Black Forest Chocolate Tart

 
A twist on the classic Black Forest Cake. This Black Forest Chocolate Tart is easier than the original recipe. It’s made with dark chocolate and it’s pure decadence. It’s a perfect dessert for make ahead.
 
 
This black forest tart is perfect for when you have a dinner party of is perfect for the holidays because you can make it in advance.
 

This black forest chocolate tart is the lazy version of the classic Black Forest Cake. I just used cherry jelly between two layers of semi-sweet and dark chocolate ganache. I also used dark cocoa powder for the crust to create an intense chocolate experience that wasn’t overly sweet! This tart is simple but still luscious and decadent in every bite!

Cherry jelly happens to be Mariana’s favorite jelly! I always added some to her oatmeal or hot cereal and I could tell how that was her favorite part. We always had a jar around here so my husband and I learned to love it too! That’s why I’ve been wanting to create a recipe celebrating cherry jelly and Mariana’s love for it. And since Mariana happens to love chocolate too, that’s why I thought on creating this lazy black forest tart. It’s simple and perfect for making ahead!

It occurred to me that, instead of pitting lots of cherries and making a homemade cherry filling, I could use some cherry jelly instead to bring in the cherry component of the traditional recipe. To balance the sweetness of the jelly I used only variations of dark chocolate through the other elements of this tart. That’s why, even with the cherry jelly, this is not super sweet at all! It’s just decadent and pure chocolate bliss!

I didn’t want to mix the chocolate truffle layer with the jelly because I knew the flavor would get lost, so I decided to create a second layer with the jelly. And to top that layer up and make the tart pretty and glossy, I made a dark chocolate ganache to pour over the jelly. Repeating here, total chocolate bliss!

Let me tell you the steps to make this fabulous chocolate tart.

How to make a black forest chocolate tart

  1. Start by making the crust. I used unsweetened dark cocoa powder for more richness and to balance out the sweetness of the jelly, but you can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder if you don't find the dark kind. Technically you can press the crackers and place the crust in the fridge to chill, but you know I always like to bake it for 5 minutes to make sure it won’t be too crumbly and will hold its shape better.

  2. After the crust is baked, simmer the coconut milk with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt and pour over the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let that rest for a couple of minutes before mixing, that way some of the chips will start melting and it will be so much easier to mix. Pour that luscious chocolate mixture over your crust. You will need to let it set a bit before spooning on the cherry jelly, about 30 to 45 minutes.

  3. After the cherry jelly is in place, simmer the cream and pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips. Repeat the previous process and mix until you have a glossy and homogenous mixture. Pour over the cherry jelly layer.

  4. Chill about 8 hours, ideally overnight. This black forest chocolate tart is the perfect make ahead dessert. The longer it chills, the better!

  5. You can dust cocoa powder on top and decorate with fresh pitted cherries. To make the half moon design, I used a dinner plate with a straight edge and covered about ¾ of the tart still in the tart pan (the plate was sitting on the pan edge, not the crust), leaving that half-moon area uncovered. I dusted with the cocoa powder and carefully took out the plate.

See why I call it lazy black forest chocolate tart?! So much decadence and chocolate goodness with so little effort. Can't wait for you to try it by yourself!

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Black Forest Chocolate Tart

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Crust

◯ Unsalted butter – 10 TBSP (1¼ sticks) 
◯ Traditional graham crackers – 15 whole rectangular cookies, broken in small pieces
◯ Raw sugar - 3 TBSP
◯ Dark cocoa powder (you can use regular) - 2 TBSP

Chocolate truffle layer filling

◯ Semi sweet chocolate chips - 2½ cups
◯ Organic coconut milk – 1¼ cup
◯ Raw sugar – 1 ½ TBSP
◯ Unsweetened cocoa powder – 2 TBSP
◯ Pinch of fine sea salt
◯ Cherry jelly - 4 TBSP

Ganache layer

◯ Heavy cream - 1 cup
◯ Bittersweet or dark chocolate chips (60% or more) - 1 cup

Unsweetened cocoa powder and pitted fresh cherries to decorate and serve

Details

Yield:
a 9” fluted tart pan

Total time:
15 minutes, plus 30 minutes of chilling between layers and about 8 hours of chilling time in the fridge

Active Time:
5 minutes for making the crust, 5 minutes for making the chocolate truffle layer and 5 minutes for making the dark chocolate ganache

Equipment:
9” flute tart with removable pan or any round deep dish (if using the dish you’ll have to serve it directly from it)

 

Steps

To make the crust:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt the 10 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan.

Place the cookie pieces with the 3 tablespoons of sugar (and the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder if using) in the bowl of a food processor already attached to the base.  Pulse until you have small crumbs. With the processor running pour in the melted butter, just until the crumbs are very fine and wet, about 20 to 25 seconds.  If there are still big crumbs of crackers, integrate the crumbs stuck to the wall of the bowl and pulse a couple of seconds more. Transfer the crumbs to the baking pan. Press onto the bottom and up to the sides, until the crumbs are evenly distributed and you have reached the top edges of the pan with them.  You may use a small flat bottom measuring cup or utensil to help yourself press down and distribute the crumbs. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Take it out of the oven to let it cool down.

To make the chocolate truffle filling:

Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. 

In a small saucepan heat the 1¼ cup of coconut milk and the 1 ½ tablespoon of sugar just until simmering. Add the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and the pinch of salt and mix just until everything is dissolved. Retire from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Wait about a minute and then mix until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into the crust. Chill for about 30 to 45 minutes to let the chocolate set a bit.

Using a spoon, drop the cherry jelly across different spots of the truffle layer until all areas are covered. Place in the fridge again while you make the ganache.

To make the dark chocolate ganache:

Place the cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in a bowl.

In a small saucepan bring the cup of cream to a gentle boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Let the cream sit for about a minute, then mix everything until chocolate is completely melted and looks homogeneous. Pour over cherry jelly layer. Transfer to fridge and chill about 6 to 8 hours, ideally overnight.

Dust with cocoa powder if desired and decorate with fresh pitted cherries.