Opera Peanut Butter Cake Recipes

OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until soft peaks form. Slowly add white sugar and whip on high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy.
• Beat almond flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a separate bowl for 3 minutes. Add flour and beat on low speed until combined. Gently fold egg whites into the almond mixture until combined. Divide batter between the jelly roll pans; spread evenly.
• Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and peel off parchment paper; let cool.
• Make coffee syrup while cake is cooling. Combine boiling water, sugar, and coffee powder in a small bowl; stir until dissolved.
• Stir 2 tablespoons boiling water and coffee powder together for the buttercream. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture reaches 255 degrees F (124 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, beat egg and egg yolk in a stand mixer on high speed until pale and foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup carefully down the side of the mixer bowl, mixing continuously until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch.
• Beat butter in a separate bowl until creamy. Add butter gradually to the egg mixture, beating until frosting is fluffy. Add the dissolved coffee mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• Place dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring milk and cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter until ganache looks smooth and creamy. Let cool.
• Cut cooled cake layers in half crosswise. Place 1 piece on a rectangular serving plate. Sprinkle some coffee syrup on top. Add an even layer of buttercream. Repeat with a second cake layer, more coffee syrup, and another layer of buttercream. Spread 1/2 of the ganache on top. Repeat with remaining, cake layers, coffee syrup, and buttercream. Top cake with remaining ganache.

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Whisk flour, white sugar, and baking soda together in a bowl. Beat 1/2 cup milk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into flour mixture using an electric mixer on low until smooth.
• Cook and stir water, 1/2 cup butter, vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup peanut butter together in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir peanut butter mixture into flour mixture until batter is well mixed; pour onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter together in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth; add 1/3 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk confectioners' sugar into mixture until icing is smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour icing over warm cake.

OPERA PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F Line 17 by 12 inch jelly roll pan with waxed paper.
• In very large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, ground almonds and flour. Add 8 eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add melted butter; mix briskly for 30 seconds.
• In medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold beaten whites into flour mixture in 3 or 4 additions, pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with spatula. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until top of cake is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.
• Prepare the Peanut Butter Cream: In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and 7/8 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until syrup reaches 240 F., "soft ball" stage, on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat 10 egg yolks and whole egg. Add sugar syrup in a gradual stream; beat 5 minutes. Add butter; beat 5 minutes longer. Add peanut butter; beat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
• Prepare Chocolate Ganache: In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a boil. Add chocolate chips; remove from heat and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in butter and chopped peanuts. Let cool.
• To Assemble Cake: Remove waxed paper from sponge cake; cut cake into three 12 by 5 1/2 inch pieces. Spread half the Peanut Butter Cream over one third, piling it high and smoothing with rubber spatula. Top with a second piece of sponge cake and spread with half of the Chocolate Ganache. Top with remaining third of sponge nut Butter Cream. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve; let cake stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• To Make Chocolate Sheet to fit top of cake, cut a rectangle of waxed paper the same size as top layer of cake; place on cookie sheet. Evenly brush a thick layer of the remaining ganache mixture over waxed paper; chill until firm. Just before serving, carefully remove chocolate-coated waxed paper from cookie sheet; invert on top of cake. Gently peel off waxed paper. Trim edges with small, sharp knife if necessary. Or, if desired, simply cover entire top of cake with chocolate curls. Makes about 24 servings.
• NOTE: To grind almonds, place in bowl of food processor and pulse on and off until nuts are pulverized and fluffy. Do not overprocess, as nuts will turn to a paste. I prefer a nut grinder.
• Woman's Day.

GOLD RUSH PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: In large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
• Add brown sugar.
• Mix to blend.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add flour mixture to butter and peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Add vanilla.
• Pour batter into 3 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.
• Bake in preheated 350ºF oven until cake tests done, about 45 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack to room temperature before filling and frosting the cake.
• For filling: Soften margarine and cream cheese at room temperature.
• Cream together well.
• Add powdered sugar and continue beating until creamy.
• Add vanilla and peanut butter.
• Spread between cooled layers.
• For frosting: Melt margarine, brown sugar and Karo syrup in boiler, bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat, add milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter.
• Beat until creamy.
• Spread on top and sides of cooled cake after filling.

OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
• Mix sugar and cream together in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Add butter, and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Let cool 2 hours. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in vanilla. Using your hands, begin to pull and press the mixture. Keep pulling and kneading mixture until it lightens in color, loses its shine, and no longer sticks to your fingers, 15 to 45 minutes. Roll mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 10 minutes.
• In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate and food paraffin, stirring until smooth and well combined. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate mixture, and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until fudge is chilled and chocolate has set, about 30 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.