Passion Fruit Opéra Cake

Yay! My debut on Daring Bakers Challenge after saw the last one (cheesecake lollipop) I was dying to become one DB Member! =D

When I read the recipe I though, like Shea said: “Why did I choose this month to begin?”. The recipe isn’t difficult, I won’t lie, it’s laborious. I made in two days, which means this cake isn’t quick to office party, heheh.

I don’t know for the other DB members, but make the whole recipe is kind expensive, suuuuper fatty (almost 13 eggs, ok half is only egg whites). I must say: worth each little piece! It’s sooo delicious! =D

The joconde cake (base) is soft, like a sponge cake, but much better. Now I know why buttercream is a huge success on cupcake. It’s very good, I liked. I though was inedible fat-y and… this one is made with raw eggs! =O

The original Opéra is made with almond, dark chocolate, coffe and caramel. It was created by Dalloyau in honor to Opéra Garnier de Paris. The challenge was made this classic without dark colours and flavour (no coccoa, no chocolate, no coffe, no caremel)….. =O

My first thought for flavour was caqui (kaki / dióspiros / persimmon), but the cooked pulp gone really bad, too sweet (my fault) and too light. It didn’t taste like persimmon. Almost I took strawberries (kinda pricey where I live), then I saw the passion frui really cheap and calling me, so…. Passion Fruit Opéra Cake! =D Thank geez, ’cause was really good… the sour/citric was the key. :)

Well, the joconde I changed almond to castanha-do-Pará (Brazil Nut) in the last time, ’cause some DB members made them with macadamia nut. So, I remember about my local products and it will nice show you it. I don’t know how it was with almond, but I can tell, with castanha-do-Pará was great, soft, moist and fluffy.

Ah my thanks for the Daring Bakers creators: Ivonne, Lis, and Fran and Shea who helped on this challange. Opéra was a great recipe! =D

Passion Fruit Opéra Cake

Below the whole recipe, if you want reduce, just Joconde and Glaze. Buttercream is better make whole.

Castanha-do-Pará (Brazil Nut) Joconde

• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 30g granulated sugar
• 225g castanha-do-Pará powder (ground in blender and sifted, then dry it for 15 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC)
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 6 large eggs
• 70g all-purpose flour
• 45g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Utensils: 2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.), a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans), parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC. Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy, set aside.

Beat the castanha-do-Pará powder, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix).

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven, for me was 9 minutes. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven. Some members baked the cake one each time, they said it was fine. I used only one jelly-roll 13,7×9,5inch/35×24cm.

Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold. Well… I didn’t want use a clean parchment only for unmold, so I placed the cake on table and then turned it back with the bottom on top into the pan. (I think it a little confuse, right?)

Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

Vanilla & Passion Fruit Syrup

• 125mL water
• 65g granulated sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 Tbsp. passion fruit juice concentrated*

Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. If you use vanilla bean don’t forget: split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds.

Passion Fruit Buttercream

• 100g granulated sugar
• 60g water
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 200 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 60mL passion fruit juice concentrated*

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225ºF/107ºC on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat. If you don’t have a thermometer like me, in time by time do cold water candy test for Thread Stage/Soft-Ball Stage. Dropped into cold water will form a soft and flexible ball, it’s ok. Or syrup form a long line when dropped.

While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed until they are pale and foamy. When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!

Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so). Add the butter (must be very soft), when all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

The passion fruit juice was added in the next day, but buttercream was solid ’cause it set all night. So I let it chilling in room temperature by 15 minutes, then add the juice, little by little. The “raw” buttercream without any flavor is sweet, sugar-y and fat-y but very delicious, it really combines with sour-citric flavor. After add the juice, let set in fridge enough (firm) to spread with a layer of cake.

Vanilla Glaze

• 400g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 100mL heavy cream (35% cream) [I use "Sterilized cream", I don't know if the same product]
• 1 vanilla bean

Melt the white chocolate (add the vanilla here) with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer. Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Passion Fruit Juice Concentrated

• 4 passion fruit (I used the Golden passion fruit)
• 100mL water

In saucepan, put the passion fruit pulp and the water, let cook until all seed release the pulp. Sift the mixture to hold the seed. In the end, must have about 250mL juice.

Assembling the Opéra Cake

For me, it was the hardest past! But I survived, heheh.

Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup. Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.