French Opera Cake

For New Year's and my birthday, I decided to make a fancy cake. One with many layers and many different elements. If I can't go big here, when can I? So I found this opera cake recipe online that looked beautiful and delicious. If you search for "opera cake," you'll find lots of recipes but I went with this one since it was the best looking one. What? Plus, it came with a great video tutorial with opera music playing in the background. Sold.

I followed the recipe carefully using my new digital kitchen scale. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you ought to get one. They are so easy, fast and fun to use! There were six elements to prepare before assembling this cake. Six! It took me all morning from start to end. Crazy.

In the end, it was exactly how I imagined it. The only thing I might change in the future is the buttercream layer with all the egg yolks. I would try to make that lighter because it felt sort of too rich when I ate it. Either that or just serve very small portions. My husband was grossed out because he's not a fan of opera cakes. I didn't know that. However, it did all taste better the next day.

My opera cake was just beautiful. Maybe too beautiful. When I posted the picture on instagram, I was actually concerned that people might have assumed that I bought the cake. It looked like something that came right out of a professional bakery. So I posted an unpolished image of it from my fridge before I sliced off all the sides. Just as proof I did in fact make this cake. Haha!

Proof I made the cake myself.

My friend gave me edible gold flakes awhile ago and I was excited to be able to finally use it on this cake. It was the perfect touch on top. I put it on the cake after it was refrigerated and set though so some of the flakes were floating around and even flying off when I tried to move the cake. Lol. This is why I'm not professional!

Overall, I'm happy with the results but I was shocked at how long the process was. But of course it was my first opera cake. The next one will be much faster! After making it, I'm already getting ideas of ways to make versions that could incorporate tropical flavors maybe with durian or taro. That would be a cake my parents would love! Us too!