Green Tea Opera with Dark Chocolate

Methods and Directions

• Whisk together the whole eggs, icing sugar, and almond meal in a medium size bowl. This will become your ‘whole egg blend’.
• In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites, slowly adding the caster sugar until soft peaks form. This will form your meringue mixture.
• Softly fold the meringue into the whole egg blend.
• Then fold in the sifted flour and green tea powder.
• Add the melted butter and spread the mixture thinly over a 60cm x 40cm lined baking tray.
• Bake at 220°C for 6 minutes and remove from the oven onto a cooling rack.

• Boil the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan until the temperature reaches 118°C.
• Whisk egg whites in a mixer until the liquid dissolves and then slowly add the boiling sugar in a steady stream.
• Add the green tea powder.
• Slowly add the cubes of soft butter.
• Whip until all ingredients are combined well.
• Do not refrigerate before use.

• Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan on the stove until it almost reaches boiling point.
• Place the dark chocolate in a small size bowl.
• Pour boiling milk and cream over the chocolate.
• Let this stand for 2 minutes.
• Slowly mix until it forms a smooth consistency.
• Add melted butter to finish.
• Allow to cool and thicken before use.

• Cut the green tea and almond sponge into four even quarters.
• Place one sponge quarter in a 15cm x 40cm lined rectangular cake tin.
• Spread a thin layer of the green tea buttercream evenly on the sponge.
• Place another layer of sponge on top.
• Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache over the second layer of sponge.
• Repeat steps 2–5 for the remaining two sponges.
• Once complete, place the Green Tea Opera creation in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set.
• Cut and serve.