Opéra

Name: Opéra
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 70 g (2¼ oz) caster sugar; 3 eggs; 120 ml (4 fl oz) milk; 1 egg white; 15 g (½ oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 200 g (6½ oz) good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped; 100 g (3¼ oz) unsalted butter, softened; 75 g (2½ oz) icing sugar; 110 ml (3¾ fl oz) thick (double) cream; 2½ tablespoons plain flour; 1½ tablespoons instant coffee; 1½ tablespoons caster sugar; 1 tablespoon instant coffee; 1 tablespoon caster sugar; 50 g (l¾ oz) unsalted butter, softened; 75 g (2½ oz) ground almonds; 3 egg whites

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Chocolate

By Le Cordon Bleu

Published 1998

About

Adapted from a complex French recipe, this dessert is a true work of art. It consists of layers of sponge cake, chocolate ganache, butter cream and coffee syrup, finished with a rich chocolate topping.

Ingredients

Almond Sponge

75 g (2½ oz) icing sugar
2½ tablespoons plain flour

Europe
France
Dessert
Chocolate
Vegetarian
Mediterranean

Method

To make the sponge, preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Line a 20 x 30 cm (