Name: Mini Opéras recipe by Vijetha Rangabashyam at BetterButter
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 125 g (3/4 cup) ground almonds; 125 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) icing sugar; 3 eggs; 3 egg whites; 1 heaped tbsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp plain flour; 2 tbsp butter melted; 3 tbsp espresso concoction; 75 ml water; 75 g (1/3 cup) caster sugar; 125 ml espresso concoction; 150 ml cream; 135 g chocolate chopped; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 120 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar; 2 tbsp water; 1 egg yolk; ½ egg; 160 g (2/3 cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 5 tbsp espresso concoction

ABOUT Mini Opéras RECIPE

It’s the kind of dessert that will intimidate you in the beginning because of its many components but when you break it down and work it out, it’s not at all hard. And as you might have already noticed, it is not the conventional opéra cake; I saw these mini versions in a French magazine and I realized how portioning a dessert to a smaller size makes a huge difference.

Ingredients Serving: 4

125 g (3/4 cup) ground almonds
125 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) icing sugar
3 eggs
3 egg whites
1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp butter melted
3 tbsp espresso concoction
75 ml water
75 g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
125 ml espresso concoction
150 ml cream
135 g chocolate chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
120 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar
2 tbsp water
1 egg yolk
½ egg
160 g (2/3 cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp espresso concoction

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Blitz ground almonds, flour and icing sugar together in a food processor. Then add the whole eggs and pulse for 10-15 seconds.
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy for 30 seconds. Add the caster sugar and whip them to stiff peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the almond batter in two halves. Fold just until combined. Incorporate the melted butter.
Pour the batter on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Once baked, flip the sponge on a wire rack (sponge side down) and peel off the parchment paper. Let it cool.
For the coffee syrup, bring water and sugar to the boil. After the sugar dissolves, put off the heat and add the instant coffee powder. Stir well until combined
For the ganache, bring cream to boil. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate. Stir to combine and add butter. Stir until thoroughly combined. Cover the ganache with cling film and set aside at room temperature.
Once the sponge has cooled, brush all of the coffee syrup into the sponge. The sponge will take in all the syrup.
For the buttercream, bring sugar and water to the boil and simmer till a candy thermometer reads 118 C.
Meanwhile, whip egg yolk and egg until pale and frothy. Gently trickle down the sugar syrup on the side while continuing to beat the eggs.
Beat for 6 minutes until the bowl becomes cold from outside. Now, add the soft butter, bit by bit while beating the mixture. Beat until the mixture becomes fluffy and creamy.
Add the butter cream to a piping bag fitted with ½ inch plain tip. Set aside.
You will need four 5” ring moulds. Cut 8 circles with the ring moulds. Place 1 circle at the base of each ring mould (see pic).
Pipe butter cream over the sponge circle. Take a spoonful of ganache and gently spread it over the butter cream. Place another disc of sponge over it
Pipe buttercream on top. Repeat for all moulds. Freeze the cakes for 3o minutes.
Before serving put a dollop of ganache on top of each cake.

Similar Recipes