Chocolate Tart with Whipped Cream
When I crave something chocolatey but don't feel like complicated desserts, I make this tart. It's a quick dessert, with basic ingredients and an intense flavor. I usually prepare the crust and the cream in parallel, so I can make good use of the time while one or the other is chilling. I've tried other tart variations, but I always come back to this combination – the buttery flaky crust and the dense chocolate cream, topped with a layer of whipped cream.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours (including cooling)
Preparation: 30-40 minutes (including dough chilling)
Baking crust: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Difficulty: easy to medium
Type: quick dessert, suitable for guests or occasions when you want something simple yet substantial
Ingredients
Crust:
125 g butter (80% fat), cold
125 g flour
50 g starch (plus a little extra for dusting the dough)
40 g brown sugar
1 egg
a pinch of salt
vanilla
1 tablespoon Amaretto (or cold water, or another liqueur, milk)
Chocolate Cream:
130 g milk powder
150 ml milk
100 ml water
100 g butter (80% fat)
100 g dark chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa
vanilla
Decoration:
200 ml liquid cream
grated chocolate (dark and milk, optional)
Preparation Steps
1. Preparing the dough for the crust
Sift the flour and starch into a large bowl. Add the cold butter, cut into thin slices – don’t worry if it softens a bit, the important thing is to incorporate it well. Add the sugar, egg, pinch of salt, vanilla, and Amaretto (or chosen liquid). Mix quickly, kneading just enough to obtain a homogeneous dough, without overworking it. The dough will stick a bit, so sprinkle a little starch over it and form a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes while you prepare the cream.
2. Chocolate cream
Place the 100 ml of water with the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and let it boil for a maximum of 5-6 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter and chocolate, stirring until completely melted. Incorporate the milk powder – you will notice that the mixture thickens immediately. Then pour the hot milk over and mix well. Put the pot back on low heat, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Add the vanilla and cocoa, homogenize and turn off the heat. Chill the cream.
3. Baking the crust
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out directly on parchment paper, using a rolling pin or, if you prefer, with a food wrap on top to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough (with the parchment paper) into the tart pan. Arrange the edges, trim the excess and poke the crust with a fork from place to place. Bake for 15 minutes, then let the crust cool completely in its form – it is fragile when hot.
4. Assembly
Once the crust and cream have completely cooled, carefully remove the crust from the mold onto a platter. Spread the chocolate cream on top, leveling it evenly. Refrigerate the tart until the cream sets (at least one hour).
5. Decoration with whipped cream and grated chocolate
Whip the cream until it becomes firm. Spread it over the tart and create small waves with a spoon. Sprinkle with grated chocolate (you can combine dark and milk). Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Why I make this recipe often
I prefer it because it is quick and has no complicated steps. The crust does not require perfect rolling, and the cream is made without eggs or gelatin. It’s suitable when I want a chocolate dessert without many dishes to wash. It keeps well in the fridge and remains flaky even the next day.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Use butter with at least 80% fat for a flaky crust.
If the dough seems too soft, sprinkle extra starch while shaping.
The cream will thicken as it cools, do not add more milk powder from the start.
Substitutions
Amaretto can be replaced with cold water, milk, or any liqueur you prefer.
Dark chocolate can be replaced with milk chocolate for a milder taste, but it will be a bit sweeter.
Cream can be either plant-based or dairy, but the texture and taste differ slightly.
Variations
You can add grated orange peel to the cream for a different flavor.
The crust can also be made with whole wheat flour, but it will be denser.
You can place fresh fruits between the cream and the whipped cream (for example, raspberries).
Serving Ideas
The tart cuts better if it has been refrigerated overnight.
It’s suitable for coffee, as a dessert after a family meal, or at a small birthday celebration.
You can also decorate it with almond flakes or chopped nuts for texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
The crust breaks easily, how do I remove it from the mold?
The crust is very fragile when hot. Let it cool completely before removing it from the mold and handle it carefully, ideally with the help of the parchment paper.
If I don’t have milk powder, can I make the cream without it?
The cream recipe only comes out correctly with milk powder; otherwise, it won’t thicken the same way and the consistency will be different.
Can I use another type of sugar for the crust?
Brown sugar adds flavor, but if you don’t have it, you can use white sugar. The crust will be just as flaky, only the taste will be slightly different.
Can the tart be frozen?
The tart does not freeze well due to the milk powder and cream. I recommend consuming it within 2-3 days of preparation.
Can I use plant-based cream?
Yes, plant-based cream works too, but the texture and taste are different from natural cream.
Nutritional Values
Estimation for one serving (out of 8):
Calories: approximately 340-370 kcal
Protein: 5-7 g
Fat: 22-24 g
Carbohydrates: 27-32 g
These values are approximate, they may vary depending on the type of chocolate, cream, and the liqueur used. It is quite a rich dessert, especially due to the butter, chocolate, and cream.
Storage and Reheating
The tart keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. The crust remains flaky even after a day, and the cream stays firm. Reheating is not recommended; it is served cold. Whipped cream should be added close to serving if you want it to be as fresh as possible. If kept longer, the whipped cream tends to soften from the moisture of the cream.
