This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This cream tart is the kind of dessert that stops people mid-conversation.
Two crisp almond cookie layers, cream cheese whipped cream, and whatever toppings you love — berries, macarons, flowers.
I made this cream tart for March 8th and it disappeared before I could even sit down.
The dough is the reason this works. It holds up.
You can decorate it, photograph it, and serve it without rushing. Sponge cake softens fast. This one gives you time.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love The Recipe
The cookie layers keep for 3 days at room temperature. Bake ahead, fill the day you serve.
No last-minute stress.
Change the shape with one paper stencil. Print or draw any number, letter, or shape, cut it out, and use it as your stencil.
Same dough, same recipe, completely different look for a birthday, shower, or holiday.
The filling takes under 5 minutes. Beat cream cheese with sugar, add heavy
cream, beat until thick.
That is the whole process
Everything that makes this tart look expensive is the decoration.
The base itself is butter, cream cheese, almond meal, and flour.
The berries, macarons, and flowers do the visual work at a low cost per serving.
What Dough Works Best for Cream Tarts?
The base you choose affects how much time you have after assembling.
Sponge cake layers absorb the filling quickly, so you need to serve closer to assembly. Almond cookie dough holds longer and has a subtle flavor that pairs well with almost any cream.
A friend of mine who is a professional cake baker uses sponge cake, and her version is
delicious, but you need to move faster once it is assembled.
Shortbread, honey cake dough, and puff pastry all work too.
The denser the base, the more time you have after filling.
If you want a softer, more cake-like bite, sponge cake is worth trying.
Just plan to serve it within 2 to 3 hours of assembly.
What Filling Works Best?
Any stabilized cream that holds its shape when piped will work.
The filling needs to support the weight of the second cookie layer and the decorations without spreading.
My preference is mascarpone whipped cream, as it is silkier and pairs beautifully with
the almond cookie base.
On the day I made this, I did not have mascarpone on hand,
so I used cream cheese instead.
It is equally stable and easier to find. To use mascarpone, swap the cream cheese for 8 oz mascarpone using the exact same quantities and method.
Other options that work well:
- Stabilized whipped cream (with gelatin)
- Thick pastry cream
- Whipped chocolate ganache
How to Decorate a Cream Tart
The decoration is the most personal part of this dessert.
Even with just fresh berries, a cream tart looks striking.
From there, you can add French macarons (store-bought
works perfectly here), meringue cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries, or flowers.
On edible vs. regular flowers: if you can find edible flowers, they are beautiful.
I personally do not love eating them, so I use regular flowers from the grocery store.
Just rinse them well, wrap the stems on plastic wrap and add right before serving, and make sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides.
Tips for Success
Making two numbers or a larger shape?
Double the dough recipe. It is better to have a little extra than to run short mid-roll.
Room temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable. Cold cream cheese will
not beat smooth and will leave lumps in the filling.
Take it out at least 30 minutes before you start.
Pull the layers before they get too golden.
Just-golden edges are right.
Overbaked layers crack more easily when you move them.
If the dough cracks while rolling, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
It is almost always just too cold.
Any cracks in the middle of the shape will be hidden once assembled.
FAQs
Yes, with conditions. Bake the cookie layers up to 3 days in advance and store them
wrapped at room temperature. Make the filling the night before and refrigerate it
covered. Assemble on the day you are serving, because once filled, the layers start
softening within a few hours.
Meringue kisses, small shortbread cookies, chocolate truffles, or raspberries piled in clusters all look great. The tart is beautiful with just berries and flowers. Macarons are a bonus, not a requirement.
Cover loosely and refrigerate. The layers will continue softening overnight, so the
texture will not be as crisp the next day, but the flavor is still good.
Cream Tart Recipe – New Cake Trend
Ingredients
For the almond cookie pastry layers:
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg, large
- 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract, optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cups almond meal
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the cream cheese filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar, can use up to 2/3 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Other:
- french macarons, flowers, meringue cookies, berries
Video
Instructions
- French macarons, fresh berries, meringue cookies, flowers
- Instructions
- Whisk flour, almond meal, and salt together. Set aside.
- Beat butter and powdered sugar for 2 minutes. Add egg and extracts and beat to
- combine. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just incorporated.
- Divide into two balls, press flat, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll one ball to 0.5 cm thick on a floured surface. Cut two shapes using a paper
- stencil. Repeat with the second ball.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes until edges are just golden. Cool completely before
- moving.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and vanilla and
- beat on medium-high 2 to 4 minutes until thick and pipeable.
- Pipe filling onto one cookie layer. Top with second layer. Pipe filling on top.
- Decorate and serve the same day.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you use real flowers or fake flowers for the decor?
Hi Jana, The flowers are real, but not edible flowers. I only use them for decoration and make sure I wash them and wrap the stems in plastic wrap, before I place them on the cake.
This looks amazing. I need to make a 27 number cake. Will there be enough in this recipe to make that it would I need to double?
Hi Christy,
Yes, I believe it will be just enough. You need to make extra filling for the cake though.
Great! Thank you so much for your quick reply!
I tried this recipe and it was a success! I do have a question. Can I make the dough in advance and freeze it? If so, how long can I freeze it for and how early can I take it out to roll?
Thank you, glad it worked!
You can freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, but keep in mind the dough may need to sit a little longer at room temperature to soften before you roll it.
Hi!
When the tart is ready, how long I can keep it in the fridge?
I need to do it on Friday but serve on Sunday and I need to do it in advance because I later I don’t have time?
Is it okay to leave it in the fridge? or what do yo recommend?
thanks
Hi,
it can stay up to 1 week, but after 3 days the crust will start getting soggy, not to the point that it is not edible though. Friday to Sunday should be ok, keep it in the fridge.
My filling came out super runny and I followed the directions exactly- any ideas on what could’ve gone wrong?
Hi Cydney, sorry to hear that the filling came out runny. I suspect that you did not cook it long enough to properly thicken and if eggs are not cooked long enough, they tend to get runny once the fill-in his cooled.
Hi I want to make a #18 and my stencil size 14 inches in length. How much batter would I need?? Thank you!
The amount will be enough with just a little leftovers
Could it be done gluten free?
Yes, if you use this cookie dough recipe for the crust (no need to use Keto sweetener) : https://cookinglsl.com/low-carb-cut-out-cookies/ or any other gluten free cookie dough
I must correct you. The cake was invented by another Israeli baker named Lior Koka. Go visit her instagram page it’s beautiful ?
Great! Thanks for the info, definitely going to check it out 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe and everyone loves it when I make it. Is there a way to make it without the egg? I have a friend who is allergic ;/
You can possibly try the dough recipe without the egg and cut the butter by 1 tablespoon. Let me know how it works.
Can I make the dough the night before and refrigerate it before baking the cookie in the morning? Thanks.
YES, YOU CAN MAKE IT UP TO 1 EWEEK IN ADVANCE AND KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE.