Opera Cake

By Arman Liewupdated on Jun 20, 2026
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Comments (25)
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings

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Learn how to make opera cake, a classic French dessert made with layers of almond sponge cake, coffee buttercream, and silky chocolate ganache. It’s so sophisticated yet SO simple!

opera cake.

With a name like ‘opera cake,’ you might think this would be too sophisticated for your everyday dessert, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. While it looks incredibly impressive, each component is surprisingly straightforward to make.

Made with six layers of pillowy almond sponge cake, coffee syrup, French buttercream, and chocolate ganache, it’s one of those cakes that always gets a reaction when I bring it to the table. In fact, it’s one of my favorites to make when hosting friends.

I’ll let you in on a secret: this is one of the desserts I learned when I did a pastry course in Paris, and I made an absolute mess of it. Since then (back in 2016), I’ve worked hard on refining my own version, and I’m happy to report it turns out beautifully every time.

Table of Contents
  1. Key Ingredients
  2. How to make opera cake
  3. Arman’s recipe tips
  4. Opera Cake (Recipe Card)
  5. More coffee-infused desserts you’ll enjoy

Recipe highlights

Arman Liew
  • Deceptively simple to make. There are a few components involved, but none of them are difficult, and you can even make several of them in advance.
  • The perfect texture. The almond sponge is pillowy soft and infused with coffee syrup, and the tangy coffee buttercream MELTS in your mouth. 
  • A real showstopper. This is one of those desserts that gets people asking where you bought it before they realize you made it yourself (ask me how I know).
  • Perfect for making ahead. In fact, I think it tastes even better after a day in the fridge (or up to a week), once the layers have had time to settle together. 

Key Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients in Opera cake. The complete list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

For the almond sponge cake (Joconde):

  • Almond flour and all-purpose flour. I like using a combination of blanched almond flour and regular flour to keep the texture light and airy while maintaining proper structure.
  • Sugar. I used both confectioners’ sugar and granulated sugar. 
  • Butter. Melted. 
  • Large eggs and egg whites. Whole eggs for the flour mixture and egg whites for meringue.
  • Salt. Just a pinch. 

Coffee buttercream:

  • Espresso powder and milk. For a concentrated coffee flavor. I’d avoid plant-based milk, as it will separate while it sits.
  • Unsalted butter. Softened to room temperature. 
  • Sugar and vanilla.

Coffee syrup:

  • Instant coffee. Definitely use instant coffee, NOT regular ground coffee, as instant makes mixing easy. Use decaffeinated coffee if needed. 
  • Cointreau liquor. I used an orange-flavored liquor for this syrup. Rum and brandy would work well too. If I need this dessert to be alcohol-free, I’d just omit it.
  • Water and sugar. For the base of the sugar syrup. 

Chocolate ganache:

  • Chocolate. I used semi-sweet chocolate to balance out the sweetness of the cake layers. I have done it with milk chocolate, and it’s way too sweet.
  • Whipping cream. For creaminess and texture. Regular heavy cream also works. 

Chocolate glaze:

  • Chocolate. I use 70% dark chocolate. I wouldn’t go anything less than 45%.
  • Coconut oil. Vegetable oil or unsalted butter also works. 

How to make opera cake

sponge cake batter.

Step 1- Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, powdered sugar, and flour. Add the whole eggs and mix. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then add the sugar and continue beating. Fold the egg white mixture into the dry ingredients, then the melted butter.

baked sponge cake.

Step 2- Bake. Pour the batter into the three prepared pans and bake for 9-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.

coffee syrup.

Step 3- Make the coffee syrup. In a small saucepan over low heat, add the coffee syrup ingredients. Bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat to thicken. 

chocolate syrup.

Step 4- Make the chocolate ganache. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Add the whipping cream and stir until smooth and glossy. Let it cool to room temperature.

coffee buttercream.

Step 5- Make the coffee buttercream. Combine espresso and milk. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. 

coffee buttercream on almond flour cake.

Step 6- Assemble. Place the first cake on a flat surface and brush with coffee syrup. Spread half of the buttercream on top. Soak the second cake in the coffee syrup and place on top. Spread the top with chocolate ganache. Add the final cake layer, brush with syrup, and top with remaining buttercream. Cover the cake and chill for 2 hours.

chocolate glaze for opera cake.

Step 7- Make the glaze. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Add oil and whisk until smooth. 

glazed opera cake.

Step 8- Add glaze. Place the chilled cake on a wire rack and spread the chocolate glaze. Refrigerate until set. Using the remaining glaze, draw out a musical note using a piping bag.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Get all of your ingredients ready. Think of this as your ‘mise en place,’ and have everything portioned and ready to go.
  • Don’t overmix. Texture is a huge component of this cake recipe. If you overmix the cake, it’ll become dense and crumbly, and if you overmix the buttercream, it’ll become thick and buttery. I recommend mixing the cake batter until just combined and the buttercream until fluffy.
  • Weigh out the frosting and ganache. The beauty of this cake is in the layers, so I like to divide the buttercream and ganache into equal parts to make absolutely certain the cake is even. 
  • Accidentally over-mix the egg whites? I do this all the time! Just add an extra egg white and mix lightly until it’s smooth again.
sliced opera cake.
opera cake recipe.

