french cake

With layers of nutty meringue and rich whipped filling, the classic French cake dacquoise - pronounced dah-kwahz- is so impressive.

Hazelnut and coffee dacquoise with chocolate glaze

(1 1/2 cups) caster sugar

1.25 gm cream of tartar

(3/4 cup) hazelnut meal

(3/4 cup) almond meal

milliliters (1/4 cup) warmed milk

instant coffee

unsalted butter,

(3 2/3 cup) icing sugar mixture

pkt Premium Chocolate Melting Pieces

27.80 gm glucose syrup

250 milliliters (1 cup) thickened cream

Recipe video above. Madeleines are sweet little French sponge cakes that are as delightful to look at as they are to eat. Flavoured with a hint of lemon and with the signature shell shape, these adorable mini butter cakes make for a lovely afternoon tea, or a pretty finish for any meal. Best served hot and fresh out of the oven. Keep the batter in a piping bag, then 10 minutes in the oven is all it takes!

Madeleines

+ 1 tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)

tsp baking powder

eggs (, at room temperature (Note 1))

sugar

salt

tbsp vegetable oil ((or other neutral oil))

tbsp milk (, full fat (low fat ok too))

tsp vanilla extract

lemon

/ 9.5 tbsp unsalted butter (, melted, warm (not hot))

Canola oil spray ((or other neutral oil))

Icing sugar / powdered sugar ((optional, for dusting))

Sift flour: Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Whisk eggs and sugar: Whisk the eggs and sugar vigorously for 2 minutes until it becomes paler in colour and it&#039;s foamy (or 1 minute on speed 6 with handheld beater).

Mix flour in 3 parts: Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, whisking gently in between until combined.

Add everything else except butter: Add salt, oil, milk, honey, vanilla and lemon. Mix until combined.

Add butter: Add butter, mix gently with a rubber spatula until combined. The batter is fairly thin but should leave a faint ribbon briefly on the surface (see video).

Cover and refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and leave it in the fridge overnight (minimum 6 hours).

Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan) for at least 30 minutes.

Piping bags - Pour the madeleine batter into 2 piping bags (or 1 large) either fitted with a round tip nozzle around 0.7 - 1.2cm (0.3 - 0.5&quot;) wide, or snip the end off. (You can refrigerate until required at this stage, or freeze 2 months).

Spray and fill pan: Spray the madeleine pan with oil. Fill each hole almost to the top (2just 1m from the rim).

Bake: Bake for 10 minutes until light golden.

Serve warm! Unmold straight away. Pile onto serving platter. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately, while hot!

Baking (next day):

Caramelized plums flipped over a delicate and moist cake that soaks up all the delicious plum juices!

Plum Tarte Tatin Recipe (Cake Tatin)

plums prune plums

granulated sugar, divided

eggs, room temperature

sour cream (or 1/3 cup plain yogurt)

tsp grated lemon zest

+ 2 tbsp all purpose flour, sifted

tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter an...

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter an 8 to 9-inch round dish (either a deep cake pan or a glass pyrex round dish). Rinse your plums before cutting each in half, removing the pits. Place the plums, flat side down, in your pie dish. Try to fit them in as neatly as you can without shoving in too many plums. Set aside.

To a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup of...

To a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup of water and 1 cup of the granulated sugar. Turn the heat onto medium high, allowing the mixture to come to a simmer. Do NOT stir the sugar mixture. Instead, swirl the mixture in the pan every so often. Do not take your eyes off the mixture; remove as soon as it turns a golden amber color.

Evenly pour the amber sugar mixture over all...

Evenly pour the amber sugar mixture over all of the plums. Let the liquid on the plums set. In the meanwhile, get started on your cake batter.

Cream the unsalted butter and remaining 3/4 cup...

Cream the unsalted butter and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract; mix just until combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, stopping the mixture as soon as the eggs are incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking...

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. With the mixer running on medium low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stop the mixer as soon as it's all blended in; you don't want to over mix the batter. Use a rubber spatula to scrape up any batter from the bottom and sides of the bowl and give the entire batter a good stir.

