate Glaze:

Chablon Layer:

Preparation

Sponge

Preheat the oven to 425F/218C. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the confectioner’s sugar, almond flour and 4 of the eggs on high, until mixture doubles in volume, about 4 minutes. Add the last 2 eggs and whisk on high for another 5 minutes.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add in 1/4 of the sugar. Increase the speed of the mixer and slowly pour in the rest of the sugar. Whip until you reach medium-stiff peaks.

Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture, followed by the flour. When the mixture is smooth, gently fold in the remaining meringue.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans, Place pans in oven and turn temperature down to 375F/190C. Bake until deep golden brown, about 18 to 22 minutes, quickly rotating halfway.

Chocolate ganache

Scald the heavy cream in a saucepot. Pour cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for a minute to let the chocolate melt. Stir until smooth.

Buttercream

Beat the eggs to ribbon stage in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Pour the water in a small saucepan and cover with the sugar. Heat to 240F/115C.

Pour the syrup into the egg in a thin stream, whisking on medium. Once all the syrup has been added, increase speed to high. The mixture should be thick and creamy. Continue to whisk until room temperature.

Once completely cooled, continue whisking and add the butter, little by little. Add the coffee extract.

Coffee syrup

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the coffee extract.

Chocolate glaze

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and melt over a bain-marie. Gently stir the glaze to avoid incorporating air. Set aside 1/4 cup of glaze.

Chablon

Melt pate a glacer over a double boiler. Set aside.

Warm coffee syrup in saucepan over medium heat until warm to the touch.

Assembly

Cut sponges in half crosswise, leaving parchment on sponge (this means you cut the paper along with the sponge). You will have 4 pieces of sponge, but you will only need 3 for your cake.

Place one sponge layer on the underside of a rimmed baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread all of the pate a glacer over the top, from edge to edge. Let set in fridge for 2 minutes.

Flip sponge onto underside of a sheet tray lined with parchment so chablon is on the bottom and gently peel parchment from sponge. Brush with warm coffee syrup. Sponge should be evenly saturated, but not soggy.

Spread a thin layer of coffee buttercream on the sponge, no thicker than 1/8 of an inch, as smoothly and evenly as possible.

Cover with another layer of sponge, press lightly, and brush with coffee syrup as before.

Spread the ganache over the sponge in a very thin layer, no thicker than 1/8-inch, as smoothly and evenly as possible.

Cover the ganache with the third layer of sponge, press lightly and then brush with the coffee syrup as before.

Spread a very thin layer of buttercream on top of the cake, thinner than previous layers.

Chill the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Once set, pour the glaze on top of the cake, avoiding spreading with a spatula — let it flow on its own. Place cake in the freezer to allow the glaze to set for at least 10 minutes.

With a hot knife, trim the sides of the cake perfectly to 9 inches x 6 inches.

Use the reserved glaze to fill a paper cone. Pipe the word "Opera" in cursive on top of the cake.

Source