A light and moist sponge cake, it is delicious alone and with the buttercream. My children weren't thrilled in the beginning with this recipe, but they quickly came around when they tasted the cake. I had a great deal of fun making this recipe, making New Orlean style pecan pralines, roasting pecans for pecan meal, making syrup and joconde. This recipe is based on the Opera Cake recipes in Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle & Timothy Moriarty's Chocolate Passion.

Many people credit Louis Clichy with inventing the cake that is sometimes referred to as the Clichy Cake. The Opera Cake is an elegant and beautiful French dessert that was believed to have been created around the early 1900s. The lovely Barbara, is the force behind the food blog event called, A Taste of Yellow, it supports the LiveSTRONG Foundation started by Lance Armstrong. Barbara, thank you for showing us all how to live life with courage and great joy. To our wonderful hostesses, thank you for an incredible frolic in the kitchen.

Our baking this month is dedicated to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, who is no longer an active member of the Daring Bakers, but will always be an honorary Daring Bakers for her bravery and character in the face of a challenge.

This month's challenge was brought to us by Lis of La Mia Cucina, Fran of Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie, Shea of Whistful and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice.

Gluten free opera cake