L'Opera Cake

L' Opera cake is to desserts as a timeless Hermès Birkin is to the world of handbags; with an Hermes on your arm, you're an unstoppable force, guaranteed world domination. So you can imagine, whenever I'll put an L' Opera cake on the menu for my dinner parties, it, hands-down, rocks the tastebuds off my dinner guests leaving them panting for more.  

This is a classic, French seven layer cake which consists of three layers of coffee-soaked joconde (almond sponge cake), two layers of coffee buttercream, one layer of ganache, and one layer of chocolate glaze; and just imagine, it's just over 1½ inches in height.  The best things in life come in small packages!

It’s typically decorated with the word ‘Opera,' piped in chocolate across the cake; but, if you are looking for a contemporary approach to serving this classic , just slice it into individual peices and garnish them with flakes of a gold leaf. A little bling never hurt no one.

So, if you can't invest in a classic and timeless Hermès piece, then consider indulging into something smaller….  a gold-flaked L' Opera cake. And using some precise thinking and measurement, if served to the appropriate individual, you may just conquer his, eh-hem, world and enjoy the luxury of both classics….who knows? Happy planning!

Enjoy!

••• A quick FYI to my Sucree readers: I have been diligently searching for a simple L'Opera cake recipe, one that would be less complicated than our chef intructor's teaching. The recipe I have provided you originates from the Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan (click here), which in turn was adapted from Dalloyau. This cake should be prepared a day in advance to allow time for the flavours to come together. Further, it is best to keep the cake slightly chilled for slicing, guaranteeing a smooth and neat slice.  And for the "pant" effect, serve your creation at room temperature, or even slightly warmed- it's more sinful that way...