Ideal for filling cakes, tarts, or simply enjoyed by the spoonful, the chocolate custard is a fundamental preparation that should never be missing from the recipe book of any dessert enthusiast. Velvety, enveloping, and intensely flavored, it’s perfect for enriching many pastry recipes: from more classic ones like tarts and sponge cake, the traditional trifle, to cream puffs, birthday cakes, and soft tarts. The preparation is almost identical to that of the classic custard, but at the end of cooking, chopped dark chocolate is added. I used a 70% dark chocolate for a bold flavor, but if you prefer a milder taste, you can easily choose chocolate with a lower cacao percentage. Chocolate custard is a versatile and delicious preparation, perfect to always have ready for a thousand occasions: from filled cakes to spoon desserts, to baked desserts. In the coming days, I’ll show you some creative ideas to use it at its best … and make it your secret weapon in the kitchen!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 194.14 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 22.54 (g) of which sugars 15.80 (g)
- Proteins 4.45 (g)
- Fat 10.07 (g) of which saturated 5.51 (g)of which unsaturated 4.06 (g)
- Fibers 1.31 (g)
- Sodium 6.62 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for about 750 g of dark chocolate custard
If you are celiac, check that dark chocolate and cornstarch have the label “gluten-free”.
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3.5 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan thick-bottomed steel
- Electric whisk
- 1 Hand whisk
How to prepare dark chocolate custard
To prepare the chocolate custard, start by chopping the chocolate with a knife (1). Put the milk on the stove in a thick-bottomed pan, which you will use later to cook the custard, and warm it slightly (2). Turn off the heat. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and add the yolks with the sugar in a bowl (3).
Beat them with an electric whisk for 4-5 minutes until a light and fluffy mixture is obtained (4). Sift the flour or cornstarch into it (5) and continue to beat for a couple of minutes until well mixed. Gradually add the warm milk, pouring it in while continuing to beat with the whisk (6).
In the end, you should get a liquid and homogeneous mixture (7). Pour everything into the pan and put it on the heat (8). Cook the custard for 8-10 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a hand whisk or a wooden spoon, until it thickens (9).
Then remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces (10). Stir vigorously, and you will see the chocolate melt instantly, blending into the custard (11). Pour the chocolate custard into a container and let it cool first at room temperature, then in the refrigerator. Remember to cover it with cling film in contact: it’s the perfect trick to avoid that annoying skin forming on the surface.
Serve the chocolate custard as a spoon dessert, or use it to fill your favorite desserts.
Storage
The chocolate custard keeps in the refrigerator, closed in a glass jar, for 2 days.
Usage Tips
This dose is enough to fill a cake, a tart, or a sponge cake 24 cm in diameter.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I replace whole milk with plant-based milk?
Yes, you can prepare a lactose-free custard by replacing cow’s milk with an equal amount of plant-based milk (rice, coconut, oat, almond…); remember that if you are celiac, plant-based milk must have the label “gluten-free”.
