Cream Tart: the simple, impressive dessert recipe you can customize in shape

This easy recipe is based on the trendy Cream Tart that seems to be popping up on the internet. It became so popular because when finished, the cake is absolutely Instagram-worthy! The original cream tart is a fruit tart made with a pâte sablée—which is just a fancy word for a French pastry made with almond flour. But for this recipe, we wanted something easier that will still be a showstopper dessert, like those ones you can find in fancy bakeries. So instead of a sweet and crumble crust, we used a chocolate cake base (who doesn’t like chocolate?) and used the same design with dollops of whipped pastry cream, macarons, and berries.

This Cream Tart Cake is perfect for any special occasion—birthdays, anniversaries, and even baby and bridal showers! And don’t think you only need to stick with numbers, you can experiment with words too! Customize it as you want in any flavor or shape.

How To Decorate A Cream Tart

Tart Base Options. Feel free to experiment with various base options. Tart pastry, sugar cookie dough, brownie base, blondie base, or any other cake recipe (like red velvet cake) will work. Sugar cookie bases will work perfectly if you’re making small individual cakes.

Filling Options. The filling can be anything that fits with the base layer. If you’re making a red velvet base, then try a cream cheese frosting. Otherwise try a simple pastry whipped cream, white chocolate ganache, or custard.

When it comes to the topping, let your imagination go wild! Use anything that is colorful and will stand out. Think in the direction of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, edible sugared rose petals, mini meringues, macarons, colored popcorn, metallic sprinkles, etc.

Cream Tart Shape Ideas

Besides using number shapes, play around with other shapes that fit the occasions. Use word shapes like “fun” or “love”, or use hearts. Basically, any shape you want! If you can cut it out on parchment paper, you can make a cream tart shape out of it!

Tips For The Best Chocolate Cream Tart

This Chocolate Cream Tart is best served immediately after assembling, but you can make the separate components ahead of time. Make the cake base, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store the pastry cream (covered) in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can wash and store the fresh berries in the fridge.

Serve it on a large platter, or make individual servings.

How To Store Cream Tart Cake

Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

How To Make Cream Tart 

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the cocoa powder. Whisk to combine.

Add butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles bread crumbs.

Add egg yolks and powdered sugar.

Mix and gather the crumbs into a ball. Cover with foil and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out half of the pastry. Make a parchment paper stencil using the shape of 3 and a 0, then place it on the pastry.

Using the parchment paper stencil cut out numbers 3 and 0. Carefully transfer them onto a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake at 170°C/340°F for 15 minutes. Leave to cool down and meanwhile repeat the same steps with leftover pastry.

Fold pastry cream into whipped cream and, using a pastry bag, pipe out the cream on top of two cake layers.

Cover with leftover cake layers and add leftover cream.

Decorate with macarons and berries.

Notes

It works best to refrigerate the individual components before you assemble the cake.