Chocolate Cherry Tart
A decadent tart with a chocolate tart crust filled with layers of silky chocolate ganache and almond pastry cream. Topped with a layer of lightly sweetened roasted sour cherries, and garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, this tart has a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Servings 1 9.5" tart (24 cm)
Ingredients
- 1 9.5 inch (24 cm) chocolate tart shell blind baked (click link for recipe)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING
- ¼ cup (60mL) heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup (2 oz) dark chocolate finely chopped (I used a 72% cacao bar)
ALMOND PASTRY CREAM FILLING
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon (45g) cornstarch sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups (500mL) whole milk
- 2 Tbsp (28g, 1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoon almond extract
SOUR CHERRY FILLING
- 5¾ cups (800g) sour cherries pitted, frozen or fresh
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon (45g) tapioca flour
WHIPPED CREAM AND SHAVED CHOCOLATE GARNISH
- ¾ cup (175 mL) heavy whipping cream chilled
- 2 tsp (8g) granulated sugar or to taste
- 1 thick chocolate bar for making chocolate shavings
- handful cherries fresh, pitted and halved for garnish
Instructions
CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING
- Heat cream in microwave (approximately 30 seconds) or over medium heat on stove until steaming and small bubbles form near the edge of the liquid. Do not boil. Add finely chopped chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Gently stir to form a smooth chocolate mixture.¼ cup (60mL) heavy whipping cream, ⅓ cup (2 oz) dark chocolate
- Pour chocolate ganache into cooled tart shell and spread evenly around base of tart using a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Place into fridge to chill until pastry cream is added.
ALMOND PASTRY CREAM
- Prepare an ice bath. Set a medium sized heat-proof bowl (at least 4 cup capacity) into a larger bowl filled with ice and water. Make sure the medium bowl is tall enough that no ice water will enter. Place a fine mesh sieve over the medium bowl.
- In a medium (3 quart) saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly until completely combined and no pockets of sugar or cornstarch remain.½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon (45g) cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 large egg yolks
- Add milk and whisk well to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise or pudding, approximately 5 minutes. If needed, pause whisking briefly to check for bubbles.2 cups (500mL) whole milk
- Once slow bubbles begin to erupt in the middle of the mixture, like geysers burbling, set a timer for 90 seconds and continue to whisk. This extra cooking helps neutralize a starch-digesting enzyme in the egg yolks.
- After the timer goes off, immediately remove the pastry cream from the heat and stir in butter and almond extract. Continue to whisk as butter melts to fully incorporate it into the pastry cream.2 tablespoon (28g, 1 oz) unsalted butter , 1½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pour the pastry cream through the sieve into the bowl placed over the ice bath. Immediately place a layer of plastic wrap (or buttered parchment paper) over the top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Cool for about 20-30 minutes in the ice bath.
- Once pastry cream has cooled somewhat, remove the bowl from the ice bath, dry the bottom to avoid water drips, and pour the pastry cream into the ganache lined tart shell.
- Smooth the pastry cream into an even layer using a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the pastry cream with a new layer of plastic wrap and place tart into the fridge to chill.
SOUR CHERRY FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C, Gas Mark 4).
- Place cherries (fresh or frozen) into a 9 x 13 pan. If frozen, let sit out until at least partially softened. Add sugar and tapioca flour and stir to thoroughly cover all the cherries.5¾ cups (800g) sour cherries, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon (45g) tapioca flour
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cherry mixture thickens and is bubbling in the center of the pan, not just along the edges. If you have an instant read thermometer, the center temperature should read 213° F (100° C). Remove from oven and set aside on a rack to cool.
- When cherries are cool, spoon them individually onto the top of the chilled pastry cream, tucking them together snugly so that you can't see any pastry cream peeking out from underneath. I find it easiest to start at the outer edge and add cherries in a full circle, then repeat until I've worked my way into the center of the tart.
- Once cherries are added, place tart back into fridge to chill for several hours so everything can firm up.
WHIPPED CREAM AND SHAVED CHOCOLATE GARNISH
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add heavy cream and sugar. Beat on medium until sugar is mixed in, and scrape bowl once to blend in any remaining sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat or mixture will become lumpy and buttery.¾ cup (175 mL) heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoon (8g) granulated sugar
- Place a jumbo star tip (I use Ateco #868) into a 16" (40cm) piping bag. Scoop the whipped cream into the piping bag and twist the top closed. Holding the bag vertically, pipe 9 - 12 swirls around the outer portion of the tart. If desired, add a smaller circle of stars inside the swirls.
- To make chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler along the side of a thick chocolate bar. The thicker the bar, the wider the shavings will be. Use a spoon to sprinkle the shavings onto the whipped cream, as the heat of your hands will begin to melt them immediately.1 thick chocolate bar
- Optional - place half a pitted fresh cherry onto the top of each whipped cream swirl.handful cherries
- Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
If you use all sweet cherries, reduce the sugar in the cherry filling to ½ cup (100 g) to keep it balanced and jammy.
Store: Refrigerate the filled tart to keep the pastry cream fresh.
No freezing: This tart cannot be frozen once filled. Some pastry cream recipes made with flour or gelatin can be frozen, but not those made with cornstarch (such as this one.) It breaks down after freezing and would turn into a runny mess.
This post was originally published in August 2018 and updated in July 2021 with new photos and a much more detailed write-up. The additional information will help you successfully navigate through the various steps to make this decadent treat.