Opera Cake

4.99 from 62 votes
Learn how to make opera cake, a classic French dessert made with layers of almond sponge cake, coffee buttercream, and silky chocolate ganache. It’s so sophisticated yet SO simple! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Rate This Recipe Print

Video

Ingredients  

Sponge

  • 1 1/4 cups almond flour 125g
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour 30g
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 120g
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted, 28g
  • 5 large eggs
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar 25g

Coffee buttercream

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk room temperature, 22mL
  • 1 cup butter softened, 227g
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 420g
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Coffee syrup

  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar 100g
  • 3 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1/4 cup cointreau optional

Chocolate ganache

  • 1 cup chocolate chopped, 170g
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream 180mL

Chocolate glaze

  • 2/3 cup chocolate 115g
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil 28g

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line 3 8 x 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add the almond flour, powdered sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Add the whole eggs and mix until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar until stiff peaks form, then add the egg white mix into the almond mixture until combined. Add the melted butter.
    sponge cake batter.
  • Evenly distribute the batter amongst the three cake pans and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
    baked sponge cake.
  • In a small saucepan, add the coffee syrup ingredients and place over low heat. Bring it to a boil then remove off the heat to thicken.
    coffee syrup.
  • Make the chocolate ganache by melting the chocolate in the microwave until smooth. Add the whipping cream and fold through until smooth and glossy. Let it cool to room temperature.
    chocolate syrup.
  • Make the coffee buttercream. Combine the espresso and milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, until combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix until fluffy.
    coffee buttercream.
  • Assemble the cake. Place the first cake on a flat surface then brush with the coffee syrup. Spread half the coffee buttercream on top. Soak the second cake in the coffee syrup and place on top. Spread the top with chocolate ganache, Add the final layer of cake, brush with syrup and spread with the remaining coffee buttercream. Cover the cake and refrigerate it for at least two hours.
    coffee buttercream on almond flour cake.
  • Make the glaze by melting the chocolate in the microwave until smooth. Add the oil and whisk until smooth.
  • Place the chilled cake on a wire rack and spread the chocolate glaze on top. Refrigerate until set.
  • Using the remaining glaze, use a pipping bag to draw out a musical note.
    glazed opera cake.

Notes

TO MAKE AHEAD: Assemble the cake up to 24 hours before serving and refrigerate until needed. I actually prefer it the next day, as the flavors have more time to develop and the layers slice more cleanly. 
TO STORE: Store leftovers in a cake keeper or in an airtight container. It will remain fresh in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze pieces of Opera cake for up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in food wrap and foil. It will keep well for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 7gFat: 25gSodium: 241mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 644IUCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 61g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

More coffee-infused desserts you’ll enjoy

Originally published October 2022

Arman Liew

I’m a three time cookbook author, culinary school graduate, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

4.99 from 62 votes (52 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. This looks delicious, and I’m sure everyone else in my family would love it as is. I’m one of those crazy people that doesn’t like coffee. Is there any way to tweak this without coffee flavour? Maybe vanilla? Or just keep it chocolatey?

    Reply

    1. Hi Tammy, you should be able to tweak this to remove the coffee elements! I would simply omit the espresso powder from the butter cream, which will keep it more of a vanilla flavor. You can also omit the coffee from the coffee syrup and use vanilla or some cocoa powder to flavor it instead. Let us know how you go!

      Reply

    1. Thanks for the lovely review, Suzy- let me know how it goes when you make it again on July 25th- congrats on the accomplishment!

      Reply

    1. Hi Joanne- you can use allulose to replace the sugar and sugar free chocolate to replace the chocolate components. You’d just have to keep an eye on the sponge, as it can dry out if overbaked using a sweetener 🙂

      Reply

  4. 4 stars
    The recipe is easy to follow. However, step 7 has a couple of issues. It mentions that it is how to make the “ganache” but is actually instructions for the buttercream. Also mentioned putting the mixer in “high heat”.

    Reply

    1. Hi Cris- thank you so much for pointing that out- you are right, it should say buttercream. I’ll go in and fix it now 🙂

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for making my recipe- Opera cakes can be seen as difficult to make, but I’m glad you found the process easy and enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Jude- I just double checked and the video looks to be working fine- Are you using Safari or Chrome? I’ll do some troubleshooting 🙂

      Reply

    1. I remember you posting your pastry course in Paris on Instagram so it was so cool to see the end result. I followed your recipe video and step by step photos and replicated it too. It was soooo yummy. I did have to practice the musical note topping.

      Reply

      1. Aw, Denise- memories. I’m so glad I shared those stories 🙂

        Oh that silly musical note haha- I couldn’t even do it with a pen on paper, I was so uncoordinated. Glad you made it work, I feel like that is the hardest part!

      1. Hi Debbie- because the flour is such a small amount (1/4 cup), you should be okay with substituting it with a gluten-free baking flour, provided it contains xanthan gum. Those have more stability and structure, and in my experience, yield less gummy baked goods. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to when testing it in other recipes.