Pistachio Opera Cake
Recipe courtesy of Joffrey Villa, Pastry Chef, Saint Louis Club (Clayton, Missouri)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for pistachio butter cream:
- milk - 200 gms.
- sugar - 220 gms.
- egg yolk - 180 gms.
- butter - 640 gms.
- pistachio paste - 60 gms.
- Ingredients for chocolate ganache:
- cream - 750 gms.
- dark chocolate - 750 gms.
- Ingredients for pistachio sponge cake (yields 5 sheets):
- pistachio TpT - 1500 gms.
- flour - 100 gms.
- pistachio - 100 gms., crushed
- eggs - 1000 gms.
- egg whites - 700 gms.
- sugar - 100 gms.
- butter - 150 gms.
- Ingredients for cocoa glaze:
- cream - 200 gms.
- water - 250 gms.
- sugar - 162 gms.
- glucose - 135 gms.
- cocoa powder - 100 gms.
- silver leaf gelatin - 25 gms.
Instructions
Procedure for pistachio butter cream:
- Make a crème anglaise at 85°C with the milk, sugar and yolk. Stop cooking.
- Cream the butter until fluffy.
- Make an emulsion with crème anglaise in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle.
- Add pistachio paste at the end and use immediately. (Use 433 gms. per layer.)
Procedure for chocolate ganache:
- Boil the cream and pour into the chocolate, 1/3 at a time, making sure the ganache is smooth and shiny. (Use 500 gms. per layer.)
Procedure for pistachio sponge cake:
- Combine the TpT and the eggs and beat in a mixer with the whisk to a ribbon stage.
- Make a French meringue with the whites and sugar. Combine both, mix with a Maryse, add the pistachio, stiffed flour and the butter, previously melted.
- Lay on silicone mat and bake in a 180°C convection oven.
Procedure for cocoa glaze:
- Combine cream, water, glucose, sugar and cocoa powder.
- Give it a good boil while continuously whisking. Let it set so the bubbles can leave.
- Add the previously hydrated gelatin at 60°C.
- Pour over the previously frozen layered opera cake.
