Oh my god! They sprang a surprise white (mock) exam on us this afternoon with the Opera cake! Technically, it's a difficult cake, from the timing of the steps, to the individual even layers, to the chocolate writing on top... Do you know that pastry chefs who like to work for the Cordon Bleu are given a test, lasting for 6-8 hrs, and one of the items definitely on the list is this Opera cake.
Said to be invented by Lenôtre for the opening of the Garnier Opera in Paris in the 19th century, it's basically a layered cake of coffee buttercream with ganache. It can also be served individually or as a medium size (15x18cm) cake.
My piece was alright, except my coffee buttercream started melting very early. It shouldn't be so. I think we (we work as a team of 2 for intermediate mostly, except for the final exam) left the buttercream running on the mixer for too long and over-whipped it. If you like to know... it still tasted good though!
Chances that this will come out in the exam? 99.9%. Although, it's one in 4 chances we will draw a lot on that cake during our finals.
Right now, I'm just stuffing my face with it after dinner, because it tastes sooooo good!!!!
5 comments:
Gaston Lenôtre was born in 1920... long after the inauguration of the Opera.
there's some controversy there:
Lenôtre said he created the Opera in 1960 but after he dies "Le Monde" claimed that the Opera had been created by Cyriaque Gavillon for Dalloyau.
One of my favourite cakes - have to contend myself with the one from Hilton (until you come home and bake me one!)
hi Beingblue,
thanks for dropping by!
interesting point, yeah, i thought too he shouldn't be so ancient, the fact that he just passed away early this yr...! When I first heard it, I thought, hmm, maybe it was a long line of family in Lenôtre. (No, there isn't, by the way). Or maybe 'inauguration' should have been 're-opening' of the opera house again in 1971 after renovation - that fits the time frame more accurately, but still, like some things, the more shrouded in mystery, the more enticing it could be!
hmm...someone is getting fat!
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