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1
TO MAKE THE ALMOND CAKES, preheat the oven to 400F.
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Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
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Heavily butter the paper and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
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Whisk together the almond flour, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, the cake flour, and the baking powder in a bowl.
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In a separate bowl, combine the water, oil, and egg yolks.
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Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until starting to thicken but not yet forming soft peaks, gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar, and continue to beat until medium peaks form.
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Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and blend well.
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Fold in the egg whites.
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Spread on the prepared baking sheets as evenly as possible with an offset spatula and bake until they spring back to the touch, 8 to 12 minutes.
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Let cool.
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Loosen the edges of one of the cakes with a paring knife.
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Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on top and carefully but rapidly flip over.
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Peel the parchment paper away carefully and flip over again.
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Repeat with the second cake.
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TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE, preheat the oven to 350F.
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Lightly grease a baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
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Heavily butter the paper and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
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Whisk together the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and then sift.
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Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a metal bowl and set over a pot of simmering water (the water shouldnt touch the bowl); whisk until warm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Remove from the heat and continue beating (a stand mixer works best for this) until tripled in volume and a ribbon forms when you lift the beaters, 5 to 8 minutes.
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In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and vanilla and keep warm.
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Place the bowl with the egg mixture on a kitchen towel to prevent it from sliding and add the cocoa mixture in thirds, alternating with the butter mixture, folding with a whisk or spatula until just combined.
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Spread on the prepared baking sheet as evenly as possible with an offset spatula and bake until it springs back to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Let cool.
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Loosen the edges of the cake with a paring knife.
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Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on top and carefully but rapidly flip over.
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Peel the parchment paper away carefully and flip over again.
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If you are making the opereta ahead of time, put each layer of cake between two pieces of parchment paper.
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You can stack them on top of one another, but keep the layers on a tray so they are flat.
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Wrap well in plastic wrap.
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31
TO MAKE THE CRUNCHY LAYER, open the Nutella jar, remove the aluminum cover, and close it again but not too tightly.
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Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
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Place the jar in the water and heat until melted.
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Pour the Nutella into a measuring cup to reach 3 cups.
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Put the Nutella in a bowl, add the rice cereal, and stir until well combined.
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Lightly grease the back of a baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
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Pour the Nutella-covered cereal in the center, put another piece of parchment paper on top, and spread evenly to all edges with a rolling pin (enjoy any excess that may peek over the edges).
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Freeze until set, 30 to 40 minutes.
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TO MAKE THE GANACHE, scald the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the heavy cream over; let stand for 3 minutes.
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Whisk until smooth, then add the tequila.
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(If making ahead, let it come to room temperature or reheat it slightly in the microwave until it is a spreadable consistency.)
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TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM, combine the butter and confectioners sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
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Beat on medium-low speed until blended.
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Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat, scraping the sides as necessary, for 3 minutes.
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Add the canela and 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
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Add the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed, to make a spreadable consistency.
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(If making ahead, let it come to room temperature or reheat it slightly in the microwave until it is a spreadable consistency.)
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TO MAKE THE TEQUILA SYRUP, combine the tequila and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, being careful so that the tequila doesnt catch fire (if it does, simply cover it immediately with a lid).
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50
(If making ahead, reheat it on the stove or in a microwave before using.)
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To assemble the cake, turn a baking sheet upside down or use a cutting board as a cake stand.
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Pour one-third of the warm tequila syrup over one of the almond cakes and let it soak in.
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Spread with half of the warm ganache and allow to cool slightly (you can refrigerate it if you want to speed the process).
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Place another almond cake on top and moisten with another third of the syrup.
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Let it soak in, and then spread with half of the buttercream.
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Take the crunchy layer out of the freezer and carefully peel away the paper.
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Flip it onto the cake and carefully peel away the remaining paper.
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If you have a blowtorch, lightly warm the crunchy layer so the cake adheres to it (otherwise, you can rub your hands on top or be patient and wait).
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When the crunchy layer has softened, place the chocolate cake on top and moisten with the remaining one-third syrup.
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Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the cake, place 2 full baking sheets on top, and weight with a couple of cutting boards (you want to press the layers together slightly, but not use too much weight or the cake will collapse).
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Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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Remove from the refrigerator; remove the weights, pans, and parchment paper, place a baking sheet upside down on top; and carefully but rapidly flip over.
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Spread with the remaining half of the buttercream and freeze until set, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Warm the remaining half of the ganache in a water bath or the microwave and spread on top rapidly because it will harden.
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Using a ruler, measure as many 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch pieces as you can (you should have around 30 when you cut the edges so that all pieces are straight).
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Cut, dipping a sharp knife into very hot water and quickly drying with a towel between each slice (this will make nice clean edges).
