Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream
I totally fan-girled last week when I realized my pastry chef crush David Lebovitz had pinned my Earl Grey Lavender Lemon Tart. To celebrate, I wanted to create a fresh take on the cream-topped tart. You know those amazing dreams you have when you can fly? This Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream is what your morning coffee dreams it can do. A chocolate crust, not-too-sweet dark chocolate filling topped with luscious swirls of deep espresso flavored whipped cream. It’s rich and it’s elegant. In my house, it’s also breakfast.
Surprisingly Straightforward:
This tart is actually pretty simple to make. The blind-baked crust is made from 3 ingredients: finely ground chocolate graham crackers, melted butter and sugar. The filling is a simple ganache with eggs, vanilla and salt stirred in before baking. And the lovely swirls on top are stabilized whipped cream with espresso powder beaten in. I’ve made my tart in a 10″ wide pan with 2″ high sides
because I like the way the whipped cream is nestled into the pan. But if you only have a classic tart pan, you can simply reduce the crust recipe to 9 graham crackers, 5 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Everything else will be the same, your whipped cream rosettes will just be sitting atop the tart instead of inside it.
Some Tips For the Perfect Dark Chocolate Tart With Espresso Whipped Cream:
Using stabilized whipped cream is key here. The gelatin ensures that it keeps its structure and doesn’t melt away, making your crust soggy. Make sure the gelatin doesn’t set before you add it to the cream or you’ll have gummy bits in the finished topping. It will keep for up to 3 days covered in the fridge and still be delicious (although it’s best the day it’s made. Duh.) I used a packet of Starbucks Via to flavor my whipped cream but any powdered espresso or even instant coffee will do. It’s also important to not over bake the filling. It should be quite wobbly in the center when you take it out. Don’t worry it will continue to set as it cools. For the silkiest texture, let the ganache cool to almost room temperature before adding the eggs so that you don’t get bits of cooked egg in your tart.
Decorating the Top:
To decorate the top of the dark chocolate tart, I like to use a 1M tip
. Starting at the edge, make wide rosettes, working form the inside out. Don’t worry too much about making them all the same size. The imperfections just add to its beauty. There will probably be little gaps between the rosettes where the dark filling shows through. With the same tip, pipe a few little stars over any gaps and add a few more until it looks “right” to you. If you’re not feeling brave enough to try this design (although I swear it is super easy and a perfect first decorating project!), you can also just scoop the whipped cream on and use the back of a spoon to make swirls and peaks. This is going to taste and look great either way.
More Coffee Sweets and Tart Treats From Bakers Brigade:
- Chewy Chocolate Espresso Cookies
- Cranberry Curd Tart with White Chocolate Mousse
- Raspberry Almond Cake with Candied Blood Oranges
- Earl Grey Lavender and Lemon Tart
Print Recipe
This is what your morning coffee dreams about. A chocolate crust, not-too-sweet dark chocolate filling topped with luscious swirls of deep espresso flavored whipped cream. NOTE: Do not substitute Oreos or baking crumbs for the graham crackers. Their higher fat content will cause butter to leak out of the pan and ruin your day. Some have had good luck with chocolate teddy grahams but I haven't tried it myself.
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Ingredients
For Chocolate Crust:
- 14 5 X 2 1/4 inch chocolate graham crackers about 7 ounces, finely ground
- 1 stick butter melted
- 6 tablespoons sugar
For Dark Chocolate Filling:
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 9 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate not more than 65% cacao, chopped or in chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
For Espresso Whipped Cream:
- 4 teaspoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1 packet Starbucks Via
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Ingredients For Chocolate Crust:
For Dark Chocolate Filling:
For Espresso Whipped Cream:
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Instructions
For Chocolate Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine graham crackers, butter and sugar then press evenly into the bottom and sides of a 10"w x 2"h tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes then cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
For Filling:
Boil cream, then pour over chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Let stand 5 minutes then stir until smooth. Let cool until no longer warm to the touch.
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and salt in a separate bowl then stir into the chocolate mixture until smooth.
Pour filling into the cooled crust. Bake until filling is set around the edges but still just a bit wobbly in the middle, about 20 minutes. Cool completely (about an hour) on a rack.
Make Espresso Whipped Cream:
In your smallest pan, combine gelatin, espresso powder and warm water. Let stand until thickened.
Heat over low heat until gelatin and espresso are just dissolved. Remove from heat. Do not allow it to set, move directly on to the next step.
In a cold bowl, with a cold whisk attachment, with the mixer on high, beat the cream and powdered sugar until slightly thickened.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in the gelatin mixture. Then whip at high speed until stiff peaks form and it is thick enough to pipe.
With a 1M tip, pipe the whipped cream in large rosettes onto the top of the cooled tart, filling in any gaps with small stars. The tart should keep, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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