Pour the cake batter onto the sugar-set plums,...

Pour the cake batter onto the sugar-set plums, evenly spreading out the batter. Bake the cake at 325°F for about 35 to 40 minutes on the lower middle rack. Once it looks like the entire cake has pretty much set except for a small part in the center, increase the heat to 350°F to bake for another 5 minutes. You'll see the center begin to set and the top of the cake become golden. Test the cake with a toothpick inserted in the center, it should come out clean or with just a tiny crumb or two.

Let the cake rest in its pan for...

Let the cake rest in its pan for 5 minutes. Place a very large piece of parchment paper or wax paper over a flat serving plate before flipping the cake out onto the paper. The juices of the plums will probably run down the sides of the cake, which is why it's good to use the sheet of paper underneath. After about 1/2 an hour or so when the cake's juices aren't so runny, you can slide the cake off the sheet and onto the plate, or just leave as is. This is also the point in which you can dust some powdered sugar on top of the cake if you like.

The most basic sponge cake you can make to create a variety of cakes – the easy genoise sponge cake. It is made of a few ingredients and baked in just one cake pan, which cuts down your cooking time significantly.

Genoise sponge

eggs (at room temperature)

120 g white granulated sugar

g all-purpose flour

ml milk (at room temperature)

unsalted butter (melted)

g vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 340F or 170C and prepare a 6” by 4” (15cm by 10cm) round cake pan by covering the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. The sides of the pan should stay untouched! No oil spray, no butter, no butter or flour, no parchment paper – nothing.

In a heat-proof bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Place over a pot with slightly simmering water. Heat the mixture, stirring consistently, until warm to the touch and all sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Place the mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl) and start whipping, increasing the speed gradually for 7-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes very pale, has tripled in volume, and is thick enough to leave a ribbon on the surface. When done, switch the mixer to medium-low and whip for one minute.

Sieve in the flour and salt and carefully fold with a rubber spatula until no dry ingredients are left.

In a small bowl add the oil, melted butter, and milk. Mix and add 2-3 tablespoons of the egg and flour mixture. Mix again until homogenous in consistency.

Add the milk mixture to the main batter and fold with the rubber spatula until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 mins or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the surface of the cake bounces back if you gently press it.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool down until you can safely touch the pan.

Run a knife against the wall of the pan to release the cake. Place on a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Then, slice into 3 even cake layers and assemble the cake – or cover the unsliced sponge with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Alternatively, cut and serve with powdered sugar, fresh berries, jam, or any other sauce you like.

Learn how to make the classic opera cake from scratch. The rich chocolate cake tastes incredible with the deep aromas of coffee, chocolate, and cognac!

Classic Opera Cake

g Powdered Sugar

g Almond flour

150 g Whole eggs

140 g Egg white

70 g Granulated sugar

All-purpose flour

g Butter

35 g Ground coffee

Water

Cognac

35 g Dark chocolate

g Oil

Milk

g coffee

70 g Egg yolks

226 g Butter

chocolate

300 g Heavy cream

35 g Dark chocolate (or use the extra chocolate glaze)

Joconde sponge cake

Bake the Biscuit Joconde:Preheat and line: Set oven to 410°F (210°C). Line two 10.5 x 15-inch (26.7 x 38 cm) rectangular sheet pans with parchment paper.Divide batter: Make one batch of my biscuit Joconde recipe. Pour your prepared joconde batter evenly into both pans. Spread it as thinly and uniformly as possible.Bake: Bake for 6–7 minutes until lightly golden brown. If using two oven racks, switch and rotate the pans halfway through for an even color.Cool and cut: Cool completely on a wire rack. Slice each sheet exactly in half to create 4 identical rectangle cake layers.

Spread chocolate over a sponge cake.

Seal the Base Layer with melted chocolate:Mix coating: Melt the dark chocolate and stir in the neutral oil until smooth.Spread: Coat the baked (top) side of one sponge layer with an ultra-thin layer of this chocolate using an offset spatula.Set: Chill in the fridge until completely hardened.Flip: Place this sponge layer directly onto a matching cake board, chocolate-side facing down. This barrier keeps syrup from leaking.

