Description
Discover the delightful Limoncello L’Opéra, a citrus‑infused masterpiece that combines airy meringue, buttery cake, and a bright lemon glaze. Perfect for brunch, dessert, or an elegant Italian‑inspired treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200 g egg whites (about 6 whites, size M)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 225 g ground almonds
- 70 g icing sugar
- 200 g all‑purpose flour (type 405)
- 300 g whole eggs (about 6, size M)
- 45 g melted butter, cooled
- 125 g water
- 65 g granulated sugar (for syrup)
- 1 tablespoon Limoncello
- 200 g butter (for buttercream)
- 60 g water (for buttercream)
- Optional vanilla pod (seeds only)
- 1 egg (≈50 g, size M) – whisked
- 1 egg yolk (≈17 g, size M)
- Zest of 1 lemon (for glaze)
- 200 g white chocolate
- 295 ml heavy cream (35 % fat)
- 1 tablespoon Limoncello (for mousse)
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100 g granulated sugar (for glaze)
- 1 tsp agar‑agar
- 100 ml Limoncello (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Grease a 20 cm (8‑inch) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form; gradually add 30 g granulated sugar and continue whisking until glossy.
- In a separate bowl, combine ground almonds, icing sugar, flour, and the whole eggs; mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Fold the egg‑white meringue gently into the batter, preserving the airy texture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30‑35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- While the cake cools, prepare the Limoncello syrup: combine water, 65 g sugar, and Limoncello in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Brush the warm cake with the Limoncello syrup, then spread the buttercream (butter, sugar, water, vanilla seeds, whisked egg, and egg yolk) over the surface.
- For the mousse, melt white chocolate, then stir in heavy cream and Limoncello; let it cool slightly.
- Prepare the glaze by heating water, sugar, agar‑agar, lemon juice, and additional Limoncello until dissolved; cool to room temperature.
- Spread the white‑chocolate mousse over the buttercream, then drizzle the glaze and garnish with lemon zest.
Notes
Tip: For a lighter version, substitute half the butter with Greek yogurt. Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving. This recipe is gluten‑free if you replace the all‑purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten‑free blend.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: B
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: lemon, dessert, Italian, cake