There is something almost dramatic about a dark cherry and chocolate tart. The deep burgundy cherries pooled over a mirror-smooth ganache, the near-black cocoa crust with its satisfying snap — it looks like it belongs in a Parisian patisserie window, and it tastes even better than it looks. The flavors are bold and unapologetic: bittersweet chocolate, a whisper of cream, and cherries that bring their own wild, slightly tart sweetness to balance every bite. Whether you use fresh Morello cherries in summer or jarred sour cherries in the depths of winter, this tart delivers that same sense of occasion every single time.
What sets this version apart is the cocoa shortcrust pastry, which is not just a vehicle for the filling but a genuine flavor component. Made with Dutch-process cocoa and a touch of powdered sugar, it bakes up crisp and deeply chocolatey without being sweet — more like a fine chocolate biscuit than a typical pie crust. The ganache filling uses a high-ratio of dark chocolate to cream for a texture that sets firmly enough to slice cleanly but melts instantly on the tongue. A small amount of butter stirred in at the end gives the ganache that glossy, almost lacquered finish you see in professional patisseries. The cherry topping is barely cooked, just long enough to concentrate the juices into a thin, jewel-bright syrup that clings to each fruit.
This tart sits at a medium difficulty level — the individual components are each straightforward, but they require patience and a little attention to temperature. It is perfect for confident home bakers who want a showstopping dessert without a three-day project. The crust and ganache can both be made ahead, making it an ideal dinner party dessert that comes together with minimal last-minute stress.
10
servings
Ingredients
- Ganache
- 180 gall-purpose flour (about 1.5 cups, spooned and leveled)
- 30 gDutch-process cocoa powder (about 4 tbsp), sifted
- 60 gpowdered sugar (about 0.5 cup), sifted
- 0.25 tspfine sea salt
- 115 gcold unsalted butter (about 8 tbsp or 1 stick), cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 largeegg yolk
- 30 mlice water (2 tbsp), plus more if needed
- 280 gdark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 300 mlheavy cream (about 1.25 cups)
- 30 gunsalted butter (2 tbsp), at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 1 tsppure vanilla extract
- —Pinch of fine sea salt
- 500 gdark cherries, pitted (fresh Morello or jarred sour cherries, drained and patted dry), about 3.5 cups
- Cherry Topping
- 50 ggranulated sugar (about 0.25 cup)
- 15 mlfresh lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- 1 tspcornstarch, mixed with 1 tsp cold water to make a slurry
Ingredient Substitutions
Instructions
🔧 Equipment
- Make the cocoa shortcrust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse, damp sand with a few pea-sized pieces remaining — do not overwork it. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with the ice water. Drizzle over the flour mixture and use a fork, then your hands, to bring the dough together into a shaggy ball. It should hold together when squeezed but not feel sticky. If it is crumbly, add ice water one teaspoon at a time. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the lower third. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to a circle about 12 inches (30cm) in diameter and roughly 3mm thick. Work quickly — the cocoa butter in this dough makes it softer than a plain shortcrust, so if it starts sticking, pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom by rolling it loosely over your rolling pin, then unrolling it over the pan. Press the dough gently into the fluted edges without stretching it (stretching causes shrinkage). Trim the overhang flush with the top of the pan using a rolling pin or sharp knife. Prick the base all over with a fork. Refrigerate the lined tart shell for 20 minutes — this step is non-negotiable for preventing shrinkage.
- Line the chilled tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, making sure they are pushed right to the edges. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until the base looks dry and set and the edges are firm. The crust should look matte, not shiny. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before adding the ganache.
- Make the chocolate ganache filling: Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream just to a simmer — you will see small bubbles forming around the edges and wisps of steam rising. Do not boil it. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes (this allows the chocolate to melt without being agitated, which can cause graininess). Starting from the center of the bowl, gently stir with a rubber spatula in small concentric circles, gradually widening outward, until the ganache is completely smooth and glossy. Add the room-temperature butter pieces, vanilla, and salt, and stir gently until fully incorporated and silky. The butter is what gives the ganache its professional-looking sheen.
- Pour the warm ganache into the fully cooled tart shell. Gently tilt the pan to level the surface. Tap the pan very lightly on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles. Allow the tart to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 1.5 to 2 hours, until the ganache is fully set and firm to the touch.
- Make the cherry topping just before serving: Combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until the cherries release their juices and the sugar dissolves. The cherries should be just softened but still holding their shape. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 more minute, stirring, until the juices thicken into a light syrup that coats the cherries. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature — do not pour hot cherries onto the set ganache, as the heat will melt the surface.
- Once the cherry topping is at room temperature, spoon it over the chilled tart, spreading it gently to the edges. The tart can be served immediately at this point, or returned to the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. To serve, remove the tart from its pan by placing it on a wide-mouthed jar or large can and pressing gently down on the outer ring. Slide onto a serving plate. Slice with a sharp knife warmed briefly in hot water and wiped dry between cuts for clean, professional slices.
- Make the no-bake chocolate crumb crust: Process 220g (about 2 cups) of chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos, filling included) in a food processor until they form fine, even crumbs. You can also do this in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in 55g (4 tbsp) of melted unsalted butter and a pinch of salt until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Pour into a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with a removable bottom and press firmly and evenly over the base and up the sides using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Pay particular attention to the corners where the base meets the sides. Refrigerate the crust for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Make the chocolate ganache filling using the same method as the oven version: heat the heavy cream to a simmer, pour over the finely chopped dark chocolate, let sit 2 minutes, then stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in the room-temperature butter pieces, vanilla, and salt.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes until it is warm but not hot (around 85 to 90°F or 30 to 32°C on an instant-read thermometer). This step is important: if the ganache is too hot when poured into the chilled crumb crust, it can cause the butter in the crust to melt and the crust to loosen. Pour the cooled ganache into the chilled crust and tilt gently to level the surface.
