Orange Chocolate Tart

Ingredients

• 200 g All-purpose flour (Sift before use)
• 120 g Unsalted butter (Cut into small cubes, cold temperature)
• 1 Whole egg (At room temperature)
• 50 g Hazelnut powder (Unsweetened)
• 50 g Powdered sugar
• 15 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (Sift)
• 1 pinch Salt
• 500 ml Semi-skimmed milk
• 2 Whole eggs (for pastry cream)
• 3 Egg yolks (for pastry cream)
• 225 g Granulated sugar (pastry cream)
• 40 g Flour (for pastry cream)
• 20 g Cornstarch
• 120 g 70% dark chocolate (Break into pieces)
• 300 ml Fresh orange juice (Cold-pressed)
• 1 orange Untreated orange zest (Finely grate before juicing)
• 250 g Whole liquid cream 30% fat
• 2 Whole eggs (for orange cream)
• 4 Egg yolks (for orange cream)
• 250 g Butter (for orange cream)
• 25 g Cornstarch (for orange cream)
• 200 g Granulated sugar (orange cream)
• 100 g Mascarpone
• 250 g Whole liquid cream (for whipping) (Very cold)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chocolate shortcrust pastry

   Pour the flour into a bowl, add the cold butter cubes and work with fingertips until a coarse sand texture forms. Incorporate the hazelnut powder, salt, powdered sugar and sifted cocoa. Add the egg, mix with the spatula then form a homogeneous ball with the hands.

   Time: PT15M

2. Dough resting

   Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

   Time: PT2H

3. Rolling and blind baking the tart shell

   Lightly dust the work surface with flour, roll the dough to 2‑3 mm, place it in a 26 cm tart pan, form a border of about 1 cm, trim excess with the rolling pin. Prick the base, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with parchment and baking weights. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, remove the weights, continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden. Let cool on a rack.

   Time: PT45M

   Temperature: 180°C

4. Baking the shortcrust decorations

   Cut the dough scraps with a round cutter, arrange on a parchment‑lined sheet and bake at 180°C for 12‑15 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside for final decoration.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 180°C

5. Prepare the chocolate pastry cream

   Bring 250 ml of milk to a boil with half of the granulated sugar. Meanwhile, whisk 2 whole eggs, 3 yolks, the remaining sugar, flour and cornstarch. Pour the hot milk over the mixture while whisking, return everything to the saucepan, cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it first boils, then an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the broken dark chocolate until smooth. Transfer to a container, cover with film in contact and let cool to room temperature then refrigerate.

   Time: PT20M

6. Cool the pastry cream

   Let the pastry cream rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, then 1 hour in the refrigerator before use.

   Time: PT1H30M

7. Prepare the orange cream

   Heat the orange juice with the zest until boiling. Meanwhile, whisk 2 whole eggs, 4 yolks, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Pour the hot juice over the mixture while whisking, return to the saucepan, cook over medium heat stirring until the first boil then an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the butter in pieces, stir until fully incorporated. Transfer, cover with film in contact and let cool to about 20 °C.

   Time: PT20M

8. Cool the orange cream

   Let the orange cream rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, then 1 hour in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT1H30M

9. Whip the cream

   Pour 250 g of very cold whole liquid cream into the mixer bowl, whisk at medium speed then increase until firm whipped cream forms.

   Time: PT5M

10. Mix orange cream with mascarpone and whipped cream

    In a bowl, fold the mascarpone into the cooled orange cream, mix gently. Then fold in the whipped cream carefully to keep the volume.

    Time: PT5M

11. Assemble the tart

    Spread the chocolate pastry cream over the cooled tart shell. Using a piping bag, place domes of orange cream of varying sizes over the whole surface. Smooth lightly if desired.

    Time: PT10M

12. Final decoration

    Arrange the small chocolate shortcrust discs on the tart, lightly dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate the tart for 25 minutes before serving so the layers set.

    Time: PT25M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

460

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

30 g

Fiber

3 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour
• Instead of Unsalted butter: Unsalted margarine
• Instead of Whole egg: Flax egg (for the dough)
• Instead of Hazelnut powder: Almond powder
• Instead of Powdered sugar: Granulated sugar
• Instead of Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch cocoa
• Instead of Semi-skimmed milk: Whole milk
• Instead of Granulated sugar (pastry cream): Cane sugar
• Instead of Cornstarch: Potato starch
• Instead of 70% dark chocolate: Milk chocolate
• Instead of Fresh orange juice: Bottled pulp‑free orange juice
• Instead of Untreated orange zest: Lemon zest
• Instead of Whole liquid cream 30% fat: Heavy cream
• Instead of Mascarpone: Cream cheese

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• 26 cm tart pan
• Baking weights (dry beans or beads)
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Electric mixer with whisk
• Piping bag + tips
• Kitchen thermometer (optional)
• Kitchen scale
• Zest grater

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Resting the shortcrust dough (2 h)
• Blind baking the tart base
• Thickening the chocolate pastry cream
• Tempering the orange cream without curdling
• Incorporating mascarpone and whipped cream without deflating
• Precise piping of the orange cream

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use high‑quality dark chocolate (at least 70%) for an intense flavor
• Zest the orange before juicing to release essential oils
• For a perfectly clean edge, run your thumb along the pan before trimming excess dough
• Lightly dust with powdered sugar just before serving for an elegant visual effect

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the tart in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Not recommended, the texture of the orange cream degrades.

Room temperature: Can stay at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The shortcrust dough can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap
• Both creams (pastry and orange) can be made 24 hours ahead and kept chilled
• Final assembly should be done 30 minutes before service for better stability