Opera cake

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Opera cake (Gâteau opéra) is a classic French dessert built from thin layers of almond sponge cake (Joconde). Each layer is brushed with coffee syrup, then spread with coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache, and the pieces are stacked and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. The multiple layers resemble the levels of an opera house, which is why it’s named Opéra. Sometimes the glaze is decorated with the word Opéra or with edible gold leaf.

Origins are unclear. The cake was popularized by the Paris pastry shop Dalloyau, but who first created it is debated. Cyriaque Gavillon claimed he invented it in 1955 and that his wife named it after the Opéra Garnier, while Gaston Lenôtre later claimed to have created it in 1960.