Opera Chocolate Sponge Cake

Step-by-step cooking

1. Step 1:

   

   Ingredients for the Gioconda sponge cake.

2. Step 2:

   

   Ingredients for coffee cream.

3. Step 3:

   

   Ingredients for chocolate cream.

4. Step 4:

   

   Syrup for impregnating biscuits. To prepare it, combine all the ingredients.

5. Step 5:

   

   Measure out 30 g of chocolate for smearing the bottom cake.

6. Step 6:

   

   Prepare the chocolate glaze in advance. There are two recipes with a video of its preparation on the website.

7. Step 7:

   

   Opera cake is usually rectangular or square, so it is convenient to use detachable frames for its assembly. This one is 16 cm in size on all sides. In terms of area, it corresponds to a ring with a diameter of 18 cm .

8. Step 8:

   

   First of all, soak the gelatin (3 g) with cold water (15 ml) and leave until needed.

9. Step 9:

   

   For the coffee cream, bring the cream to a boil.

10. Step 10:

    

    Pour boiling cream over the chocolate broken into pieces and add instant coffee. If you have insoluble coffee, add it to cold cream, bring to a boil, let it brew, then bring it to a boil again and strain the mass to the chocolate.

11. Step 11:

    

    Stir the mixture well until the chocolate is smooth and completely dissolved.

12. Step 12:

    

    Cover the resulting cream base with a film in contact with the surface and leave to cool.

13. Step 13:

    

    For an almond sponge cake, whisk the whites with a pinch of salt. When the foam becomes fluffy, add sugar and whisk again.

14. Step 14:

    

    Combine almond flour and powdered sugar. Add the eggs and whisk into a fluffy foam.

15. Step 15:

    

    Add the flour and cocoa in two steps and mix with folding movements, gently.

16. Step 16:

    

    Add the whipped whites and mix with the same folding movements.

17. Step 17:

    

    Place the dough on a baking sheet or silicone mat with sides. For a cake, you need three cakes (we have 16 by 16 cm), you need to bake them at the same time. You can assemble one of the cakes from scraps, this is acceptable.

18. Step 18:

    

    Spread the dough over the area you need.

19. Step 19:

    

    Bake the sponge cake in a preheated 175-180 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

20. Step 20:

    

    Transfer the finished biscuit to cool on the grill.

21. Step 21:

    

    Cut the cakes into cake size. Melt the chocolate for the bottom cake.

23. Step 22:

    

    Smear one side of one cake (it will be the bottom one) with chocolate and let the chocolate harden.

24. Step 23:

    

    For chocolate cream, pour milk and cream into a saucepan. Warm it up.

25. Step 24:

    

    Whisk the yolks and sugar into a foam. Add warm milk with cream and whisk again.

26. Step 25:

    

    Pour the resulting mass back into the saucepan and put it on the stove over low heat.

27. Step 26:

    

    Constantly stirring and periodically removing the saucepan from the heat, brew the Anglez cream. The consistency is similar to pancake batter, slightly thicker.

28. Step 27:

    

    Add gelatin, turn off the heat and mix well.

29. Step 28:

    

    Pour the chocolate with the resulting cream.

30. Step 29:

    

    Whisk, and the cream is ready.

31. Step 30:

    

    Remove the cooled cream from the film and whisk.

32. Step 31:

    

    First beat at low speed, then increase the speed to the maximum. It turns out a thick and lush cream. There is a danger of being interrupted, watch out.

33. Step 32:

    

    To assemble the cake, line the board with film, put a frame, line the sides with tape. Put the bottom chocolate cake down into the frame and soak it.

34. Step 33:

    

    Lay out half of the coffee cream.

35. Step 34:

    

    Lay out the second cake, soak it and lay out the remaining cream.

36. Step 35:

    

    Lay out the third cake and soak it.

37. Step 36:

    

    Pour chocolate cream on the cake. Align the top. Put the cake in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

38. Step 37:

    

    To make the inscription as in the photo, print a stencil on paper, attach a film to it and apply melted chocolate on the stencil. Let it harden and remove from the film.

39. Step 38:

    

    Release the frozen cake from the film and frame and put it on a stand for glazing. Read more about the glaze there is a separate video and recipe, there is everything about the stand and about the temperature of the glaze. Cover the cake with icing and let it drain.

40. Step 39:

    

    Trim the sides. The opera is famous for its perfect cuts.

41. Step 40:

    

    Decorate the cake, let it stand for a couple of hours.

42. Step 41:

    

    Here it is on the slice. The most famous pastry shops sell (or serve) this dessert is in the form of rectangular cakes.