Coffee Syrup

Make the Coffee Syrup:Simmer: Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat immediately so the liquid does not evaporate.Steep: Stir in the ground coffee. Cover with a lid and let steep for 10–15 minutes.Strain: Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard the coffee grounds.Finish: Stir in the cognac and let cool completely.

Coffee Buttercream

Make the Coffee Buttercream:Infuse milk: Simmer whole milk in a small saucepan, watching closely so it doesn&#39;t boil over. Remove from heat, stir in ground coffee, cover, and steep for 10–15 minutes.Whisk yolks: Beat egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and ribbon-like.Cook custard: Strain the warm coffee-milk into the yolks while whisking constantly. Return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens slightly into a light custard (crème anglaise). Do not scramble the eggs.Cool: Strain into a clean bowl and cool completely to room temperature.Whip butter: In a separate bowl, beat soft unsalted butter until exceptionally pale and fluffy.Emulsify: Add 1/3 of the room-temperature custard to the butter and beat. Whip in the remaining custard in two batches until light and voluminous. Note: Both parts must be room temperature to prevent splitting.

Chocolate Ganache

Make the Chocolate Ganache:Prep: Melt the dark chocolate gently. Warm the heavy cream until slightly warm to the touch.Combine: Pour 1/4 of the warm cream into the melted chocolate. Stir gently from the center outward until smooth.Finish: Repeat this process in three more separate additions until glossy and cohesive. If it is too loose, let it rest on the counter for a few minutes to firm up.

Assemble the cake.

Assemble the Layers:This cake is made with 4 layers of Joconde sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, 2 layers of chocolate ganache, and 2 layers of coffee buttercream.Follow the 8 steps:1. Brush 1/4 of the coffee syrup over your chocolate-sealed base layer. (If syrup pools, prick the sponge with a knife to help it absorb). 2. Spread half of the chocolate ganache evenly over the top.3. Top with the second sponge layer, baked side down (the porous underside absorbs syrup better). Brush with 1/4 of the syrup. 4. Spread half of the coffee buttercream smoothly over the top.5. Add the third sponge (baked side down). Saturate with 1/4 of the syrup. 6. Spread the remaining ganache evenly. (If ganache stiffened, warm it over a water bath for 5 seconds to loosen).7. Place the final sponge (baked side down). Brush thoroughly with the remaining syrup. 8. Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top, making it perfectly flat, smooth, and level.

Chill the cake in the fridge:Place the uncovered cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour, until firm. For a superior texture, wrap loosely in plastic wrap and let the flavors mature in the fridge overnight so the syrup distributes flawlessly.

Chocolate Glaze

Pour the Chocolate Glaze:Setup: Place a wire cooling rack inside a plastic-lined baking sheet. Put the chilled cake on the rack right before pouring.Melt glaze: Melt the dark chocolate and neutral oil together. Stir gently to avoid creating air bubbles.Pour and smooth: Ensure the glaze is fluid and slightly warm. Pour it smoothly over the cold cake. Immediately spread it thin with a clean offset spatula using just a few quick back-and-forth strokes before it freezes. The combination of the temperatures is important. For example, when the cake is freezing cold, you need a warmer chocolate glaze.You can also use my chocolate mirror glaze recipe for a shinier, darker glaze. It&#39;s more tolerant of the temperature gap.

Slice the cake.

The Signature Finish (Optional):Pipe: Gather clean, excess glaze drips from your sheet tray. Transfer to a small paper piping cone and write &quot;Opéra&quot; across the center of the cake.

