Opera Cake Doesn't Have Very Musical Origins

Fans of "The Great British Baking Show" and its offshoots may remember the occasions when contestants have been asked to bake an opera cake. It may have even been the first time you'd heard of this French delicacy. This rather fussy confection consists of layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup and coffee, along with chocolate ganache and other filings. It's typically served with bare sides, to show off the many rich and even layers. As baking show contestants have demonstrated, it's a challenging cake to make.

The one thing opera cakes are not known for is music. Ironically, this impressive dessert has little to do with arias or Puccini. Instead, it was named more for its association with the look the Paris Opera House.

The story goes that French pastry chef  Cyriaque Gavillon created this decadent treat in 1950s Paris. He wanted to make a cake that would deliver unique and enticing flavors with every bite. After presenting the result to his wife, she commented that it reminded her of the Paris Opera House, both in its richness and its tiered appearance. The name stuck, and the rest is history.

Much like Italian tiramisu, in an opera cake layers of sponge, coffee, and chocolate combine to make a creamy, flavorful treat. Where tiramisu typically uses a coffee-flavored liqueur such as Kahlua, opera cake relies on brandy or Cognac –- there is a difference between the two – for its boozy punch. Traditionally, bakers will add a final flourish by writing the word "opera" in chocolate on the top of the cake.

Recipes for opera cake abound online so you can try making it, if you're up for the challenge. Keep in mind that when making an elaborate dessert such as an opera cake, it's important to use good ingredients. This isn't the time to opt for a substitute for baking chocolate, only the best will do if you want to get the best results.

However, if you ever visit Paris, you can visit Dalloyau, the bakery where the cake was created. For a mere 52 Euros–$54, roughly–, you can have an authentic opera cake. That's a deal worth singing about.