French Opera Mocha

Ingredients

Eggs

4, large

Granulated sugar

1 cup

All-purpose flour

1/2 cup, sifted

Instant coffee

2 tablespoons

Hot water

1/4 cup

Unsalted butter

1 cup, softened (for buttercream)

Powdered sugar

2 cups

Vanilla extract

2 teaspoons

Heavy cream

1 cup (for ganache)

Dark chocolate

8 ounces, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a rectangular cake pan (9x13 inches) with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar together on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Sift the all-purpose flour into the egg mixture and gently fold until just combined, being careful not to deflate the batter.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Add the coffee mixture to the batter and fold until fully incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cake is baking, prepare the chocolate ganache. In a heatproof bowl, place the chopped dark chocolate. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let it sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool.
7. In another mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, to make the coffee buttercream.
8. Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the pan and cut it into three equal rectangular layers.
9. Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate. Brush the top with a layer of the cooled chocolate ganache, then spread a layer of coffee buttercream on top.
10. Repeat the process with the remaining cake layers, alternating between ganache and buttercream.
11. Cover the entire cake with the remaining coffee buttercream, smoothing the sides and top with a spatula.
12. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the cake to set.
13. Before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder or decorate with chocolate shavings as desired. Slice and serve chilled.