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gâteau Opéra
coffee and chocolate almond sponge layers
The chic and elegant gâteau Opéra was invented sometime around 1955 at the celebrated Maison Dalloyau by Cyriaque Gavillon, the grandfather of the current owner, who wanted to honour the chorus girls (’les petites rats et Doriss girls’) at the Moulin Rouge who used to pop into his shop for tea.
The pastry is made of three sheets of joconde (almond sponge) biscuit, topped with butter cream coffee and chocolate ganache, although there are many versions, including fruity and boozy ones, all very pretty and often as elaborately and immaculately decorated as a chorus girl.
Text © Dana Facaros
Image by Wowo2008