Chocolate Orange Spiderweb Tart
Why this recipe works
- Crisp shell, smooth centre: A baked cocoa shell supports the smooth ganache. Cooling it fully before filling protects the crisp pastry during the long chill.
- Orange carried by the cream: Fine zest releases aromatic oils into warm cream, carrying citrus through the ganache without the extra liquid of orange juice.
- A decoration that sets with the filling: The white chocolate web sets into the ganache as it chills, leaving no separate fragile decoration to attach before serving.
Get the most out of this recipe
Ingredient notes
- Use the specified cream: Double cream supplies liquid and fat. Thinner dairy products change the set, so retain the specified cream and chocolate quantities.
- Grate only the coloured zest: Wash the orange and grate only the coloured skin. Fine zest disperses through cream without bitter pith or long strands.
- Keep the chocolate bowls dry: Dry both chocolate bowls before use. Stray water can make melted chocolate thick and grainy, making the white rings difficult to pipe.
Texture tips
- Press an even pastry shell: Press the crust evenly across the base and up the sides. Thick corners bake slowly and resist slicing, while very thin edges crumble easily.
- Stir the ganache gently: Let the hot cream stand on the chocolate before stirring slowly. Vigorous whisking adds air bubbles and leaves a less smooth surface for the web.
Timing notes
- Prepare the chocolate while the crust cools: Zest the orange and chop the chocolate while the crust cools. Start the ganache only when the shell is completely cold.
- Have the white chocolate ready: Melt the white chocolate before pouring the ganache into the shell. Pipe the rings and draw the skewer strokes promptly while both chocolates remain fluid.
- Give the centre time to set: Allow the full refrigerated setting time before removing the tart from its tin. A surface that looks firm can still hide a soft centre.
Serving ideas
- Cut through the web cleanly: Use a warm, dry knife and wipe it between slices. Lift each wedge with a cake slice so the thin cocoa edge stays supported.
- Keep the finished tart cold: Serve small batches cold: warming melts the ganache and blurs the web. Follow the stated storage and room-temperature limits.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Cocoa crust
Ganache and web
Instructions
- Mix the flour, cocoa, icing sugar and salt, then work in the soft butter until the crumbs hold together when squeezed. Press evenly into the base and sides of a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, about 4 mm thick.
- Chill for 20 minutes while heating the oven to 170°C (340°F). Prick the base lightly with a fork.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes until the surface looks dry and the edges are firm. Cool in the tin on a rack for 30 minutes; do not taste the raw crust mixture.
- While the crust cools, wash the orange and finely grate its zest, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Chop the dark chocolate into a dry bowl.
- Once the crust is completely cold, heat the cream with all the zest until small bubbles appear at the edges. Pour it over the dark chocolate and leave for 2 minutes, melting the white chocolate in a separate dry bowl over warm water while you wait. Stir the ganache until smooth, then pour it into the crust and level gently.
- Immediately pipe 4 concentric rings of white chocolate over the still-fluid ganache. Drag a clean skewer from the centre outwards in 8 evenly spaced lines, wiping it between strokes, to form a spiderweb.
- Refrigerate for at least 180 minutes until the filling is firm enough to slice. Remove from the tin and cut into 10 slices with a warm, dry knife.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Pipe and feather the white chocolate as soon as the ganache is poured; once the surface sets, a skewer will tear it. Use only the orange zest here and keep the fruit for another use.
- Use a metal tart tin 23 cm across and about 3 cm deep, with a removable base. Set the unmoulded tart on a flat serving plate and use a cake slice to support each wedge.
Substitutions
- Replace the orange with a lemon, using its finely grated zest in the same way.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Keep covered in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below for up to 3 days. Serve in small batches and discard after 2 hours at room temperature. Leftover slices are best served cold; warming melts the ganache and blurs the web, without extending the storage limit.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 10 pieces
- Yield: tart slices
- Total time: 4h 45min (40min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: French
-
Allergens:
Gluten Milk Wheat
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