This chocolate coffee mascarpone tart combines a shortbread-like sweet tart crust (pâte sucrée) with a silky chocolate mascarpone ganache and a piped coffee mascarpone topping. Finished with a dusting of cocoa, it captures tiramisu-like flavors without eggs or alcohol.
What makes this tart so special
- All the flavor, none of the fuss: The tart delivers the familiar coffee-and-chocolate profile of tiramisu, without raw eggs or wine.
- Textural contrast: A buttery pâte sucrée crust supports a dense chocolate layer and a light, airy coffee mascarpone topping.
- Impressive and make-ahead friendly: It looks elegant but can be prepared in stages, making it ideal for entertaining.
Recipe update: The tart has been refined for better texture and reliability. Key improvements include:
- Softer chocolate layer: The chocolate mascarpone filling is slightly softer for a melt-in-your-mouth finish while retaining deep chocolate flavor.
- Optimized quantities: The chocolate base has been adjusted to fill the tart shell nicely and use a full tub of mascarpone.
- Improved topping: The espresso mascarpone cream now includes vanilla and a pinch of salt for balance.
- Smoother technique: A simple espresso slurry and step order ensure a silky topping.
- New photos: Updated images guide each step.
This is one of my favorite desserts: the crisp, buttery pâte sucrée; the dense, creamy chocolate layer; the airy coffee mascarpone; and a generous dusting of cocoa. It’s show-stopping but surprisingly easy to make in stages.
I bake often and usually share most treats, but after photographing this tart I kept it in the back of the fridge for myself. I found myself sneaking slices for days — a fair warning that you may not want to share.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the chocolate mascarpone ganache and the coffee mascarpone topping are straightforward. The combination of a few quality elements creates elegant textures and layered flavor.
*See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities.
Pâte sucrée: Use a store-bought tart shell for convenience, or follow a pâte sucrée recipe and blind-bake the crust.
Mascarpone: A rich Italian cream cheese with high butterfat. Stir chilled mascarpone briefly to loosen it before using.
Dark chocolate: Use chocolate in the 60–75% cocoa range for best texture and flavor. Higher or lower percentages will change the ganache consistency.
Espresso powder: Instant espresso powder gives a concentrated coffee flavor that complements the mascarpone topping; it’s preferable to regular instant coffee.
Kosher salt: A pinch enhances and balances the sweetness.
Instructions
Add chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla and salt to a medium heatproof bowl and mix to combine.
Heat the cream until steaming but not boiling, then pour over the chocolate mixture and whisk slowly until smooth and lump-free.
Once smooth, whisk in the loosened, chilled mascarpone until fully incorporated.
Pour the ganache into the cooled blind-baked tart shell, smooth with an offset spatula, and refrigerate to set.
For the coffee mascarpone, dissolve espresso powder in vanilla to make a smooth slurry.
Whisk heavy cream, sugar, the espresso slurry and a pinch of salt until evenly colored.
Loosen chilled mascarpone by whisking briefly in a mixer bowl, then add the cream mixture in three or four additions, mixing on low until just combined.
Increase speed to medium and whisk until soft peaks form. The mixture should be airy but stable enough to pipe.
Fit a large piping bag with a round tip and fill it with the coffee mascarpone.
Mark guidelines about every inch on the ganache surface, hold the bag vertical, and pipe circles of coffee mascarpone in rows until the surface is completely covered.
Shortly before serving, dust the tart generously with cocoa powder, remove from the tart pan, and transfer to a serving platter. Let the tart sit at room temperature 30–60 minutes before serving for the best texture and aroma.
Make-ahead instructions
This tart is well suited to being prepared in stages over several days:
- Weeks ahead: Make the pâte sucrée dough, roll it into the pan, wrap tightly, and freeze unbaked.
- Up to 2 days ahead: Blind-bake the tart shell and let it cool completely. Store at room temperature wrapped carefully.
- 1 day ahead: Fill the baked shell with the chocolate mascarpone filling, then refrigerate.
- Day of: Pipe the coffee mascarpone topping and keep refrigerated until serving.
- An hour before serving: Remove the tart from the fridge 30–60 minutes before serving and dust with cocoa just before presenting.
Pâte sucrée
See a pâte sucrée recipe for step-by-step photos and detailed instructions for making this sweet tart dough; blind-bake fully for best results.
Equipment
Tart pan: A 9.5-inch (24 cm) tart pan with removable base works well for this recipe.
Piping bag and tip: Use a large piping bag fitted with a round tip (about Wilton 1A) to pipe the coffee mascarpone topping.
Frequently asked questions
Instant espresso powder is recommended because it provides a deeper, more concentrated coffee flavor. Regular instant coffee will produce a noticeably milder result.
Chilled mascarpone holds its structure and whips more reliably. If it warms up, it can become loose or grainy and may separate when whipped.
Yes. A 5 x 14 inch (70 sq in) rectangular pan has a similar surface area to a 9.5-inch round pan and works well without adjusting the recipe.
Scale both crust and filling by about 1.5× and measure by weight for accuracy. Increase blind-baking time for the larger crust. Scale the chocolate mascarpone and coffee mascarpone amounts accordingly.
Use the full pâte sucrée recipe for the crust and scale the fillings to roughly 0.75× for the smaller pan. Weigh ingredients for the best results.
The recipe is designed for a sweet pâte sucrée for a shortbread-like base. If you prefer, a chocolate pâte sucrée will create a richer, more chocolate-forward tart.
More recipes
- Chocolate Coffee Mascarpone Sandwich Cookies
- Crostata alla Nutella (Italian Nutella Tart)
- Chocotorta (Argentinian Chocolate Icebox Cake)
- Chocolate Cherry Tart
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Coffee Mascarpone Tart
INGREDIENTS
PÂTE SUCRÉE
- 1 recipe pâte sucrée, 9.5 inch blind baked
CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING
- 226 grams mascarpone cheese, chilled, 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
COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING
- 240 mL heavy cream
- 226 grams mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon espresso powder
- 5 mL vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- cocoa powder, for dusting (Dutch-process or natural)
INSTRUCTIONS
PÂTE SUCRÉE
-
Prepare a pâte sucrée for a 9.5-inch tart pan and blind-bake until fully cooked. Cool completely.
CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING
-
Place chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla and salt in a heatproof bowl and mix to combine.
-
Heat the heavy cream until steaming (do not boil), pour over the chocolate mixture, and whisk slowly until smooth and lump-free.
-
Whisk in chilled, loosened mascarpone until fully combined.
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Pour the chocolate filling into the cooled tart shell, smooth the surface, and chill until set.
COFFEE MASCARPONE TOPPING
-
Combine espresso powder and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk into a smooth slurry.
-
Whisk heavy cream, sugar, espresso slurry and a pinch of salt until evenly colored.
-
Loosen mascarpone by mixing briefly on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk. Add the cream mixture in 3–4 additions, mixing on low until just combined, then increase to medium until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip.
-
Transfer the coffee mascarpone to a large piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe quarter-sized circles in rows to cover the chilled chocolate surface.
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Just before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder using a fine sieve. Remove the tart from the pan and let sit at room temperature 30–60 minutes for best texture and flavor.
EQUIPMENT
-
round tart pan (9.5 inch / 24 cm)
-
16 inch piping bag
-
large round piping tip (about Wilton 1A)
NOTES
Pâte sucrée ingredient reference for shopping:
- 120 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 113 grams (½ cup, 8 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt