This chocolate coffee mascarpone tart features a sweet shortbread crust (pâte sucrée), a rich layer of silky chocolate mascarpone, and a piped topping of just-sweet-enough coffee mascarpone. Dusted with a layer of cocoa powder, it hits all the key flavors of a tiramisu minus the sweet Marsala wine usually found in the dessert.
This espresso mascarpone chocolate tart was the happy third outcome of my late summer mascarpone cheese impulse buy. Earlier this summer I ended up with a 5 pound (2.2 kilo) tub of mascarpone cheese that I brought home on a whim from the restaurant supply store. The self induced pressure of using up that much soon-to-expire dairy led me to create a handful of desserts with mascarpone, including lemon mascarpone ice cream with currant swirl, and also honey blackberry mascarpone ice cream. You can find them both in the ice cream section of the blog.
I think this is one of my favorite recipes to date. The combination of coffee and chocolate is such a classic pairing, and with good reason. They simply work so well together. The contrasting textures help make eating this tart a truly pleasurable sensory experience: there’s the buttery crumb of the crust, the dense creamy chocolate layer, the airy whipped coffee mascarpone, and the powdery layer of cocoa on top.
I bake so often that I usually end up sharing the majority with friends, family, neighbors and office colleagues. However, after I’d finished slicing and photographing this tart, I carefully wrapped it up and placed it in the very back of the fridge, behind the mayonnaise and pickles. There was no way I was giving it up. For an entire week, I’d sneak a slice when no one was looking. Not from any shame in eating it – because I had none – but simply so that I wouldn’t have to share. The girls discovered it once, but I shooed them away due to the coffee content (probably not enough to affect them, but it was a convenient excuse).
So fair warning to you – this impressive chocolate coffee mascarpone tart is wonderful for a festive dinner with friends and family – but you’ll be sad when it’s gone. I used up the last of the vat of mascarpone cheese making this recipe. I’m already thinking I might need to buy another.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead - I wouldn't label this an "easy" recipe due to the amount of steps involved, but it's certainly doable! If you'd like to break the recipe up over several days, you can:
- Make the pâte sucrée dough ahead of time, roll it out, place it in the tart pan (affiliate link), wrap well, and freeze it unbaked. This could be done several weeks in advance. No need to let it defrost before baking.
- Blind-bake the tart shell a day in advance, let cool, then (while still in the tart pan) wrap tightly in plastic wrap to maintain freshness. Be careful - after baking it can be quite fragile.
- Fill the baked tart shell with the chocolate mascarpone the day prior to serving, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
It's best to add the mascarpone coffee cream and cocoa powder the day you'll be making the dessert. This will maximize freshness and prevent the topping from being damaged by an accidental smoosh from plastic wrap or tin foil.
Espresso powder - I use instant espresso powder (affiliate link) to flavor the coffee mascarpone filling. It's far more concentrated than instant coffee. You can read more about instant espresso powder and its uses here. It's my go-to when baking with coffee.
Pâte Sucrée - For the tart shell, I used David Leite’s excellent Pâte Sucrée recipe, which is an adaptation of a recipe from Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery in Boston. If you want to try a chocolate tart crust instead, feel free to substitute the chocolate sable dough from this Sour Cherry Chocolate Tart recipe.
Equipment
For my tart recipes, I use this nonstick carbon steel tart pan (affiliate link) with a removable base.
To pipe the coffee mascarpone filling, I use a 16 inch pastry bag fitted with a large round metal piping tip. Here I used a Wilton 1A tip (affiliate links).
Chocolate Coffee Mascarpone Tart
Print Recipe Pin RecipeINGREDIENTS
PATE SUCREE
- ½ cup (113g, 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING
- 6 oz (1 cup, 170g) dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used a 72% chocolate bar)
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (2.6 oz) heavy cream
- ¾ cup (168g, 6 oz) mascarpone cheese
COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING
- 1 cup (224g, 8 oz) mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons espresso powder
- ¼ - ⅓ cup (25-33g) cocoa powder, to dust on top
INSTRUCTIONS
PATE SUCREE
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix well to combine, and continue beating on medium high until mixture is pale and fluffy, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix until just combined. Mixture will be coarse and grainy.
- Add the egg yolk and mix for about 30 seconds. The dough should start to pull together into a ball.
- Flatten the dough into a disc shape and wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 20-30 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 10 inch diameter circle, making sure that it does not stick. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough and work surface as needed.
- Carefully transfer dough to the 9 inch tart pan by rolling it over the rolling pin then lifting and unrolling it over the tin. Gently press the dough down into the pan while lifting up the sides, ensuring that no empty space remains between the dough and the pan. If any cracks or tears occur, patch with extra dough scraps. Trim the excess dough with a knife held parallel to your work surface to ensure the tart shell has a clean edge. Cover tart pan with plastic wrap and place in freezer to chill for 30+ minutes. (You can also stop at this stage if you need to break the steps up into multiple days).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C, Gas number 4). Remove tart pan from freezer and cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper that you've crumpled up and then flattened back out. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (I use and reuse the latter) to keep the dough from bubbling up. Bake for 20 minutes and then carefully lift the weight-filled parchment from the pan. Return to the oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Place on a baking rack to cool.
CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING
- Combine chocolate, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in microwave safe container in 30 second intervals until steaming. Pour cream over chocolate mixture and slowly whisk until all ingredients are blended and no lumps of chocolate remain. Add mascarpone and whisk until completely combined. Pour into cooled tart shell, smooth with an offset spatula if needed, and place in refrigerator to set.
COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING
- Place mascarpone, heavy cream, sugar and espresso powder into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. In a very small bowl, mix espresso powder with ½ teaspoon water, stirring until fully dissolved. Add an additional ½ teaspoon water if necessary. Add espresso mixture to the mascarpone bowl.
- Mix on medium speed just until firm peaks form and coffee mascarpone mixture holds its shape. Transfer mascarpone mixture to a 16 inch piping bag fitted with a large round tip (I used a Wilton 1A tip). Remove tart from fridge and use a toothpick to gently mark guidelines about every inch along the chocolate filling. Using the lines as reference, pipe rows of roughly quarter-sized circles of coffee mascarpone. Hold the bag straight up and down as you pipe. Continue until chocolate filling is completely covered with coffee mascarpone.
- Place cocoa powder into a fine sieve or sifter. Gently tap the sieve while moving it over the tart to dust the top with cocoa. Adjust cocoa amount to your liking. I put a generous amount on top, completely covering the coffee mascarpone filling, and thought it made a good contrast to the sweeter elements.
Made this recipe?
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If you like this mascarpone filled chocolate coffee tart recipe, you might also enjoy these desserts:
andrea
Hello, I just tried to make the topping and it looked fluffy and amazing until I added the espresso powder mix. It instantly curdled then broke. Any suggestions of what I might be doing wrong. The taste is fantastic!
Kathleen Culver
Hi Andrea,
I'm sorry that happened! It's so frustrating when recipes don't go as planned.
Mascarpone is prone to overmixing - was it already well whipped when you added the espresso powder mix?
I generally add the espresso powder liquid before I've started beating it at all.
Sometimes you can salvage it by gently hand whisking in a little cream.
If you're up for trying it again, please let me know if you keep encountering difficulties - I'm happy to troubleshoot or review the recipe with you.
Thanks so much,
Kathleen
Chelsie
Help! I forgot to put the vanilla in the chocolate layer and it's already set. Could I add it to the piped coffee layer (doing that tomorrow)? Or should I just leave it be?
Kathleen Culver
Hi Chelsie,
I hope I'm still in time to respond!
Don't worry about trying to incorporate the vanilla anywhere else - it will be just fine without it.
Hope you enjoy the tart! It's one of my favorites.
Kathleen
Nanette
how long in advance can the coffee mascopne filling be mad in advance. for example if i wanted to make it in the morning and eat it at night, is that fine?
Kathleen Culver
Hi Nanette,
Yes, making it that morning is absolutely fine. The reason for making it the same day is simply because once it's piped, it's hard to keep airtight in the fridge and can begin to dry out a bit if made too far in advance (such as a day or two). If you have a cake carrier or other airtight container that would fit the tart pan, you could probably make it the day before. I do like to dust the cocoa powder shortly before serving for the same reason.
Kathleen
Netty
can i make this days before and store it in the fridge?
Kathleen Culver
Hello,
There are helpful notes on making this in advance in the recipe post.
You can definitely make the tart shell and chocolate ganache layer in advance. I would recommend storing them well wrapped in the freezer.
I don't recommend making the coffee mascarpone cream in advance as it will begin to dry out if left exposed. It's hard to wrap without damaging the piping.
Kathleen
netty
thank you so much
Alessandra McIntosh
Third time making this tart and I'm so excited to eat it- my friends had to cancel their wedding reception due to covid, so they're going ahead with their micro ceremony then coming over here to hang out with mcdonalds, and I felt we needed something a bit special to celebrate with. The shell is cooling right now, but I've had no issues with this recipe in the past- everyone raves about it!
The Floured Table
What a wonderful story, Alessandra - I LOVE this!
Thanks so much for sharing.
I hope that you all have a wonderful time celebrating together, and how lovely of you to help make their day even more special.
Give my best to them!
Kathleen
Puneet
This tart was amazing! I made it a few times and I am obsessed! Everyone that tried it also raved! Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe!
I have a question about the shell.. mine always breaks when i’m rolling it out! I follow the recipe to a T, i refrigerate as well so it stays cold but I feel that it gets too soft. I end up having to mold pieces of the pastry into the shell.. it works, but I’m just wondering if i’m missing something.
The Floured Table
Hi Puneet,
Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the tart.
Pate sucree dough can be pretty fragile. I often roll mine out on a piece of parchment paper so that I can handle it minimally.
Even if it cracks, you should be able to puzzle it together in the tart pan. Many pate sucree recipes use a "press in" method where the dough is simply dumped into the tart pan and pressed into form. As long as you don't leave gaps, it should be fine when baked, plus the filling will hide any areas that aren't smooth.