Slice and Serve:Heat knife: Dip a sharp chef&#39;s knife into hot water (or use a kitchen torch) and wipe it completely dry.Slice cleanly: Hold the knife straight, slice down through the cake in one motion, and pull the knife out horizontally from the bottom.Clean blade: Wipe, reheat, and dry your knife before every single cut to avoid smudging the dark glaze into the light buttercream. Trim the uneven outer edges first, then slice into rectangles.Rest: Let the slices sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving to soften the ganache and maximize the melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Hi. I’m not sure if I read the recipe wrong. The cake layer was pretty small but the recipe made a ton of syrup, ganache, and the glaze. I’m wondering if the recipe for the cake was for 1 layer and I was supposed to make 2 or maybe even 4 sheets?
Instruction for the assembling part was confusing even though I figured it out by looking at the photo and some of imagination.

I loved watching the video of this recipe. I started out simply wanting to know how many sheet cakes I needed to bake to make an classic opera cake. Now I know. Could I make an opera cake that would be all chocolate including the cakes? 
Enough about the cakes! I loved watching this video from start to finish it was very calming. I love the music in the background and being a media person and having an ear for this, I loved the nat sounds in the video: cracking and dropping the eggs in the bowl, using the mixer, the stirring etc. 
It is an amazing video and I will make this cake at some point.

I really appreciate your meticulous recipe however sorry to be negative but none of the measurements were correct.( I used the grams since I’m in Munich ) Too little buttercream, too little ganache , way too much of thecoffee soak because the layers of the cake were too thin.  They broke apart.  Again I’m sorry to write so honestly. It didn’t work for me.  I followed verbatim all of the tips and recipe suggestions. Tomorrow we will eat it. I’m sure it is gonna taste delicious. But looks really bad. Thank you :) 
Stefano

This was a cake I’ve been wanting to try. I have to admit I made it scared. It was a little intimidating but I plowed through. It received rave reviews. Thanks for the detailed video

I gave this four stars because I wanted to be fair that I did veer from the recipe with the French buttercream and for the the glaze I used a little leftover ganache and added oil to that. But I did use the jaconde cake recipe and the coffee syrup to a tee. It was a very good cake but I couldn’t get over how soggy the cake had become from all the syrup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAhPhr5iYHI

Pastry Living with Aya

Today, I’m sharing how to make a classic opera cake step by step. It’s called “A king of chocolate cake” for a reason. The rich cake melts in your mouth with an amazing aroma.

Print the Recipe:

Biscuit Joconde
2 sheet pans: 10.5inch | 26.7cm ✖️ 15inch | 38cm
• Powdered Sugar 100g | 3.5oz
• Almond flour 100g | 3.5oz
• Whole eggs 150g (about 3 eggs) | 5.3oz
• Egg white 140g | 4.9oz (from about 4 large eggs)
• Granulated sugar 70g | 2.47oz
• All-purpose flour 35g | 1.2oz
• Butter 15g | 0.5oz

Bake at 410F | 210C for 6-7 minutes until it gets nice golden brown.
* The time & temperature may vary depending on the ovens.

Coffee Syrup
• Milled coffee 35g | 1.2oz
• Water 340g | 12oz
• Granulated sugar 70g | 2.47oz
• Cognac 100g | 3.5oz

Chocolate for sponge
• Couverture chocolate (58%) 35g | 1.2oz
• Oil 7g | 0.25oz

Mocha Buttercream
• Milk 150g | 5.3oz
• Milled coffee 20g | 0.7oz
• Granulated sugar 70g | 2.47oz
• Egg yolks 70g | 2.47oz (from about 4 large eggs)
• Butter 226g | 8oz (2 US sticks)

Dark Chocolate Ganache
• Couverture chocolate (58%) 300g | 10.6oz
• Heavy cream 300g | 10.6oz

Dark Chocolate Glaze
• Couverture chocolate (58%) 150g | 5.3oz
• Oil 30g | 1oz

Chocolate to write on a cake (Optional) * You can also use the extra chocolate glaze!
• Couverture chocolate (58%) 35g | 1.2oz

If you like a shiner glaze:
Chocolate mirror glaze recipe

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Check out my other chocolate desserts:
Black Forest Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

WATCH OTHER TUTORIALS!:
Caramel Sauce 2 Ways

Swiss Roll Cake

Lemon Madeleines

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#operacake #chocolatecake #Gâteauopéra

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