Gateaux Opera a l'orange recipe

Details

• Cuisine: French
• Recipe Type: Dessert
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Serves: 6

Step-by-step

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a Swiss roll pan.
2. Beat the sugar and three eggs in an electric mixer for five minutes or until pale. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the sugary egg mixture. Combine almond meal, flour and baking powder and carefully fold into egg mixture. Spread into the pan and bake for 12/15 minutes. When cool, remove from pan.
3. To make the buttercream, heat the sugar and 50 ml of water in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring until all the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil for 1 minute or until thick and sticky. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, and then pour into hot syrup. Continue whisking until thick and cool. Dissolve coffee in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and whisk into egg mixture with the butter. Cool completely.
4. To make the ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water), until the chocolate melts. Bring milk to the boil in a separate saucepan then combine with chocolate. Remove from heat and cool, stirring occasionally. Fold cream and extract into the chocolate mixture.
5. To make the syrup, place coffee, sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil for 2 minutes, then cool. Add the orange liquor.
6. To build the cake: Cut three 22cm discs of the almond sponge. Place one into the bottom of a 22cm mousse ring. Using a pastry brush soak the sponge with the syrup, then spread over a good layer of the coffee buttercream. Cover with another sponge circle. Soak with the syrup, then pour over a layer of the orange ganache. Place the final layer of sponge on top, then soak with the syrup and cover with a thin layer of the ganache.
7. Place in the fridge to set overnight. The following day remove the ring and decorate with candied orange strip, chocolate shavings, and a dusting of cocoa and icing sugar.