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Two slices are cut out of a chocolate tart. It rests on a round wooden cutting board on a grey stone surface. There are plates, a knife and a napkin nearby.
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Chocolate Coffee Mascarpone Tart

This tart features a sweet shortbread pâte sucrée crust, 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's basically a tiramisu tart!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Chill time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 12 (makes a 9.5 inch tart)
Author Kathleen Culver

Equipment

Ingredients

PÂTE SUCRÉE

  • 1 recipe pâte sucrée 9.5 inch (24cm) blind baked (follow link for recipe)

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING

  • 226 grams mascarpone cheese chilled from refrigerator; stirred to loosen
  • 198 grams dark chocolate, 72% finely chopped
  • 106 mL heavy cream
  • 67 grams granulated sugar
  • 15 mL vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon + 1 pinch kosher salt Diamond Crystal

COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING

  • 240 mL heavy cream
  • 226 grams mascarpone cheese chilled from refrigerator
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon espresso powder
  • 5 mL vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch kosher salt Diamond Crystal
  • cocoa powder for dusting top (Dutch-process or natural)
Metric - US

Instructions

PÂTE SUCRÉE

  • Prepare pâte sucrée recipe for a 9.5 inch tart pan. Use longer baking time to fully blind bake the sweet tart dough.
    1 recipe pâte sucrée

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING

  • Add chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla and salt to a medium heatproof bowl. Mix well to combine.
    198 grams dark chocolate, 72%, 67 grams granulated sugar, 15 mL vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon + 1 pinch kosher salt
  • Heat heavy cream in microwave safe container in 30 second intervals until steaming. Do not boil.
    106 mL heavy cream
  • Pour cream over chocolate mixture and slowly whisk until all ingredients are blended and no lumps of chocolate remain.
  • Add chilled, loosened mascarpone and whisk until completely combined.
    226 grams mascarpone cheese
  • Pour chocolate filling into tart shell, smooth flat with an offset spatula, and place in refrigerator to set.
    *It's easiest to move the filled tart in and out of the refrigerator in the metal tart pan. This will provide support and protect the tart shell.

COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING

  • In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder and vanilla extract. Whisk until the powder is fully dissolved and you have a smooth slurry.
    1 Tablespoon espresso powder, 5 mL vanilla extract
  • In a medium bowl, combine heavy cream, sugar, espresso slurry and salt. Whisk until the slurry is incorporated and the mixture is uniform in color.
    240 mL heavy cream, 50 grams granulated sugar, 1 pinch kosher salt
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add mascarpone. Mix on low speed for about 10 seconds to loosen mascarpone.
    226 grams mascarpone cheese
  • Add the espresso cream mixture in three or four additions, mixing on low speed until just combined, scraping the bowl well between additions. Scrape bowl well. Whisk on medium speed just until peaks begin to hold their shape.
    * Caution - Whisk too much and the mascarpone can curdle and turn grainy.
  • Transfer mascarpone mixture to a 16 inch piping bag fitted with a large round tip (I use a Wilton 1A tip).
  • Remove tart from fridge and use a toothpick and ruler to gently mark guidelines about every inch along the chocolate filling.
  • Using lines as reference, pipe rows of quarter-sized circles of coffee mascarpone. Continue until chocolate filling is completely covered with coffee mascarpone.
    Hold the bag vertical as you pipe. The circles should be at least as tall as they are wide. Be generous, you won't run out of coffee mascarpone!
  • Shortly before serving, dust the top with cocoa: place cocoa powder into a fine sieve or sifter. Very lightly tap the sieve while moving it over the tart.
    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.
    cocoa powder
  • Remove tart from metal pan and place onto a serving platter. For the best experience, let the tart sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving. This allows the ganache to soften and the full, complex flavors of the mascarpone to emerge.

Notes

Recipe update (March 2026):  This recipe has been fully updated for a better texture and flavor. The chocolate ganache filling now uses slightly less chocolate for a softer, melt-in-your-mouth consistency and has been scaled up to use a full tub of mascarpone. The coffee mascarpone topping includes vanilla and salt for enhanced balance. New, improved photos and instructions are included.
Find detailed photos and instructions for the sweet tart dough in my pâte sucrée recipe.
For easy reference when planning your shopping list, pâte sucrée ingredients listed below:
  • 120 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
  • 113 grams (½ cup, 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt