Chocolate Pumpkin Tart with Whipped Cream

An American Thanksgiving dessert with a cocoa-based press-in tart shell, a smooth pumpkin-egg custard, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. The chocolate base adds bitterness and structure against the spiced filling, and the tart slices cleanly after chilling.

By Julienne

Cook time: 50 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 180 g all-purpose flour for tart shell
• 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder for tart shell
• 50 g granulated sugar divided for shell and filling
• 2 g fine salt divided for shell and filling
• 113 g unsalted butter cold, cubed, for tart shell
• 1 piece egg yolk for tart shell
• 30 ml cold water for tart shell
• 425 g pumpkin puree for filling
• 25 g granulated sugar divided for shell and filling
• 2 g fine salt divided for shell and filling
• 2 piece eggs for filling
• 180 ml heavy cream divided for filling and whipped cream
• 2 g ground cinnamon for filling
• 1 g ground ginger for filling
• 0.5 g ground nutmeg for filling
• 5 ml vanilla extract divided for filling and whipped cream
• 0.25 g ground cloves for filling
• 120 g dark chocolate chopped, for shell garnish layer
• 60 ml heavy cream divided for filling and whipped cream
• 15 g powdered sugar for whipped cream
• 5 ml vanilla extract divided for filling and whipped cream

Instructions

1. Make the shell: whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, 50 g of the granulated sugar, and 2 g of the salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like damp crumbs, then mix in the egg yolk and cold water just until the dough comes together. The dough should hold together when pressed without feeling wet or sticky.
2. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan, building a neat edge. Prick the base all over, chill for 15 minutes, then line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. The shell should feel firm after chilling and fully supported by weights before baking.
3. Bake the weighted shell at 190°C for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake 8 minutes more until the shell looks dry and set. Cool on a rack. The shell should look matte and no longer raw in the center.
4. While the shell bakes, make the filling: whisk together the pumpkin puree, remaining 25 g granulated sugar, remaining 2 g salt, eggs, 180 ml of the heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and the cloves if using. The filling should be smooth and evenly spiced with no streaks of egg visible.
5. Scatter the chopped dark chocolate over the cooled shell in an even layer. Pour in the pumpkin filling and smooth the top. The shell should be filled almost to the rim and the chocolate should be distributed beneath the custard.
6. Bake the tart at 175°C for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble. Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. The tart should quiver only slightly in the center and slice cleanly after chilling.
7. Just before serving, whip the remaining 60 ml heavy cream with the powdered sugar and remaining 5 ml vanilla extract until medium peaks form. Dollop or pipe over the tart. The whipped cream should hold soft ridges and not slump immediately.