Pear & Ginger Opera Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 100 minutes plus chilling time
Cooking time: 30 minutes
For joconde cake layers
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 30g/1oz caster or superfine sugar
- 150g/5ozs. ground almonds
- 140g/4.9ozs. icing or powdered sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 40g/1.4ozs. plain all purpose flour
- 40g/1.4ozs. melted butter or oil spray (for greasing)
For Pears and Syrup
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups white sugar
- 16 paradise pears, peeled
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pear & Ginger Buttercream
- 100g/3.5ozs. egg whites
- 100g/3.5ozs. sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 100ml/3.5flozs. pear and ginger syrup from above
- 300g/10.6ozs. butter, room temperature
Dark chocolate Ganache
- 200g/7ozs. dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup cream
Tip: your fridge is your best friend when making this opera cake. I recommend clearing some shelves in your fridge for the cake to set when it comes to assembling this cake. You can also make parts of this cake ahead of time.
Step 1 - First make the joconde sponge. I had some cake tins that measured 25.4x10x2 cms or 10x4x0.75inches but you can also do this in a large swiss roll tin or two and then just measure and cut out same size rectangles. Line each tin with parchment on the base and sides and grease the bases too using melted butter or an oil spray (to help the cakes release better). Preheat oven to 220C/440F. Using a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then add the sugar and whisk until you get stiff peaks that don't move. Scoop out and set aside.
Step 2 - Switch to a paddle attachment. Sift the almond meal and icing sugar into the mixer bowl and beat with eggs until light and fluffy (around 3 minutes). Add flour and mix to combine. Then fold meringue in in 3-4 lots until the white streaks disappear. Divide among the prepared trays trying to make sure that they're around an even thickness (admittedly I didn't quite achieve this). Bake for 9 or so minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and springs back to the touch. Cool to room temperature. You can make these a day ahead and just cool and wrap.
Step 3 - Make the pears in syrup. Boil the water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pear, ginger and cardamom and simmer until the pears are cooked but not mushy-they will turn glossy. Remove the pears from the syrup and then reduce the syrup so that it becomes a bit thicker-it still needs to be brushable. Set aside both to cool completely. This too can be made a day or two ahead.
Step 4 - Make the buttercream. Heat the sugar, water and syrup together until the sugar has melted. Then bring the syrup up to a boil. When it gets to around 105C/221F then start whisking the egg whites on medium high speed until you get soft peaks. Once the syrup reaches 115C/240F then remove it from the heat and pour it in a steady stream while the eggs are whisking on medium high speed. Whisk for around 6 minutes or until the bowl is cool to the touch. Then add in the soft butter in chunks incorporating it well until it is thick and shiny. Cover and set aside.
Step 5 - Make the ganache. Heat the cream until almost boiling and then pour over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted and is completely smooth. You want this to thicken and to be spreadable so place it in the fridge to firm up if need be.
Step 6 - Cake assembly: Take the layers of the sponge and brush them with the syrup. Spread the chocolate ganache on top at an even thickness and then place the layers in the fridge to set. Run a smoother over the top of the ganache to smooth it out. Then spread the buttercream over this and allow to set in the fridge and do the same with the smoother.
Step 7 - Stack the cake layers on top of each other and then trim the edges with a hot knife. Use a little buttercream to affix the pears on top. You can also pipe some buttercream rosettes and add some gold leaf if desired.