When I crave something chocolatey but don't feel like complicated desserts, I make this tart. It's a quick dessert, with basic ingredients and an intense flavor. I usually prepare the crust and the cream in parallel, so I can make good use of the time while one or the other is chilling. I've tried other tart variations, but I always come back to this combination – the buttery flaky crust and the dense chocolate cream, topped with a layer of whipped cream.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours (including cooling)
Preparation: 30-40 minutes (including dough chilling)
Baking crust: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Difficulty: easy to medium
Type: quick dessert, suitable for guests or occasions when you want something simple yet substantial
Ingredients
Crust:
125 g butter (80% fat), cold
125 g flour
50 g starch (plus a little extra for dusting the dough)
40 g brown sugar
1 egg
a pinch of salt
vanilla
1 tablespoon Amaretto (or cold water, or another liqueur, milk)
Chocolate Cream:
130 g milk powder
150 ml milk
100 ml water
100 g butter (80% fat)
100 g dark chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa
vanilla
Decoration:
200 ml liquid cream
grated chocolate (dark and milk, optional)
Preparation Steps
1. Preparing the dough for the crust
Sift the flour and starch into a large bowl. Add the cold butter, cut into thin slices – don’t worry if it softens a bit, the important thing is to incorporate it well. Add the sugar, egg, pinch of salt, vanilla, and Amaretto (or chosen liquid). Mix quickly, kneading just enough to obtain a homogeneous dough, without overworking it. The dough will stick a bit, so sprinkle a little starch over it and form a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes while you prepare the cream.
2. Chocolate cream
Place the 100 ml of water with the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and let it boil for a maximum of 5-6 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter and chocolate, stirring until completely melted. Incorporate the milk powder – you will notice that the mixture thickens immediately. Then pour the hot milk over and mix well. Put the pot back on low heat, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Add the vanilla and cocoa, homogenize and turn off the heat. Chill the cream.
3. Baking the crust
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out directly on parchment paper, using a rolling pin or, if you prefer, with a food wrap on top to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough (with the parchment paper) into the tart pan. Arrange the edges, trim the excess and poke the crust with a fork from place to place. Bake for 15 minutes, then let the crust cool completely in its form – it is fragile when hot.
4. Assembly
Once the crust and cream have completely cooled, carefully remove the crust from the mold onto a platter. Spread the chocolate cream on top, leveling it evenly. Refrigerate the tart until the cream sets (at least one hour).
5. Decoration with whipped cream and grated chocolate
Whip the cream until it becomes firm. Spread it over the tart and create small waves with a spoon. Sprinkle with grated chocolate (you can combine dark and milk). Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Why I make this recipe often
I prefer it because it is quick and has no complicated steps. The crust does not require perfect rolling, and the cream is made without eggs or gelatin. It’s suitable when I want a chocolate dessert without many dishes to wash. It keeps well in the fridge and remains flaky even the next day.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Use butter with at least 80% fat for a flaky crust.
If the dough seems too soft, sprinkle extra starch while shaping.
The cream will thicken as it cools, do not add more milk powder from the start.
Substitutions
Amaretto can be replaced with cold water, milk, or any liqueur you prefer.
Dark chocolate can be replaced with milk chocolate for a milder taste, but it will be a bit sweeter.
Cream can be either plant-based or dairy, but the texture and taste differ slightly.
Variations
You can add grated orange peel to the cream for a different flavor.
The crust can also be made with whole wheat flour, but it will be denser.
You can place fresh fruits between the cream and the whipped cream (for example, raspberries).
Serving Ideas
The tart cuts better if it has been refrigerated overnight.
It’s suitable for coffee, as a dessert after a family meal, or at a small birthday celebration.
You can also decorate it with almond flakes or chopped nuts for texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
The crust breaks easily, how do I remove it from the mold?
The crust is very fragile when hot. Let it cool completely before removing it from the mold and handle it carefully, ideally with the help of the parchment paper.
If I don’t have milk powder, can I make the cream without it?
The cream recipe only comes out correctly with milk powder; otherwise, it won’t thicken the same way and the consistency will be different.
Can I use another type of sugar for the crust?
Brown sugar adds flavor, but if you don’t have it, you can use white sugar. The crust will be just as flaky, only the taste will be slightly different.
Can the tart be frozen?
The tart does not freeze well due to the milk powder and cream. I recommend consuming it within 2-3 days of preparation.
Can I use plant-based cream?
Yes, plant-based cream works too, but the texture and taste are different from natural cream.
Nutritional Values
Estimation for one serving (out of 8):
Calories: approximately 340-370 kcal
Protein: 5-7 g
Fat: 22-24 g
Carbohydrates: 27-32 g
These values are approximate, they may vary depending on the type of chocolate, cream, and the liqueur used. It is quite a rich dessert, especially due to the butter, chocolate, and cream.
Storage and Reheating
The tart keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. The crust remains flaky even after a day, and the cream stays firm. Reheating is not recommended; it is served cold. Whipped cream should be added close to serving if you want it to be as fresh as possible. If kept longer, the whipped cream tends to soften from the moisture of the cream.