Lavender Chocolate Tart

Prep time~45 minutes
Cook time20 minutes
Rest time~10 hours (overnight + set time)
Total time~11 hours 15 minutes
DifficultyMedium
Servings8–10 slices

Deeply indulgent dark chocolate tart in a crisp cocoa-almond crust, topped with whipped lavender milk chocolate ganache for floral lift and elegant contrast.

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What we love about this recipe

This tart blends the grounding richness of dark chocolate with the airy romance of florals. The cocoa-almond crust brings bitterness and crunch, the dark chocolate filling provides structure and intensity, and the lavender milk chocolate ganache adds softness, colour, and aromatic lift. It is refined, feminine, and quietly dramatic.

Where's it from?

While not traditional to a single pastry canon, this tart sits at the crossroads of French pâtisserie and modern floral chocolate work. Lavender and chocolate are often seen in Provençal desserts, and the whipped ganache borrows technique from contemporary entremets. Here, the combination feels both classic and fresh.

Why cocoa?

Cocoa adds bitterness and colour to the crust, grounding the sweetness of the ganache and enhancing the chocolate base. It gives structure, contrast, and depth, making the floral top notes feel more elegant than perfumed.

Cocoa Recommendation

What cocoa should I use?

Alkalised cocoa powder works beautifully in the crust for intense colour and a balanced bitter backbone. For the filling, dark cocoa drops melt smoothly and create a glossy ganache without seizing.

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The Recipe

Follow these steps to create your masterpiece

Ingredients

Cocoa tart crust

150g all-purpose flour
50g almond flour
30g alkalised cocoa powder
50g powdered sugar
½ tsp salt
120g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cold water

Dark chocolate filling

400g dark cocoa drops
300ml heavy cream

Lavender milk chocolate ganache base


125g milk chocolate (35–40%, finely chopped)
125g heavy cream (to heat)
1 gelatin leaf (gold strength, ~1.5g), bloomed in cold water
15g honey (lavender or wildflower)
⅛ tsp culinary lavender extract + vanilla extract (or to taste)
Purple gel/powder colouring (optional)

Cold cream (for emulsifying) 250g cold heavy cream (35%)

Method

Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).  In a bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg yolk and cold water, mixing until a dough forms. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Blind bake

Once chilled, roll out the dough and press it into a 23cm tart pan. Prick the base with a fork and place it in the fridge for another 15 minutes. Then blind bake the tart shell at 175°C for about 20 minutes. Set it aside to cool completely.

Make the whipped lavender ganache

Bloom the gelatin
Start by soaking the gelatin leaf in cold water for 5–10 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water.

Heat the cream and honey
In a small saucepan, heat 125g of cream with 15g of honey just until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved.

Melt and emulsify
Pour the warm cream mixture over 125g of chopped milk chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two. Stir gently from the center until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy, then stir in the lavender and vanilla extracts and add a touch of purple coloring if you like.

Add cold cream
Add 250g of cold cream in two additions, mixing with an immersion blender or gently whisking until fully emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap (pressed directly onto the surface) and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

Whip and pipe
Once fully chilled, whip the ganache until it holds soft peaks, then transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Make the dark chocolate ganache

Gently warm the cream in a saucepan without letting it boil. Pour it over chopped dark chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and velvety. Pour this ganache into the cooled tart crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully set.

Assemble and garnish

To assemble, pipe or spread the whipped lavender ganache over the set dark chocolate layer. Finish the tart with a few dried rosebuds for a floral and elegant touch.

Chef's Background

Hyram De La Paz is the creative force behind The Cocoa Circle's recipe magic. A professionally trained bonbon specialist with over six years of experience in high-energy kitchens, Hyram knows his way around cocoa like nobody else. His sweet spot is baking. In our kitchen, he blends world-class technique with a dash of imagination to turn cocoa into something spectacular.

Chocolate Meets Lavender in This Stunning Tart Recipe

Delicately floral, deeply chocolatey, and dressed in soft lavender whipped ganache, this tart is surprisingly easy to make and impossible to forget. With a buttery cocoa crust, silky dark chocolate filling, and an airy lavender milk chocolate topping, it’s the perfect balance of rich and refreshing.

When should I make this?

Dinner parties, spring celebrations, teatime finales, or any moment dessert should feel elegant and grown-up.