Soft tart with cocoa cream and strawberries: a simple and quick dessert to prepare, perfect to serve at the end of a meal.
If you’re looking for the perfect dessert that combines the elegance of a pastry-shop cake with the simplicity of a homemade recipe, you’re in the right place.
The soft tart with cocoa cream and strawberries is a real revelation: forget the classic crunchy shortcrust that’s difficult to roll out. Here we talk about a soft base that melts in your mouth, prepared in a few minutes with a hand whisk.
The secret of its beauty lies in the clever tart pan, which naturally creates a perfect well to hold a decadent cocoa cream and a generous layer of whipped cream and mascarpone. It’s a cake that wins you over at first sight and, most importantly, at the first bite, thanks to the balance between the richness of chocolate and the freshness of strawberries.
Why will you love it? Because it’s extremely versatile. You can serve it as a dessert at a Sunday family lunch, take it to a party to make an impression, or simply enjoy it for an afternoon snack to treat yourself. This cake proves that you don’t need to be an expert chef to create a show-stopping and delicious dessert.
But let’s see right away how to prepare the soft tart with cocoa cream and strawberries.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 160 g sugar
- 60 g sunflower oil
- 60 g milk
- 160 g all-purpose flour (00 flour)
- 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 10 g baking powder
- 300 g milk (for the cream)
- 1 egg (for the cream)
- 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder (for the cream)
- 60 g sugar (for the cream)
- as needed milk
- as needed coffee
- 250 g heavy cream (whipping cream)
- 250 g mascarpone
Tools
- 1 Clever tart pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Spoon
How to prepare the soft tart with chocolate cream and strawberries
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Mix with a whisk.
Add the oil and milk. Mix with the whisk.
Add the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix with the whisk, taking care not to create lumps.
Pour the resulting batter into a previously buttered and floured clever tart pan for tarts, 10 1/4 in (26 cm).
Bake in a preheated, conventional oven at 356°F. Let it bake for about 25 minutes. Be sure to check the baking time according to your oven.
Meanwhile, prepare the cream. In a small saucepan combine the milk, egg, cocoa, flour and sugar. Mix everything well with a whisk, taking care not to create lumps. Move the pan to the stove and cook the custard until it thickens, stirring continuously.
Moisten the cake. I chose a classic mix of milk and coffee, but you can use what you prefer, such as plain milk or an alcohol-free vanilla syrup. The amount of soak is up to you: adjust depending on whether you prefer a moister, more melting cake or a drier but soft texture.
Add the cream and level it well with a spoon. Decorate the surface with pieces of fresh strawberries.
Whip the cream and mascarpone with the electric mixer in a bowl until firm peaks form.
Transfer this mixture into a piping bag. Have fun creating little rosettes over the entire surface. Finally, for a touch of color, garnish with fresh strawberries halved or sliced and placed on top of the whipped-cream layer.
Keep refrigerated until serving.
Storage
The tart keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, preferably under a glass dome or in a cake container to prevent the whipped cream from absorbing fridge odors.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I substitute the mascarpone?
If you don’t like mascarpone, you can use only whipped cream (350–400 ml), or use a spreadable fresh cheese like Philadelphia.
Can I substitute the strawberries?
Instead of strawberries, you can use mixed berries, raspberries, or dark chocolate shavings.
Can I make it lactose-free?
For a lactose-free version, replace the milk, cream and mascarpone with their plant-based or lactose-free alternatives.
