Gâteau Opéra or French opera cake is the French answer to an Italian tiramisu. It is a classic of elegant French patisserie. It consists of an almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache layered into a seven-layer dish. Traditionally, the decadent cake slices are cut into small rectangles, and decorated with the word “opéra,” but I opted for a treble clef instead. The inventor of this elegant cake, the French Cyriaque Gavillon aimed to provide the whole experience in one small bite. Once his wife tried his concoction, she claimed that this cake reminded her of the Parisian opera house Palais Garnier. Voilá the French opera cake was born. The pastry shop Dalloyau where Gavillon was employed, has been serving this cake since 1955. This is as French as it gets. But I will warn you, it does have many components and takes its amount of time to prepare. But slices can be frozen and components made in advance. You will be rewarded with the most delicious cake that so nicely combines the coffee and chocolate flavor. Maybe you will give this a try?
