I had to practice techniques and concentrate on the application, the bakes for the auditions and my quest to bake in the tent. Once I was cast on the Great American Baking Show, personal recipe development went on hold. This post is supposed to be a post about Opera Cake and I have digressed into a discussion on scotch! Sorry for the digression but Scotch, and especially Scotland, are passions of mine! About the Opera Cake Tempered white chocolate on a shiny chocolate glaze top this elegant opera cake.Īs I said earlier, the development of this opera cake began over a year ago. It is infused with the perfect blend of herbs and spices and beautiful heather honey. It is perfect when I want a little something sweet (which is ALWAYS!) and it is readily available in the US. One bottle of scotch that I ALWAYS have on hand is Drambuie. I will bring a bottle back to the US with me every time that I am lucky enough to visit Scotland! You can see their products and process at So maybe it is just nostalgia but I love the ginger and clove notes of this single malt. This distillery was only a few minutes from where my husband and I met and worked when we lived in Scotland. Take a trip to Scotland and visit this small distillery in the very small town of the same name. I can’t wait to go back and visit them again! Check out their story and products at Glenfarclas Distillery in Ballindalloch, Banffshire, ScotlandĪnother firm favorite of mine is Fettercairn. We were lucky enough to tour their distillery in September of this year. I also love that this is one of the last distilleries in Scotland that is still privately owned by the family that began the distillery six generations ago. It has a caramel and smoke flavor that feels like what I expect from a good and classic Scotch. We are currently nursing a 21-year-old bottle and I just love this scotch. If I want a dram that goes with anything, I will grab the Glenfarclas. My favorite is Laphroaig Lore which is rich and peaty with a dry and slightly sweet finish. When I am in the mood for a peaty, smokey dram I will go for Laphroaig. Honestly, it depends on my mood, the food that I may be eating it with, the weather, and just my personal preference on the day. When someone asks me what my favorite Scotch is, I just can’t give them one answer! There are so many types of Scotch on the market and the flavors are just as diverse as the brands. Note the spelling – whisky is Scottish and whiskey is Irish.) We don’t drink often but, when we do, we both prefer a good dram of Scotch (also called Whisky. My husband and I are Scotch connoisseurs. ( )Ĭheck out the recipes on their site at My chosen drink The MacKinnon Family has made the liqueur for over 100 years until the brand and the secret recipe was sold to William Grant & Sons, the makers of Glenfiddich, in 2014. Drambuie is a single malt Scotch that is infused with heather honey, herbs, and spices. If you have never heard of Drambuie, you should run, not walk, to your liquor store and pick some up. Some recipes will also add Sherry to ensure the ‘tipsy’ result. I wanted to take the elements and flavors that are typically found in the classic Scottish Tipsy Laird Trifle and infuse them into an elegant, seven-layer opera cake.Ī Tipsy Laird Trifle is composed of ratafia biscuits, tart raspberries, custard and, of course, Drambuie. I started to develop this recipe over a year ago. Hopefully, my love of Scotland comes through as well. My love of tart raspberries, my love of chocolate and my love of Drambuie are all showcased in this elegant cake. Tipsy Laird Opera Cake with Drambuie, Raspberries and two types of chocolate.