I will retest the recipe again myself soon to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Thanks so much for your feedback.
Kathleen
Puneet
Thanks for the response Kathleen! I plan on making it this weekend and will try between parchment paper!
Ann.k
Hi...just in the middle of making this dough and I completely messed up already. I used an entire egg and not just the yolk. I've had to add more flour to make it somewhat hard because it's wayy too soft. Have I completely destroyed the dough? It's resting in the fridge now. Can I use a full egg for the dough or thats not how it should be and I should throw it out?
Thank you!
The Floured Table
Hi Anu,
That's OK! Pate sucree dough can be made with a whole egg or just the yolk. Since this recipe only uses the egg yolk, you're right that you might need to add a bit more flour to balance out the ratio. I'm not sure how much you added, so I can't really say how it will turn out. I'd give it a try and see how it bakes up. Since you won't add the remaining ingredients until after the tart shell is baked, you won't risk the whole recipe.
Kathleen
Ann.k
Well...it didn't turn out. The shell just completely cracked and broke...think it was too soft and then it shrunk second time around in oven cracking it up even more to the point that I couldn't even put anything in it. Soooo....I shall try this again..lol and I'll let u know how it turns out. Thanks!
Ann.k
Welll....it turned out great!! I am sooooo impressed at how it looks and tastes. I think it's the best thing I've made so far! Thank you thank you thank you!!! 😊
The Floured Table
Thanks so much, Anu! I'm glad you kept at it. Handling the dough minimally helps to keep the gluten from forming, which can lead to a shrunken crust. Making sure the tart shell is very well chilled before baking, and that your oven is fully preheated, are other good steps to help ensure success. I'm really happy you enjoyed it!
April
This tart was absolutely amazing! Don't be intimidated by the piping - I confess that I skipped that step and just slathered on the mascarpone whipped cream (less impressive presentation but tasted just as delicious!) We have an espresso maker so I used a cooled espresso shot instead of the powder, and it worked out great. I'll definitely be making this again - thanks for the fantastic recipe!
The Floured Table
Hi April,
Thanks so much for trying the tart, and taking the time to share your input! I think it's great to adjust it to meet your needs. We don't always feel like intricate piping!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Kathleen
Alia Rose
Kathleen! Made this for Valentine's day. Oh my goodness. It was amazing! Probably the best dessert I've made / have eaten.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
The Floured Table
Alia,
Thank you SO much for making my chocolate coffee mascarpone tart, and for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment.
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it - I really love it too.
I'm glad it had a special place at your Valentine's Day table.
Kathleen
Karin
What can I use instead of expresso powder?
The Floured Table
Hi Karin,
If you want to try this and don't have espresso powder on hand, you could try instant coffee granules. It won't be as concentrated but will still give you good coffee flavor.
Thanks!
Kathleen
Madeleine
Hi there! Is there any chance this recipe would work for an 11 inch pan?
The Floured Table
Hi Madeleine,
The ingredients listed are for a 9 inch pan. I'm afraid increasing the pan size to 11 inches without adjusting recipe would not work out - you're changing the area from 254 square inches (9" pan) to 380 square inches (11" pan). You'd need to convert the recipe by multiplying all the ingredients by 1.5 in order for it to be similar.
Kathleen
Tasha
Turned out excellent! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it! Made a second one to bring in to work for my coworkers to enjoy 🙂
The Floured Table
Tasha,
Thanks for sharing your comments, and for baking my recipe!
The chocolate coffee mascarpone tart is one of my favorites - I hid it in the back of the fridge to keep most of it to myself!
Best,
Kathleen
Emily Kelly
Hi Kathleen! I am going to make this tart for Thanksgiving. How far in advance do you think I could make it? Would it be okay to make it the day before? Thanks!
The Floured Table
Hi Emily!
You can make the dough for the tart shell now and just freeze it unbaked. It will hold for weeks well wrapped in the freezer. I'd bake it the day before and fill with the ganache filling (then keep refrigerated). My preference is to add the coffee mascarpone layer and cocoa powder the day of eating as it's really best kept uncovered after piping so that the top doesn't get squished. You risk having that layer dry out somewhat and absorb odors in the fridge if you make it in advance and keep it uncovered...The piping and cocoa dusting are the fastest steps, so maybe you could do them Thanksgiving morning? Thanks so much for using my recipe!
Kathleen
Leah
Nice flavor and components. However, I had to add more flour to the crust-( and should have added even more), and modified the ganache to adding hot cream to chocolate, leaving it for five minutes, then whisking it until smooth and then whisked into rest of ingredients. Was my first time using mascarpone- it was nice to expand my repertoire. Thanks for posting this recipe- it challenged and expanded my baking chops.
The Floured Table
Hi Leah,
Thanks so much for the feedback! I wonder why you needed more flour - I've made the crust many times with those proportions. Did you use an entire egg rather than just the yolk? It is definitely a softer dough that needs refrigeration prior to shaping. I'm so happy you gave it a try. Thank you!
Kathleen
pricillya
a true hit! will definitely be making this again!
The Floured Table
Thanks so much, Pricillya!
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it - it's one of my favorites.
Kathleen