Coffee Opera Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees C for 15 minutes.
2. Whip 3 egg whites to soft peaks at high speed, sprinkling in about 15g of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend taken from the 67.5g for the sponge, and keep whipping to stiff peaks.
3. In another bowl, beat 115g of almond flour, the rest of the sponge blend and 3 whole eggs at medium speed until the mixture turns pale gold. Sift in 35g of all purpose flour and beat slowly, just enough to combine.
4. Fold the two mixtures together, then add 25g of melted unsalted butter and fold gently.
5. Pour into the tin and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the surface turns golden brown and a skewer comes out dry.
6. Make the coffee syrup: dissolve 5g of instant coffee in 60ml of boiling water and let it cool a little.
7. Make the buttercream: dissolve 10g of instant coffee in 15g of boiling water. Cook 54g of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend with 30g of cool water and a little vanilla extract to 124 degrees C, turning off the heat while the syrup is slightly thick and has not yet coloured.
8. Beat 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk at top speed until pale gold and fluffy, drop the speed and pour in the hot syrup, then build the speed back up until smooth, and let it cool to room temperature.
9. Beat 200g of unsalted butter until smooth, add the egg and syrup mixture, and beat at high speed until glossy and heavy on the beater. Mix the coffee through, then chill for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until it thickens enough.
10. Make the base for the ganache: melt 75g of unsweetened dark chocolate chips in a bowl set over a pot of hot water, add 25g of finely ground kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and stir until smooth and glossy.
11. Heat 75g of whipping cream until small bubbles appear, pour it into the chocolate bowl, leave it a moment, then stir until smooth, and chill for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
12. Make the base for the glaze: melt 75g of unsweetened dark chocolate chips in a bowl set over a pot of hot water, add 25g of finely ground kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, stir until smooth and glossy, then mix it with 75g of melted unsalted butter.
13. Cut the sponge into 3 layers. Lay the first down, brush it with coffee syrup and spread buttercream over it, add the second layer and cover it with ganache, then add the third layer and brush on the last of the syrup.
14. Chill for 20 minutes, coat the sides of the cake with coffee buttercream, and chill for another hour.
15. Pour the still warm glaze over the top, smooth it flat, and chill for 20 minutes for the chocolate layer to set.

Tips

• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend is a powder, so sift it before cooking the syrup and the mixture stays clear with nothing settling out.
• The syrup has to reach exactly 124 degrees C for the buttercream to hold its shape once it goes on.
• The sponge is thin, so check it right at 7 minutes, because longer in the oven dries it out and crisps the edges.
• Ganache and glaze both hate water, and a single drop into the bowl seizes the chocolate.
• A square cake needs only a smooth flat top, while a round one can take the glaze running down the sides.