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Opera Layer Cake Recipe

This elegant French dessert features delicate almond sponge cake layers soaked in coffee syrup, filled with rich coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache, and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. A showstopping cake with bold flavors and a luxuriously smooth texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 12 people
Calories 308 kcal

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer or stand mixer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Saucepan
  • 3 8 x 8-inch cake pans
  • Parchment paper
  • Wire rack
  • Microwave-safe bowl

Ingredients
  

Sponge

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 1/4 cups almond flour

Coffee Syrup

  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup Cointreau optional

Chocolate Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2/3 cup chocolate

Chocolate Ganache

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chocolate chopped

Coffee Buttercream

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line three 8 x 8-inch pans with parchment paper.
  • Mix almond flour, powdered sugar, and all-purpose flour in a bowl; add whole eggs and mix until smooth.
    mixing-almond-powdered-allpurpose-eggs-glass-bowl
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt to soft peaks, add sugar, and beat to stiff peaks.
    whipping-eggwhites-sugar-glass-bowl-stiff-peaks
  • Fold egg whites into almond mixture, then gently mix in melted butter.
    folding-eggwhites-into-almond-butter-batter-glass-bowl
  • Divide batter evenly into pans and bake for 9–10 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool.
    dividing-batter-baking-square-pans-marble-top
  • Simmer water, sugar, coffee, and Cointreau (if using) to make coffee syrup; let cool.
    coffee-syrup-simmer-saucepan-white-marble
  • Melt chocolate in microwave, add cream, and stir into a smooth ganache. Let it cool.
    ganache-melting-chocolate-cream-glass-bowl
  • Mix espresso powder with milk.
    espresso-powder-milk-mixture-glass-bowl
  • In a stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy, add powdered sugar, then espresso-milk and vanilla to make coffee buttercream.
    coffee-buttercream-bowl-stand-mixer-beaten-fluffy
  • Place one cake layer on a board, brush with coffee syrup, and spread with half the buttercream.
  • Add second cake layer, brush with syrup, and spread with chocolate ganache.
  • Add third cake layer, brush with syrup, and spread remaining buttercream on top and chill cake for at least 2 hours.
    layer-two-added-coffee-syrup-ganache-top
  • Melt chocolate for glaze, whisk in coconut oil, and pour over chilled cake on a wire rack.
    chocolate-glaze-melted-coconut-oil-wire-rack
  • Refrigerate until set, slice, and serve.
    opera-cake-sliced-white-round-plate-serving

Notes

  • When folding egg whites into the batter, use a light hand to maintain airiness.
  • Use a serrated knife to trim edges for clean, bakery-style layers before assembling.