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DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE Opera Cake

5/28/2008

17 Comments

 

As of today's post, I guess I am officially a DARING BAKER, having taken on this month's challenge of the Opera Cake.  And a challenge it was!  As I've said before, I consider myself a rustic baker and an Opera Cake would not fall into the category of rustic baked goods.  There are many steps in making this cake -- jocande layers, sugar syrup, buttercream, mousse and glaze, but most of these components can be made several days ahead of assembly.  We were instructed to keep this Opera Cake "light in color", using white chocolate instead of the traditional darker chocolate.  But everything else was basically up to us. 




I chose to flavor the sugar syrup and the white chocolate buttercream with Liqueur Violette, a rather obscure French liqueur our friends in Germany bought for my sister after Susan found she needed it as an ingredient in a tiramisu recipe from a French cookbook.  The assembly involved baking the jocande (almond sponge cake), making a sugar syrup with the Liqueur Violette that would be brushed onto the cake layers, a white chocolate buttercream, also with the Liqueur Violette added, was spread between the cake layers.  A white chocolate mousse was spread atop the final layer and the last step was icing the top with a white chocolate glaze. 


My version was decorated with sugared violets from Laduree and Fachon in Paris.  Is there anything I would do differently if I were to make this cake again?  Yes... absolutely.  I would not color the buttercream that was spread between the jocande layers.  I feel the end result was too busy.  Because of the size, I had several seatings of friends over a couple of days to eat l' Opera Cake.  The first serving had been setting at room temperature the recommended amount of time, but this is Minnesota.  It was still a little too cold and I wasn't at all thrilled with it.  The second time, however, the cake was at room temp much longer and I thought it was very, very good.  It was extremely rich, but that's o.k.  You don't eat an Opera Cake every day.

17 Comments
Aran link
5/27/2008 09:41:11 pm

wow eileen, that is truly beautiful! great piping... so delicate, i love it!

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Susan/Wild Yeast link
5/27/2008 11:51:05 pm

You did a gorgeous job and the sugared violets are a perfect touch. Welcome to the DBs!

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Paula Pfaff link
5/28/2008 12:22:03 am

Beautiful! and I can attest to how wonderful it tasted. Thanks Eileen for having me for coffee and Opera cake!

Paula

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marye link
5/28/2008 01:06:01 am

Your cake is beautiful. I actually think the colored buttercream is pretty. I went with a lavender flavor, so I was going for about the same color with mine. You did a better job though -- my buttercream kept turning a little grayish-purple, though once it was assembled it turned out ok. Yours is a beautiful color though!

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maybelles mom link
5/28/2008 02:42:51 am

AH, you are my favorite. i love violet, and just made violet macarons (though yet to post them.)

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once upon a tart link
5/28/2008 04:30:21 am

wow! quite something to write home about. looks great!

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one spicy mama link
5/28/2008 12:29:41 pm

How lovely! You did a wonderful job on the lettering! I agree about the richness of the cake - very rich so a little goes a long way!

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Vera link
5/28/2008 04:41:52 pm

What a neat writing! Eileen, you have a very steady hand.

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Speedbump Kitchen link
5/29/2008 02:14:02 am

Wow, great idea with the violets. I bet you were really excited to have perfect use for the liqueor. I'm one of those people who has the perfect ingredient, saving it for the perfect time, and then forgetting about it when that time comes! I can't wait to see your posts on Northern Gardening. I've tried my hand at veges in Maine and Michigan, both very challenging but really rewarding!

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Christine link
5/29/2008 02:52:29 am

Violet was a wonderful idea! Your cake is beautiful! Welcome to DB!

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RS
5/29/2008 03:33:09 am

Cool cake,Eileen-your artistry shows in all you do--love ya! R

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Rebecca link
6/1/2008 01:46:59 pm

Congratulations on your first challenge! Violet liqueur? Completely new to me. I love that!

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Barbara link
6/2/2008 07:40:50 am

Your cake is beautiful! I've never heard of violet liqueur, how intriguing!

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Molly W link
6/2/2008 02:31:34 pm

Great job on the l'Opera. I love the idea of violette flavoring, and I'm going to keep my eye out for it.

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Shari link
6/3/2008 09:02:15 am

That Liqueur Violette sounds delicious. I love the sugared violets too. Beautiful job and how elegant to have Opera Cake seatings.
Shari@<a href="http://www.whiskblog.com/">Whisk: a food blog</a>

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Debyi link
7/4/2008 03:12:10 pm

Your cake looks really good. I have never heard of the Liqueur Violette. I bet it made your opera cake taste even fancier!

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Merisi link
7/7/2008 07:57:40 am

Congratulations,
great accomplishment,
and if it tasted half as good as it looks,
it must have felt like a bite of ambrosia!

Candied violets were Empress Elizsabeth's (Sisi) favorite sweets. Demel's in Vienna, conveniently located close to the Imperial Palace, was her favorite purveyor, and is producing and selling them to this day.

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