Coffee and Cardamom Ganache Tart

A dark chocolate ganache tart infused with espresso and green cardamom. The ganache sets silky and dense in the almond shortcrust shell, rich without being heavy, bitter without being aggressive, with cardamom lifting the whole thing.

I start every morning with a great coffee, and coffee is one of my favourite ingredients to bake with. This tart is both.

Components

This tart has three components. The shell and ganache can both be made ahead.

1. Almond Shortcrust Shell
2. Coffee Cardamom Ganache
3. Mascarpone Chantilly

Almond Shortcrust Shell

A tender almond shortcrust that gets fully blind baked. No wet filling will be baked in the shell, so it must be completely cooked through at this stage. Stand mixer or by hand, both work.

Stand Mixer Method

1. Sift the plain flour, icing sugar, almond flour, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined.

2. Add the cold diced butter and mix on low speed for a few minutes until the mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Add the egg all at once and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

4. Turn the dough out onto cling wrap, form into a rough rectangle, and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. Roll the dough to 3mm. Line a 24.5cm tart ring, pressing gently into the edges. Trim any excess and dock the base with a fork.

6. Line the shell with baking paper and fill with rice or baking weights.

7. Blind bake at 180°C for 15-18 minutes until golden and fully set. Check at 12 minutes as ovens vary. Cool fully before filling.

By Hand Method

1. Sift the plain flour, icing sugar, almond flour, and salt into a large bowl.

2. Add the cold diced butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour quickly, lifting and crumbling the mixture as you go to keep it aerated. Work fast to prevent the butter warming up. Stop when the mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Add the egg all at once. Use a fork or your hands to bring the dough together until just combined. Do not overwork it.

4. Rest, roll, line, and blind bake as in steps 4-7 above.

Pastry Tips

• Keep the butter very cold and diced small. Warm butter will make the dough greasy and harder to handle.
• The hand method requires speed. If the kitchen is warm, run your hands under cold water and dry them before starting.
• Once the egg goes in, mix only until the dough just comes together. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the shell tough.

Coffee Cardamom Ganache

The ganache is built on a steeped infusion. Crack the cardamom, steep in hot cream, strain, then proceed. Patience and a spatula, no whisk.

Method

1. Brew 2 double espresso shots using a medium roast bean (70g total). Set aside. If using cold brew concentrate, measure 35g and dilute with 35g warm water.

2. Combine the thickened cream and cracked cardamom pods in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat to 82°C, just below a simmer with small bubbles at the edges. Remove from heat and steep for 8-10 minutes, covered. Taste after 8 minutes. It should be fragrant and warmly spiced without being medicinal.

3. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing the pods firmly to extract all liquid. Discard the pods.

4. Add the espresso to the cardamom cream and stir to combine. Reheat gently to 82°C if the mixture has cooled significantly.

5. Place the chocolate in a wide bowl. Pour the hot cream-espresso mixture over the chocolate in one pour. Leave undisturbed for 2 minutes.

6. Using a rubber spatula, stir in slow circles from the centre outward. Work patiently until the ganache is completely smooth, glossy, and homogeneous.

7. Add the room-temperature butter in small pieces, stirring to incorporate after each addition. The butter adds silkiness and a slight sheen.

8. Add the sea salt and stir in.

9. Taste. The ganache should be coffee-forward with the cardamom as a warm, aromatic background note. If the cardamom is too subtle, add a pinch of ground cardamom directly.

Filling and Setting

1. Pour the ganache into the fully cooled tart shell. Tap the tart ring lightly on the bench to release any air bubbles. Use a small offset spatula to level the surface.

2. If finishing with flaky salt, scatter lightly while the ganache is still liquid.

3. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, ideally 4, until set. The ganache should be firm enough to slice cleanly but still have a slight tremor when gently shaken.

4. Remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving. The ganache will have the right texture at room temperature.

Mascarpone Chantilly

Make this just before serving, or up to a few hours ahead and refrigerate. Both the mascarpone and cream must be cold.

Method

1. Place the mascarpone and caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

2. Whip on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved. Scrape down the bowl.

3. Reduce to medium-low speed. With the mixer running, add the cold thickened cream in a slow, steady stream.

4. Once all the cream is in, increase to medium-high and whip to medium peaks. The cream should hold its shape when the whisk is lifted but still have a soft curl at the tip.

5. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate. Re-whisk gently before serving if it has been in the fridge.

Finishing and To Serve

1. Remove the tart ring carefully.

2. Spoon or pipe the mascarpone chantilly over the set ganache.

3. Dust lightly with cocoa powder.

4. Scatter cocoa nibs over the top.

5. Slice with a warm, clean knife. Dip in hot water and wipe dry between cuts.

Variations

The ganache base works with any aromatic steeped into the cream. The method is the same throughout: crack or peel, steep in hot cream for 8-10 minutes, strain, then proceed.

• Orange and cardamom. Add the zest of 1 large orange to the cream along with the cardamom pods. The citrus lifts the spice and rounds out the bitterness of the espresso.
• Orange only. Swap the cardamom for the zest of 1 large orange. Cleaner and brighter, closer to a chocolate orange profile.
• Cinnamon. Replace the cardamom with 2 cinnamon sticks, lightly bruised. Warm and familiar, lets the coffee lead.
• Vanilla. Replace the cardamom with 1 split vanilla bean. The simplest version, chocolate and coffee forward with no competing spice.
• Chilli. Replace the cardamom with 1-2 dried chillies, split open. The heat builds slowly at the back of the throat. Use less espresso as the combination can become very intense.
• Star anise. Replace the cardamom with 3 star anise pods. Aromatic and slightly liquorice, pairs surprisingly well with dark espresso.

Notes

• Mascarpone temperature: Keep both the mascarpone and cream cold before whipping. Warm mascarpone won't whip properly. Medium peaks is the target, soft enough to spoon but firm enough not to collapse.
• Espresso concentration: Freshly brewed espresso has the oils and body that instant coffee lacks. Avoid over-extracted or stale shots.
• Setting check: After 3 hours, the surface should be matte (not glossy) and firm to the touch but not hard. A slight wobble in the centre is fine.
• Pastry make-ahead: The dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight, or frozen for up to 1 month. The blind-baked shell can be made 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature.
• Ganache make-ahead: The ganache can be made and poured 1 day ahead. Cover loosely (not touching the surface) once set and refrigerate.