Cream Cheese Tart with Dulce de Leche

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Dulce de Leche is such a great ingredient, but I don’t use it as much as I like. The following cream cheese tart combines dense and rich cream cheese filling, Dulce de Leche topping and pecan streusel for decoration. It’s festive, delicious and everyone who taste it just loves it!

 Cream Cheese Tart with Dulce de Leche

Photo: Natalie Levin



Cream Cheese Tart with Dulce de Leche

For the crust:

  • 120 grams (1 stick) cold butter cut into cubes
  • 180 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 25 grams (2 tbsp.) sugar powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp. milk (as needed)

For cheese filling:

  • 450 grams (2 packs) cream cheese
  • 75 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 200-250 grams Dulce de Leche

For vanilla Chantilly cream:

  • 125 ml. (1/2 cup) cold whipping cream
  • 10 grams (1 tbsp.) sugar powder
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For pecan streusel:

  • 25 grams (1/4 cup) ground pecans
  • 25 grams (2 tbsp.) cold butter cut into cubes
  • 20 grams (2 tbsp.) light brown sugar
  • 35 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

For decoration:

  • Pecan halves
  1. Crust: in a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
  2. Add egg yolk continue to blend just until large clumps of dough form. If needed, add a little milk gradually.
  3. Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
  4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
  5. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface about 3-4 mm thick and line the pie pan. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
  6. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
  7. Preheat oven to 175c degrees.
  8. Blind baking: put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper on the frozen crust and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
  9. Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
  10. Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 6-10 minutes or until it is lightly golden.
  11. Cool slightly at room temperature.
  12. Reduce the oven temperature to 150c degrees.
  13. Cheese filling: in medium bowl, whip cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until blended.
  14. Add the eggs one at a time, while whisking between additions.
  15. Add flour and continue to mix until incorporated.
  16. Pour the cheese filling over the crust and flatten gently.
  17. Bake for about 12-18 minutes or until the filling is set on the edges but still slightly soft in the center.
  18. Cool completely at room temperature.
  19. Fill Dulce de Leche into a pastry bag fitted with 1 cm round piping tip.
  20. Pipe spiral shape over the cheese filling, and leave about 1-2 cm margins.
  21. Chantilly cream: in a bowl of a mixer whip cream, sugar powder and vanilla until firm.
  22. Transfer the whipped cream into a pastry bag catheter fitted with round 2 cm piping tip and drizzle small mounds of cream on the margins of the tart.
  23. Pecan streusel: in a food processor with a steel blade blend pecans, butter, sugar and flour until mixture is crumbly.
  24. Transfer the crumbs onto an oven pan lined with baking paper and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden.
  25. Cool completely at room temperature.
  26. Decorate the tart with pecan streusel and pecan halves.
  • Keep the tart in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days.
  • Instead of pecans you can use any other nut you like.