There are occasions in life when a special cake is required. If you are up for a challenge, this recipe for opera cake is perfect.

I first tasted this dessert when working in the pastry section of Paul Bocuse’s restaurant in Lyon. I loved the fact that it contained so many of my favourite ingredients.

In Bocuse they used pistachio cream to flavour the cake but, since I prefer vanilla, this is my version. I have been asked for this recipe hundreds of times over the years. It takes a long time to make but it is worth every ounce of patience and effort.

It’s possible to make the sponge the day before as long as it is kept in an airtight container overnight. Opera is broken down into three different stages: almond sponge, butter cream with vanilla and coffee and, finally, ganache.

Almond sponge
1 large free-range egg
50g caster sugar
10g unsalted butter noisette (butter heated until it turns golden brown)
1 free-range egg white
10g icing sugar
20g sieved flour
50g sieved, ground almonds
A pinch of sea salt

Method
1. Butter the baking tray and cover with parchment paper, brush with butter and sprinkle with flour. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Beat eggs over low heat for a minute. Add the sugar and beat until the volume has doubled. It is ready when you can draw the figure 8 into the whipped eggs.

3. Fold in the almond and flour.

4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites add a third of the icing sugar. When the eggs are nearly stiff add the remainder of the sugar and whisk until stiff. Add the salt and whisk for a minute.

5. Fold the whipped egg whites into the mixture. Fold in the noisette butter then pour the mix onto the baking tray, spreading evenly with a spatula. Cook in the oven for 12 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and remove the parchment paper from the sponge and rest it on the paper.

Coffee syrup
250ml water
42g ground espresso coffee or enough coffee for a double espresso.
1 cup espresso
100g sugar

Method
1. Bring water and sugar to boil, add coffee and rest for 30 minutes.

Coffee buttercream
117g butter
6g caster sugar
1tsp ground espresso
1 vanilla pod, de-seeded

Method
1. Dice the butter and mix until soft. Cream together with the vanilla and sugar, then add the coffee syrup.

Vanilla cream
10ml water
200ml of milk
50ml of cream
3 free range egg yolks
50g icing sugar
1 vanilla pod

Method
1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the egg yolks.

2. Mix the water, milk and cream in a pot, add the vanilla stems and bring to the boil.

3. Add the sugar to the eggs and vanilla and whisk. Then add half the boiled liquid and mix. Return pot to a low heat and stir with a spatula. Heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon – do not boil. Place pot into cold water.

Italian meringue
75g free-range egg whites
65g icing sugar
50g granulated sugar
15g water

Method
1. Mix egg whites and a third of the icing sugar until stiff. Mix in the remainder of the icing sugar.

2. Bring the granulated sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan.

2. Boil without stirring until the syrup registers 112C on a sugar thermometer.

3. Pour the syrup into the egg whites and mix for five minutes.

4. Fold in the buttercream, then fold in half the vanilla cream. Place into a clean bowl and cover.

Chocolate ganache
500ml of cream
250g of 70 per cent dark chocolate
200g of 60 per cent dark chocolate

Method
1. Boil cream.

2. Melt chocolate over a bain-marie (a pot of water on top of which can be added another container).

3. Add the chocolate to the cream and mix well. Cover and cool.

Assembling the opera cake
1. Cut the sponge into three pieces and brush with coffee syrup.

2. Spread one third of the Italian meringue evenly on the sponge, place in a fridge for about 20 minutes to set.

3. Coat with 1/2cm of ganache.

4. Moisten the next two pieces of sponge and layer them using the same method.

The glaze
200g of 70 per cent chocolate 50g of unsalted butter

Method
1. Melt chocolate over bain-marie, melt butter and mix well, cool.

2. Coat the top of the cake with the glaze and cool for 20 minutes.

3. Cut the sides to clean the cake.

4, With the remainder of the glaze place into a plastic piping bag and decorate.

5. Serve with the remainder of the vanilla cream. It is best served at room temperature.

Kevin Thornton is a Michelin-starred chef and owner of Thornton’s Restaurant on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. www.thorntonsrestaurant.com