Opera Cake served with Chocolate Mousse – Chocolate Parfait – Spiral Chocolate and Chocolate Ice Cream  

Sponge 

• Eggs x 5
• Ground Almonds x 140g
• Powder Sugar x 140g
• Flour x 30g
• Melted Butter x 30g
• Egg Whites of 5 eggs
• Sugar x 30g
• Salt x 1 g

Coffee Butter Cream

• Egg yolks x 5
• Sugar x 150g
• Water x 45ml
• Coffee x 4ml
• Butter x 250g

1. Sift flour and almonds then cream sugar with eggs until light and fluffy
2. Fold in the almond mixture and the egg white mixture together then transfer to baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes
3. For the butter cream, mix the eggs in a heat proof bowl until creamy over bain-marie style
4. Simmer in sauce pan and pour egg white mixture at 115 degrees then add the butter until well incorporated.
5. For the glaze melt 200g of dark chocolate with 30ml of canola oil, stir until well incorporated.
6. Layer your sponge with coffee, cream butter then repeat until the desired thickness is achieved then glaze the cake.

Chocolate soil

• Unsalted butter x 25g
• Plain flour x 30g
• Walnuts x 25g
• Brown sugar x 25g
• Ground cinnamon x pinch

Combine all the ingredients together then add melted butter and mix until a crumb is formed, bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes while stirring in between every 4 minutes.

Chocolate Cream

• Egg yolks x 4
• Castor sugar x 100g
• Vanilla pod 1 1 whole
• Cream x 125ml
• Milk x 375ml
• Chocolate x 80g

1. Whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl until almost white then boil the milk with the vanilla pod in a thick based pan.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar well then return to the cleaned saucepan and place on low heat.
3. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.
4. Add the chocolate chips until melted then pass through a strainer into a bowl and churn in the ice cream maker.

Chocolate Mousse

• Egg yolks x 80ml
• Stock syrup x 125ml
• Bitter couverture x 250g
• Leaf gelatine
• Whipping cream

1.  Boil the syrup, place yolks in food mixer, add syrup while whisking util thick
2. Add all the couverture at once and fold in quickly then drain the soaked gelatine, melt in and fold it into the chocolate sabayon mixture.
3. Add the whipped cream at once and fold it in carefully then place the mixture into the prepared moulds, refrigerate or freeze immediately.

Plate up and garnish with edible flowers.