Chocolate Love Tart with Cranberries and Truffles

I think today is the day for a real chocolate treat. Few layers of a humble chocolate cake, filled with chocolate Mascarpone filling, not to exclude my homemade cranberry marmalade. All this beauty is topped up with more melted chocolate, sexy sugared cranberries and chocolate truffles. Are you in a chocolate shock? Don’t be and bake with me – Chocolate Love Tart with Cranberries and Truffles inspired by my favourite Slovak food magazine.

Timing is everything. Moreover, if you want it to look and taste good, plan 3 days ahead. The 1st day is to prepare truffles and base for the filling and cranberries. The 2nd day to bake a tart and to finish the filling and topping. Then, you decorate the tart with sugared cranberries, truffles and any sprinkles you want to use. Chill in the fridge and the 3rd day you serve.
Not too much work, but good tart needs to rest, so all the flavour can connect and create a balance of taste. You can decorate the cake as much as you want or to keep it simple. The combination of cranberries and chocolate is to die for, ideal for any celebration like birthdays, Valentine’s or Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

My Chocolate Love Tart is suitable for kids from the age of 3 plus. This makes a great moist dessert for little ones. Use good quality chocolate and do not offer them rum truffles. Trust me that this one is the winner.

Total Time: 3 hours + an overnight sit of the cake and The Chocolate Mascarpone Filling

Day 1

Chocolate Truffles

In a medium mixing bowl put all ingredients together: mashed cookies with walnuts, icing sugar with vanilla sugar, cocoa powder, softened butter and splash of rum.

Knead the mixture with hands until you get a smooth, a bit sticky and homogenous piece of dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Afterwards, easily tear a small piece of dough in which you place a raisin. Hide it underneath and form into small bowl.

Next, sieve few tablespoons of cocoa powder onto a flat plate. Roll the ball in cocoa powder and gently transfer into a truffle box or a small paper basket. Continue until there is no dough left. Store in a dark cold place until further use.

Sugared Cranberries

In a small deep pan place 50g of sugar. Cover with 50ml of cold water and mix on high heat until sugar is dissolved completely.

After 3 minutes, take off the heat and set aside for about 10 more minutes.

Cranberries in. Stir and let it cool down entirely. Refrigerate until next day.

The Chocolate Mascarpone Filling

In a medium deep pan place chocolate, cream, sugar and vanilla extract on medium heat.

Stir occasionally until all is dissolved within. Bring it to boiling point and take off the heat.

Let it cool down completely and then, refrigerate until next day.

Day 2

The Chocolate Tart

Let me tell you, this tart is really not too tricky. Just prepare well and make it quickly.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

In a steam bath, melt chocolate, butter and sugar. Stir. Once it is melted, take off the heat and let it cool down for a bit.

Next, in a small bowl put all the eggs. In another small mixing bowl mix flour with baking powder, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Transfer the chocolate mix into a large mixing bowl and start whisking on low speed. Always add 1 egg and whisk until incorporated well. Then, increase the speed to medium and which for about 1 minutes. Continue until all the eggs are in.

Throw the flour mix inside and give a last good stir.

Mold the dough evenly into 2 lightly grease springforms (4 optional if you have) lined with round baking paper. Beat the air out of the dough against the table and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until wooden skewer comes clean from the middle.

Let it cool down on a rack and ease the cakes gently from the springforms.

Sugared Cranberries

Take out the soaked cranberries out of the fridge and mold them into a colander. Shake and let it rest for 2 more minutes.

Next, place 25g of caster sugar into a small wide serving bowl and throw the cranberries over the top.

Gently mix with spatula and let it rest in a cold place until decorating.

Homemade Cranberry Jelly*

In case you decide to fill the tart with my scrumptious homemade jelly, continue here. In case you are using a store bought jelly, click here to scroll down.

Put all the ingredients together: cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, water and rum in a medium deep non sticking pan on medium heat.

Cook until it is really fine and smooth, for about 30 minutes. You can pre-mash it a bit with a potato masher to make your work easier. Taste.

Then, take off the heat and transfer into a fine strainer. Place a bowl underneath and press with a spatula until there are just pieces of cranberries left.

Next, mold the jelly back into the pan and reduce with a bit of water on medium heat. I used around ½ glass.
This way you get a beautiful liquid texture that will absorb the tart. After 2 minutes, take off the heat and let it cool down for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile the jelly is resting, take a sharp knife and gently halve both of the cakes. Flip them and use the best layer as a top.

Next, divide the reduced jelly between the sponge cakes. Gently apply the jelly with a metal tablespoon and smoothen. It makes around few tablespoons for each of the sponge. Let it nicely soak in until you prepare The Filling.

The Chocolate Mascarpone Filling

Take the chocolate cream out of the fridge and whisk it with a mixer into firm peaks. Do not over beat it, just nice and slow. In case you over beat it, pour a little bit more of a fresh cream or little bit of melted chocolate and the mixture will nicely come together again.
In another medium bowl, ease The Mascarpone Cheese with spatula. Slowly start adding the whipped cream, in 2-3 parts. Incorporate and continue. If you mix it with spatula, there is no way the mixture will split. The Cream is really easy to work with, so just mix it well. Taste.

Now it is time to make your tart stand. Apply a bit of Filling on your serving plate and gently place the 1st layer on top. 3-4 tablespoons of The Filling on top and smoother with a pallete knife. Continue until you build 4 layers.

Then, apply 4-5 tablespoons of The Filling on top and smoothen with a palette knife. Take cake smoothers and work the top to a perfection with a large smoother.

Next, smoothen the sides with a small smoother. If you smoothen it too much, apply some more cream and do it again. Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours.

Afterwards, apply some more Filling and smoothen once again. If you want to use some Filling for the final decoration, save it for later.

The Topping

In a steam bath melt the chocolate. Gradually add cream and mix until you get a beautiful smooth texture. Take off the heat and transfer into a cold bath for about 2-3 minutes.

The Final Decoration

Mold The Topping over the cake and smoothen with a palette knife. The texture should be not too liquid, nor thick. Do not overthink it, just apply as you go.

Put rest of The Filling into a decorating bag with a star nozzle and decorate on top or the bottom of the cake. Gently place some of the truffles (or all of them) onto top, middle part of the edges.

Continue with Sugared Cranberries. I created a heart from them as my treat is for Valentine’s Day. No limits to imagination. Sprinkle with the sugar diamonds or any figures you are in a mood for. Refrigerate until next day and slice into heaven.

Makes 12 serves.