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Loading...Opera Cake is the pinnacle of French pâtisserie — a refined layered dessert built from thin almond joconde soaked in espresso, silky coffee buttercream, and dark chocolate ganache, all capped with a mirror-smooth chocolate glaze. Each slender slice delivers a perfect harmony of bitter coffee, nutty almond, and deep cocoa in every forkful.
Prep Time60 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time80 mins
Servings10
Yield10 slices
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 485 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 18 gSaturated Fat
- 42 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 32 gSugar
- 7 gProtein
- 45 mgSodium
- 195 mgPotassium
- 65 mgCalcium
- 2.8 mgIron
- 0.4 mgVitamin C
- 380 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Joconde Sponge
- 3 large eggs, separated, plus 1 extra white
- 75 g almond flour
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 25 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Coffee Syrup
- 100 ml water
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 40 ml strong espresso
For the Coffee Buttercream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml water
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 30 ml strong espresso, cooled
For the Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 200 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
- 200 ml heavy cream
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 150 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 30 ml neutral oil (vegetable or grapeseed)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a 33×23 cm sheet pan with parchment and lightly grease.
- Make the joconde: whisk egg yolks with almond flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla until pale and ribbon-thick. Sift in the flour and fold gently. Whip the egg whites with granulated sugar to soft, glossy peaks, then fold into the almond mixture in three additions.
- Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan about 5 mm thick and bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden and springy. Cool on a rack, then trim into three 30×10 cm strips.
- Prepare the coffee syrup: simmer water and sugar until dissolved, remove from heat, and stir in espresso. Cool completely.
- Make the coffee buttercream: whisk egg yolks. Cook sugar and water to 118°C and stream the syrup into the yolks while whipping on high. Continue whipping until the bowl is cool to the touch, then gradually beat in the butter and cooled espresso until silky and spreadable.
- Heat the cream for the ganache just to a simmer, pour over the chopped chocolate, let sit 2 minutes, then stir to a glossy emulsion. Cool at room temperature until spreadable but still fluid.
- Assemble: place one joconde strip on parchment, brush generously with coffee syrup, and spread with half the buttercream. Top with a second strip, brush with syrup, and spread with the ganache. Cap with the third strip, brush with the remaining syrup, and finish with the rest of the buttercream, smoothing the top.
- Chill the assembled cake at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight wrapped in plastic until completely firm.
- Make the glaze: warm the cream, pour over the chocolate, add the oil, and stir until smooth. Cool to about 32°C. Place the chilled cake on a rack over a tray and pour the glaze evenly over the top, letting it cascade over the sides.
- Chill 15 minutes to set the glaze, then trim the edges with a hot, wiped knife and slice into 10 neat rectangles.
Cook’s Notes
- Assemble the cake a day ahead — the overnight chill lets the espresso soak fully into the joconde and makes slicing dramatically cleaner.
- Dip a long knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts for those signature crisp, glossy edges.
- Do not overbake the joconde; it should remain flexible when warm, like a thin sponge sheet.
- If the buttercream looks curdled, keep whipping on medium — it usually comes back together as the butter softens further.
- Make sure the cake is thoroughly chilled before glazing; a cold surface is what gives the glaze its sharp, mirror-like finish.
