Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons are an exquisite blend of silky cheesecake ganache, topped with sweet tangy carambola (starfruit) jam.
Hello! I’m back and excited to finally share these bright, delicious Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons. They were first teased on my Instagram in March and I’ve had many requests to post the full details. Life got busy and the photos and video editing sat on the to-do list for too long, but everything is ready now—including a short video showing how I seal my bonbons, another commonly asked question.
These bonbons pair a creamy cheesecake-style ganache with a tart-sweet carambola (starfruit) jam center. The combination is delicate, fresh, and perfect for gifting or enjoying with coffee.
Go Light On the Colour
When decorating chocolate shells, less is often more. Thick layers of colored cocoa butter can overwhelm the palate and leave an unpleasant mouthfeel. This is especially noticeable with very dark shades or white. If you want fuller opacity without heavy layering, mix colored cocoa butter with melted dark, milk, or white chocolate instead of applying a dense coat of pure colored fat.
Light application also reduces ingredient cost: cocoa butter can be expensive, so a thin, well-applied layer is better for both taste and budget.
Paint or Airbrush?
Choosing between hand-painting and airbrushing comes down to the final look you want and how much effort you want to invest. A simple splash of color over plain chocolate can be striking and requires minimal work. Multiple splashes or abstract patterns give an artistic, Jackson Pollock–style effect.
I often use an airbrush for quick, even coverage—it’s efficient for changing colors and achieving subtle gradients. The downside is the extra clean-up and the noise from the compressor. Hand painting with a foam brush can give a softer, handmade feel. Whatever you choose, remember not to overapply the colored cocoa butter.
It’s What’s On The Inside
The filling is the star here: a silky cheesecake ganache paired with a bright carambola jam. These bonbons were my early experiment with cheese-based ganaches and remain a favorite. The ganache recipe used here closely follows a previous cheesecake ganache but swaps mascarpone for fromage blanc.
Fromage blanc (also called white cheese) is a fresh, creamy cheese with a mild tang. If it’s hard to find where you are, reasonable substitutes include mascarpone (richer result), Greek yogurt, quark, or a mix of sour cream and ricotta. Each alternative will slightly change texture and flavor but will still yield delicious ganache.
The carambola jam for these bonbons was inspired by a gifted jar of strawberry-starfruit jam. Starfruit brings a bright, citrusy acidity that balances the richness of the cheesecake ganache, making it an ideal pairing for these chocolates.
Lace Bottoms
For the shell bottoms, you can simply use a plain chocolate foot to seal the bonbon, but adding a decorative “lace” or pattern gives a more finished, elegant look. I used a white lace effect on some, and a thin airbrushed red on others to complement the jam. Small decorative choices make the chocolates feel special—perfect for farewells, gifts, or just treating a friend.
Below you’ll find a short video demonstrating my technique for filling and sealing these bonbons.
Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons
Ingredients
- 150 grams dark chocolate tempered
- an needed coloured cocoa butter I used white with a brush and red garnet with an airbrush
- 210 grams white chocolate 35% I used Valrhona Ivoire
- 15 grams invert sugar
- 25 grams glucose
- 75 grams cream cheese softened
- 75 grams fromage blanc
- 1 vanilla bean scraped
- pinch salt
Method
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Clean and buff molds thoroughly before use.
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Decorate the mold interior with your chosen design and colors. I used a foam brush to apply white and then an airbrush for a thin layer of red.
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Melt the white chocolate gently over a double boiler and set aside.
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Place invert sugar and glucose in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese, fromage blanc, scraped vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt. Add the cheese mixture to the saucepan with the sugars and warm gently until softened; remove from heat.
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While stirring, pour the warm mixture over the melted white chocolate and emulsify until smooth. An immersion blender works well to achieve a glossy, fully incorporated ganache. Allow the ganache to cool until pipeable.
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Transfer jam and ganache into separate piping bags and snip small openings. Pipe a small dollop of jam into each chocolate shell, then top with ganache. Let them set briefly, then seal each bonbon with a thin layer of tempered dark chocolate. For a neat finish, use a transfer sheet to close the shells, as shown in the video. Chill the filled, sealed molds in the refrigerator for a few minutes before unmolding.
