Ingredients
Jaconde
277 g Almond Flour
128 g Sugar
7 Large Eggs
188 g Egg Whites
150 g Castor Sugar
8 ml Fresh Ginger
45 ml Melted Butter
1 ea.Brown Food Gel
1 ea. Orange Food Gel
Tipsy Tart Cake
260 g Pitted Dates, chopped
7,5 ml Bicarbonate of Soda
260 ml Boiling Water
225 g All Purpose Flour
2 ml Baking Powder
2 ml Salt
100 g Chopped Pecans
45 ml Butter
300 g White Sugar
2 ea. Large eggs
Buttercream
150 ml All Purpose Flour
563 ml Milk
30 ml Vanilla Extract
500 g Salted Butter
560 ml White Sugar
15 ml Cinnamon
Brandy sauce
250 ml Water
250 ml White Sugar
60 ml Brandy
5 ml Vanilla Extract
30 ml Butter
Ganache
340 g Dark Chocolate
188 ml Milk
90 ml Cream
90 ml Butter (room temp)
Spice Nuts
350 g Pecan Halves
60 ml White Sugar
60 ml Honey
15 ml Mixed Spice
Method
Jaconde
Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper, brush with melted butter.
Combine almond flour, sugar, all purpose flour. Place in electric mixer with paddle attachment, gently mix.
Add in eggs, one at a time ensuring each is fully incorporated first. Add ginger and beat for a further 4 minutes, scraping sides.
In separate bowl, on low speed beat the egg whites to aerate. Add sugar. Increase speed, beat for 4 minutes ( soft peaks).
Gently fold meringue into batter (do not overwork). Take a 1/3 cup of batter and place into two separate bowls.
Add a drop of brown and orange gel in bowls and colour gently. Place into piping bags and design leopard print on baking paper.
You can use a template for this, freeze for 20 minutes.
Gently half and spread batter thinly into baking trays. Bake for about 7 minutes, surface will be golden brown.
Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off baking paper. Cut to desired height and use to form boundary of opera cake.
Tipsy Tart Cake
Preheat oven to 190 C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper, grease with Spray and Cook.
Mix boiling water and bicarbonate of soda and pour over dates.
Let it soak for about 30 minutes. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, add chopped nuts.
In separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar and egg. Gradually add in flour mixture, mix well after each addition.
Mix in the dates, divide between two baking trays, smooth out. Bake for 15-20 minutes, let cool and remove baking paper
Cinnamon Buttercream
In small saucepan bring milk and flour to boil, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and let cool, stir in vanilla
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add cool milk mixture and cinnamon to butter mixture.
Beat for 5 minutes on med-high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first but continue until it comes together.
Brandy sauce
Add water, sugar, vanilla and butter together in small pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add brandy.
Ganache
In a medium saucepan bring milk and cream to boil.
Remove from heat, stir in chocolate, stir for 2 minutes, smooth. Stir in butter, stir for further 2 minutes.
Spiced nuts
Preheat oven to 180 C. Mix together sugar and spices. Heat honey in microwave until very runny.
Pour honey over nuts and coat properly. Bake on baking paper lined baking tray for 10 minutes, remove.
Cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with sugar spice, toss to coat well.
Assemble
Line bottom of a 8” spring form pan with a cake plate.
Line side of pan with baking paper.
Measure how much Jaconde will be needed to form boundary.
Cut to desired size. Spread thin layer of Buttercream onto the back of the Jaconde. Place Jaconde inside lined spring form pan to form boundary.
Cut tipsy cake to desired size and place inside spring from pan. Brush with the brandy syrup. Spread half of the buttercream and smooth out using offset spatula.
Add another cake layer and brush with syrup.
Spread thick layer of Ganache over the cake, freeze for 5 minutes. Spread another layer of Ganache, freeze again for 5 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of butter cream, smooth out nicely. Place last layer of tipsy cake and brush with syrup.
Spread a thin layer of butter cream on top, smooth out nicely. Pour on last layer of Ganache, smooth out.
Decorate with spiced nuts. Refrigerate cake until just before serving. Remove from spring from pan