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The dessert, French classic

Coffee opera cake

Coffee opera cake is a classic French layer cake made of joconde sponge, coffee buttercream, chocolate ganache and a glossy glaze, serving 6. It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes of active work, all done the day before, for a medium difficulty level and a cost of €3.00 per serving. The key is soaking the sponge well without making it soggy and letting the cake rest overnight in the fridge.

A pastry shop style cake, all in thin layers of coffee, ganache and buttercream, that you make entirely the day before.

Coffee opera cake
For
6 people
Work
1 h 40
Total time
5 h
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

This cake plays on contrast, a moist coffee soaked sponge, a soft buttercream and a slightly firmer ganache, all wrapped in a chocolate glaze that cracks lightly under the fork. It is a pastry chef dessert, with clean layers and a strong coffee flavor, never cloying thanks to how thin each layer is.

It is the kind of cake you bring out for a dinner party, a birthday or a holiday meal, when you want to impress without improvising on the day. Since it is made entirely ahead, it works just as well at the end of a hearty family dinner as at the center of a simpler menu where dessert becomes the main event.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 5 steps, 1 h
  2. The same day Nothing to do
  3. Before the guests arrive Nothing to do
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

All the work happens the day before, from the sponge to the buttercream, through assembly and glazing, so the cake can rest overnight in the fridge. On the day of the dinner, there is nothing left to do in the kitchen, just take the cake out of the fridge half an hour before serving. At dessert time, slice the cold cake with a knife dipped in hot water for clean portions.

The ingredients

6 people

Pantry

  • Almond flour 125 g
  • Powdered sugaroften in the pantry 125 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 35 g
  • Strong coffee 20 cl
  • Sugar for the syrupoften in the pantry 50 g
  • Sugar for the buttercreamoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Coffee extract 1 tbsp
  • Dark chocolate 350 g

Dairy

  • Whole eggs 3
  • Egg whites 4
  • Melted butter 25 g
  • Egg yolks 4
  • Softened butter 200 g
  • Heavy cream 20 cl

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs, Tree nuts

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Whisk the almond flour, powdered sugar and whole eggs for ten minutes, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, fold them in with the flour and melted butter, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 220°C. 30 min

    Spread the batter in a very thin layer, it should not exceed five millimeters.

  2. Make the syrup with hot coffee and sugar, then cook a syrup to 118°C with the sugar for the buttercream, pour it in a thin stream over the whisked yolks and beat in the softened butter and coffee extract.

    Pour the hot syrup against the side of the bowl, never directly on the whisk, or it will splatter you.

  3. Heat the cream, pour it over 200 g of chopped chocolate and stir until you get a smooth ganache, then let it cool slightly.

    Stir in small circles from the center outward, the ganache turns glossy and lump free.

  4. Cut the sponge into three strips, soak them with syrup, layer with buttercream, ganache, sponge, then more buttercream and sponge, and chill. 30 min

    Smooth each layer with an offset spatula for clean slices when you cut the cake.

  5. Melt the remaining chocolate with a knob of butter, coat the well chilled cake with a smooth glaze and return it to the fridge overnight.

    Let the glaze cool slightly, if it is too hot it will melt the buttercream underneath.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Take the opera cake out of the fridge half an hour before dessert and slice it with a knife dipped in hot water.

    Wipe the blade between each cut, the slices will stay perfectly clean.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh the sugar and butter for the buttercream precisely, a few grams off changes its texture and how well it holds when you assemble the cake.
  • Use a strong, good quality coffee for the syrup and extract, it carries most of the flavor, even more than the chocolate.
  • Keep the cake flat in a stable cold fridge overnight, temperature swings make the glaze sweat and lose its shine.

The variations

  • Swap the coffee extract for vanilla extract for a softer, less intense version that works better for guests who are not big coffee drinkers.
  • For extra richness, add a thin layer of praline between two sponge layers, keeping the buttercream amounts the same.
  • To save time, make the sponge and ganache the night before, then assemble and glaze the cake the next morning if you are only serving it in the evening.

What to serve it with

  • A strong espresso after dinner
  • A few amarena or morello cherries
  • A glass of sweet fortified wine

Storage

The opera cake keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, well covered or in a closed container, without losing its structure. It freezes reasonably well without the final glaze, as long as it is wrapped airtight and thawed in the fridge before glazing and serving.

Questions about this recipe

Can I use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour in the joconde sponge?

Yes, hazelnut flour works well and gives a slightly different, rounder flavor. Keep the same quantities, the sponge texture stays the same.

How do you get clean slices when cutting the cake?

Dip the knife blade in very hot water and wipe it before each cut. The cake should stay cold, taken out of the fridge just before serving, so the layers do not get crushed.

Does opera cake always have a chocolate decoration on top?

Traditionally yes, often with the word opera written in melted chocolate on the glaze. It is a simple touch to recreate with a small parchment paper cone filled with melted chocolate.

Can the buttercream curdle while making it?

If the syrup is poured too hot or too fast over the yolks, the buttercream can look curdled for a moment. Keep whisking at medium speed a few more minutes, it usually smooths itself out.

Can a coffee opera cake be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 1 h 40 of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 5 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a coffee opera cake?

Allow 5 h in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 1 h 40 is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a coffee opera cake?

About 560 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a coffee opera cake cost?

About €3.00 per person, that's €18.00 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs, tree nuts. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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