Chocolate and Raspberry Towers for Dessert
Dessert · Flans, Puddings · Provencal Recipes · Tasha Powell · TasteThis dessert recipe for Chocolate and Raspberry Towers was part of a 3-course gluten-free online class that I presented in September. The rest of the menu included panisse (chickpea fritters) served with fresh lemon, skewered grilled shrimp, roasted fennel and cherry tomatoes. In addition to recipes, I share plating techniques that I learned in a Michelin-star kitchen in Provence.
Chocolate and Raspberry Towers
This dessert looks impressive, but it is not complicated to make, and your guests will love it.
Equipment
- piping bag, reusable, with set of tips with large star tip
Ingredients
Chocolate Round Ingredients:
- 5 lbs Valrhona dark chocolate
- 1 pint raspberries
Chocolate Pastry Cream Ingredients:
- 16 oz milk Or coconut milk)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 4 oz sugar
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 oz Valrhona Dark Chocolate
- 1 oz butter softened (Or vegan butter)
Options for Garnish
- fresh mint leaves
- powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Chocolate Rounds:
- Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or bain-marie.
- Lay the silicone mat on the sheet tray.
- Spread the melted chocolate in a thin layer using the offset spatula and let it cool.
- Then place in the refrigerator.
- When the chocolate is cooled, repeatedly dip the chocolate template or round cookie cutter in a bowl of hot water before cutting the 18 rounds needed for the dessert.
For Chocolate Pastry Cream:
- Add the milk and vanilla into a saucepan; heat the milk over medium heat to bring it to a rolling boil.
- Add the sugar, egg and yolks, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth light yellow mixture.
- As soon as the milk starts to boil, remove it from the heat.
- Slowly pour about one half of the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg mix while constantly whisking to temper the mixture. This will prevent the eggs from cooking.
- When the eggs have been tempered, add the egg mix back into the hot milk in the saucepan.
- Heat the pastry cream over medium heat while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken and becomes a custard – this should take about 4 - 5 minutes.
- While whisking, bring the custard to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and immediately add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Remove from the heat, add the butter and whisk it in.
- Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the whole surface. This is to prevent a skin from forming on the pastry cream.
- Allow the pastry cream to cool down to room temperature and then let it chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. *I normally make my pastry cream the day before I prepare this dessert so it can cool and set!
Assemble the dessert:
- Take the 18 disks of chocolate prepared with a circular cookie cutter (from the first section).
- Fill a piping page, using a star tip with the chocolate pastry cream.
- Place a chocolate round on the plate, then pipe chocolate pastry cream and place 6 raspberries on that layer.
- Add a second chocolate round on top of that and repeat the process.
- Finally, add a third chocolate round, pipe the chocolate pastry cream on it and place a single raspberry on top.
- Optional: Garnish with powdered sugar or fresh mint.
Notes
Note: Melting chocolate is tricky and there is a science behind tempering chocolate! Do not overheat the chocolate! Remove it from the bain-marie when you can still see an outline of the chocolate, then mix it rigorously as to melt all the chocolate and then start to cool it.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Other Chocolate Desserts:
Grandmère’s Chocolate Cake
This is such a special recipe for me. It’s been handed down through my mother’s side of the family and it’s the cake Grandmère always used to make for us when there was a birthday or other celebration. I’ve never tasted another chocolate cake quite like it (believe me, I’ve tried many). Whatever you do, don’t overcook it. Five minutes too long in the oven and the middle will dry out. Like American brownies, you want the centre to be sticky and squidgy and a little sunken. It will glue your mouth closed and taste heavenly.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Nib Brittle
This recipe involves two steps: make the brittle in advance, and the chocolate mousse takes very little time.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Lava Cake with Candied Ginger
Easy, tasty and delicious a dessert for chocolate lovers.
Check out this recipeLegal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Discover the Christmas Traditions in ProvenceRelated Provence Articles
Make this Provencal Summer Menu Inspired by Seasonal Flavours
June 20, 2025
Cynthia Moos is a Provence native and the founder of Best French Forever, a lifestyle brand dedicated to women inspired by the Provençal art de vivre. Her mission is to invite women to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and curate a life they love. We asked Cynthia if she would curate our 2025 summer menu. …
Where to Eat in Provence? Domaine la Pierre Blanche is a Food Lovers’ Paradise
June 18, 2025
As the sun gracefully dips behind the Alpilles, the landscape is bathed in a gentle golden glow that dances across the grapevines, offering a prelude to an enchanting evening in Provence. This region’s luminous light, which has long captured the imaginations of celebrated artists, serves as a backdrop to the “Rosé Mule,” a tantalizing cocktail …
Good Food and Cozy Dining in St-Rémy at Le Marilyn
June 16, 2025
My wife and I live part of the year in St-Rémy-de-Provence, and one of our favourite restaurants for cozy dining is Le Marilyn. We always receive a warm welcome, the food is consistently good, and the dining room is one of the most charming around. Owner Chantal Büchner has been in the restaurant business since …
Antibes: A Timeless Treasure on the Côte d’Azur
June 5, 2025
Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea’s azure waters and Provence’s rolling hills lies Antibes, a gem of the French Riviera that enchants visitors with its irresistible blend of history, art, and culinary traditions. A Journey Through the Centuries As you wander through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the old town, you are taking a journey through …
No Comment