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Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to whisk on high speed until stiff peaks forms.
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In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs together.Lay the parchment paper flat against the bottom of the pan and against the sides, using binder clips to keep the parchment paper taut against the edges.
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Line a quarter sheet baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Instructions To create the joconde (sponge cake) layer If you’re looking for an elegant dessert to impress a group of family or friends, this is it! When I say this opera cake is a coffee and chocolate-lover’s dream, I truly mean it. It’s light, and yet it’s decadent with its rich flavors. This opera cake is a favorite French pastry for a reason. In addition, instead of making a separate chocolate glaze for the top, I used the remaining chocolate ganache. Instead, I kept it simple with a traditional butter and powdered sugar (with coffee) type of buttercream. For example, the French might use more of a swiss meringue buttercream, where there’d be eggs in the coffee buttercream layer. The goal with this opera cake recipe was to be as simple as possible, and really use shortcuts where they could be done. The way I’ve layered this opera cake is the following: melted chocolate, coffee-soaked sponge cake, coffee buttercream, sponge cake again, chocolate ganache, sponge cake, buttercream, and chocolate ganache. Once the cake is out of the way, it’s just about creating a few simple components. The joconde layer is the most involved aspect of this recipe, and is made very much like a swiss-roll cake or bûche de noël cake. I made this opera cake with a classic sponge cake recipe, also known as joconde in French. While I can’t change the fact that opera cake is one of the more complex French recipes, I’ve created a recipe here that is completely feasible and won’t take an entire day to make. Worse, they may take you an entire day to make. Most opera cake recipes will have you not only scratching your head, but feeling absolutely exhausted upon completing. While the basic components of chocolate, coffee buttercream, and coffee-soaked sponge cake exist in all of them, the way these components are made and layered varies. I’ve seen hundreds of different recipes for gâteau opéra. The origin of opera cake has many theories, much like its appearance and exact layering. I like to think of it as a more sophisticated version of tiramisu, more complicated and impressive in its layers. This opera cake is every coffee and chocolate-lover’s dream.
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