Four layers of chocolate cake with opera cream in-between.
Opera cream is a candy that was created in Cincinnati Ohio. Opera Creams are usually in the shape of eggs, but can be other shapes. The candy has a vanilla cream fondant inside and chocolate on the outside. You can learn more about Opera Cream candy here.
When Myra first started serving desserts at the restaurant (other than Karidopita) she would buy opera cream cake from a local bakery but the price kept increasing. So she talked Bryan D. into figuring out how to make a Chocolate Opera Cream Cake. I think Bryan’s take is much better than the bakery’s version, because it has more chocolate and lighter layers of opera cream filling.
This isn’t the easiest cake to make. You need 4 cake pans AND a lot of chocolate! I beat the opera cream in the mixer for almost a minute, which made it pretty stiff. If this happens to you, just add more cream until the mixture allows you to frost the layers easily.
To decorate your cake, it’s fun to take a bar of white chocolate and with a potato peeler make little swirls on top of the cake. Or, white chocolate chips would look pretty. Have fun and enjoy an incredibly delicious cake!
Bryan D.’s Chocolate Opera Cream Cake
Equipment
- 4 cake pans
- 2 small bowls
- Mixer and paddle attachment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups white flour
- 1 1/4 teas. baking soda
- 1/8 teas. salt
- 1 cup butter, unsalted, room temp
- 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 teas. vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 TBLS. Kahlua
Opera Cream filling
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 TBLS corn syrup
- 1/4 teas. salt
- 1 teas. vanilla
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate
- 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 TBLS. sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add a little of the boiling water to the cocoa, whisking to make a paste, then add the rest of the water. Set aside to cool.
- Grease, line 4 cake pans with parchment or wax paper, grease and flour the pans.
- In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.In the mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, Kahlua and chocolate chipsAdd the flour mixture alternating with the cooled cocoa mixture, beating after each addition.Divide evenly between four pans that have been greased, lined and floured.
- Bake for 17 to 19 minutes at 325 degrees. Cake will still look a little wet on top, but if you test it with a knife, it will come out clean.Let the cakes cool.
- In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, cream corn syrup and salt to 235 degrees.Remove from the heat and add 1/3 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teas. vanilla.Using your mixer, beat well (about 30 seconds). Refrigerate until it is the consistency of frosting.If it is too thick, you can add a little cream.
- Spread the opera cream between the 4 cake layers, beginning and ending with a chocolate cake layer. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to cover with the chocolate ganache.
- Make the ganache: Put the semi sweet and unsweetened chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Put the cup of cream on the stove in a small pot with the TBLS of sugar and bring to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then take your whisk and stir until the ganache has a smooth consistency. Let it sit until it comes to room temp. Take the cake out of the refrigerator and smooth a layer of ganache over the top and sides of the cake.Decorate with white chocolate chips or swirls.
