Description

There is much debate as to who, exactly, invented the original opera cake recipe and where. Some culinary historians have set it as far back as the 1890s, while others put its creation at a Paris shop in the mid-20th century. Most opera cake enthusiasts agree that the best—to some, the only—place to buy opera cake is at Dalloyau, where it was named L'Opera in honor of the Paris Opera.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Position two racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat to 425 F. Line two 15-inch by 12-inch rimmed pans with parchment paper and brush the surface of the paper with butter. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or an electric beater on high speed, beat the egg whites until they become foamy and start to expand. Sprinkle in the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, beating between additions, until all of it is incorporated into the egg whites. Continue beating the meringue until it is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
4. In a separate large bowl, beat the ground almonds, confectioners' sugar, and whole eggs on medium until the mixture becomes light and foamy.
5. Gently stir the all-purpose flour into the almond batter.
6. Gently stir 1/4 of the almond batter into the whipped egg whites. Fold the remainder of the almond batter and the 3 tablespoons melted, cooled butter into the egg whites.
7. Divide the sponge cake batter between the two prepared pans and bake the cakes until the surfaces spring back from a light touch, 5 to 7 minutes.
8. Cool the cakes slightly. Cover the top surface of each cake with a fresh piece of parchment and carefully invert them onto a clean surface. Slowly peel back the old parchment and allow the paper to rest loosely over the cakes to prevent them from drying out.