- Refrigerate the tart uncovered for a minimum of 2 hours, or until the ganache is fully firm and does not jiggle when the pan is nudged. For best results, refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. The ganache in this no-bake version sets slightly firmer than in the baked version due to the absence of a warm crust.
- Make the cherry topping and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before spooning it over the set ganache, as described in the oven method steps. Serve chilled, sliced with a warm dry knife. Note that the press-in crust is more delicate than the baked shortcrust — lift slices gently with a wide spatula.
Nutrition Per Serving
Per 1 serving (makes one 9-inch round tart, serving 10 slices)
Why This Recipe Works
The cocoa shortcrust uses powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar — this is not just a stylistic choice. Powdered sugar, which contains a small amount of cornstarch, produces a finer, more uniform crumb in the baked pastry and makes the dough easier to handle because it dissolves instantly without creating granular pockets. Combined with cold butter worked into the flour by hand (a technique borrowed from French pâte sablée), the fat coats the flour proteins before any water is added, which limits gluten development and results in a crust that is tender and crisp rather than tough and chewy. Keeping everything cold slows the butter from melting into the flour, preserving those small pockets that create a light, flaky texture when they steam in the oven. This is why resting the dough and the lined shell in the refrigerator is not optional — it is the key to a crust that does not shrink or toughen.
The ganache relies on the science of emulsification. Chocolate contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter suspended in a stable matrix, and cream is a fat-in-water emulsion. When hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and allowed to sit before stirring, the heat gently melts the cocoa butter and the chocolate solids without mechanical agitation that could cause the fat and water phases to split. Stirring from the center outward encourages the emulsion to form gradually and stably. Adding room-temperature butter at the end introduces more fat and lecithin (a natural emulsifier present in butter), which gives the ganache its satiny, light-reflecting surface. A ganache that looks grainy or greasy has almost always been stirred too aggressively while too hot, or had cold butter added before the chocolate was fully melted.
The cornstarch slurry in the cherry topping is a small but important detail. Raw cherry juice is thin and watery, and without thickening it would pool under the cherries and soak through the ganache surface, making the tart look messy and weakening the clean layers. Cornstarch granules swell and burst when heated in liquid, creating a clear, glossy gel at low concentrations — just enough here to give the juices a light, coating consistency without making the topping stiff or jammy. Letting the topping cool before adding it to the cold ganache prevents the ganache surface from melting and ensures the layers stay visually and texturally distinct.
Baker’s Tips
- Chop the chocolate as finely as possible for the ganache — pieces no larger than a small chocolate chip. Finer pieces melt more quickly and evenly in the hot cream, reducing the risk of a grainy or lumpy result.
- If your ganache does look grainy or split, do not panic. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm (not hot) heavy cream and stir very gently from the center. The extra liquid usually brings it back together.
- Roll the shortcrust dough between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap if it is sticking. This is especially helpful in warm kitchens, as the cocoa butter softens quickly.
- When pressing the fluted edges of the tart shell, use a small piece of excess dough dusted in flour as a pushing tool — it gives more control than fingers and makes neater flutes.
- Always use a tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. Trying to serve this tart from a fixed pan will damage the delicate crust.
- Use good-quality chocolate for the ganache — this is a recipe where the chocolate is the star, and a bar you would enjoy eating will produce a significantly better tart than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that affect the ganache texture.
- If using jarred sour cherries, taste the topping before adding all the sugar. Jarred cherries are often sweeter than fresh Morellos, and you may want to reduce the sugar to 25g or skip it entirely.
Variations
- Amaretto cherry version: Add 2 tablespoons of amaretto liqueur to the cherry topping along with the lemon juice. The almond note is a classic pairing with both cherries and dark chocolate.
- Raspberry and chocolate tart: Replace the cherries entirely with 400g of fresh raspberries. Skip the cooking step and simply arrange the raw berries over the set ganache just before serving for a brighter, fresher result.
- Salted caramel base layer: Pour a thin layer of salted caramel (about 80ml) into the cooled tart shell and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set before adding the ganache. This creates a luxurious three-layer tart.
- Spiced crust: Add 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon and 0.25 tsp ground cardamom to the cocoa shortcrust dough for a warmly spiced pastry that pairs beautifully with the dark cherries.
- Mini tarts: Divide the dough and ganache among twelve 3-inch individual tart pans. Reduce blind baking time to 10 minutes and fully bake for 6 minutes. Top each with 4 to 5 cherries.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
My tart shell shrank and slid down the sides during baking. What went wrong?
My ganache is grainy and looks like it has separated. Can I fix it?
The ganache is not setting firm enough to slice cleanly. What happened?
My shortcrust dough is cracking when I try to roll it. How do I fix it?
The cherry topping is watery and not thickening. What should I do?
Storage & Make-Ahead
- Storage: Store the finished tart loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The ganache absorbs refrigerator odors easily, so cover once fully set. The baked tart shell (without ganache) can be stored at room temperature in the pan for up to 2 days. The no-bake crust can be refrigerated in the pan for up to 3 days before filling. Do not freeze the finished tart as the ganache can separate on thawing, but the baked pastry shell alone freezes well for up to 1 month.
- Make-Ahead: The cocoa shortcrust dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 1 month (thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling). The blind-baked tart shell can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature, loosely covered. The ganache can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator — reheat gently in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring until just fluid again before pouring. Make the cherry topping no more than 1 day ahead and refrigerate covered. Assemble the completed tart up to 8 hours before serving.
