History

Opera cream is a Cincinnati regional candy: a soft vanilla cream confection coated in chocolate, dating to the early 1900s when Cincinnati's many Italian and German chocolatiers produced small cream candies. BonBonerie's owners Mary Pat Pace and Sharon Butler scaled the candy into a cake: a chocolate cake layered with vanilla opera cream filling and enrobed in dark chocolate, finished with shavings.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield Serves 10 to 12Hands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot strong coffee
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (for the filling)
  • 8 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream (for the glaze)

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then stir in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin.
  3. Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
  4. Make the opera cream filling: beat the butter until fluffy, then add the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth and pale.
  5. Split each cake horizontally to make 4 layers. Stack with opera cream between each layer.
  6. Make the chocolate glaze: heat the cream just to steaming, pour over the chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth.
  7. Pour the glaze over the assembled cake, letting it run down the sides. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to set, then garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

Tip from the editors. The opera cream must be soft enough to spread but firm enough to hold layers. If too soft, refrigerate 20 minutes before assembly.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat opera cream torte

Opera cream torte in Cincinnati

BonBonerie ★ 4.6

hyde-parkTue-Sat 09:00-17:00, closed Sun-MonWalk-in onlyFrench and Italian pastries, tea-room cakes

BonBonerie on Madison Road in Cincinnati's O'Bryonville is the long-running French and Italian tea-room bakery with the opera cream torte and tea service.

Worth the queue: Opera cream torte

2030 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208

More cities are in research. Want opera cream torte covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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