This Strawberry Custard Tart recipe is for a delicious fruit tart made with a homemade pastry crust filled with vanilla bean custard topped with delicious fresh strawberries.
I love making this tart when strawberries are in season and at their best! This is a great recipe to use to show off fresh strawberries in all their glory. Try making this recipe the next time you're hosting a summer lunch or having friends over for an afternoon catch-up.
If you love baking recipes that highlight fresh fruits, then you have to try this recipe for Mango Cupcakes, these Pistachio Raspberry Cupcakes, or this Apple and Blackberry Crumble.
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Ingredients
To make this delicious fresh strawberry tart with a vanilla pastry cream filling you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to use fresh quality ingredients when baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Castor sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Cake flour
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla bean
- Milk
- Fresh strawberries
- Apricot jam
Unsalted butter - unsalted butter is used in the pastry and custard. For the pastry, I take the butter out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before needing it depending on the weather. You want to butter at almost room temperature but not softened.
Caster sugar - use superfine sugar for the pastry and the custard filling.
Extra-large eggs - out of their shell, the eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren't sure if you have the same eggs - weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Vanilla - the pastry uses quality vanilla extract while the custard mixture uses vanilla beans for flavor. If you can't find vanilla beans, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will work for both.
Strawberries - the star of this recipe are perfectly ripe sweet strawberries, I don't recommend using frozen strawberries for this recipe. If you can't find strawberries, use other fresh berries instead.
Apricot jam - smooth apricot jam is used to brush the strawberries after the tart is assembled to give it that shiny glow and keep the fruit looking fresher for longer. You can use strawberry jam instead.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for strawberry custard tart
Follow the simple steps below to make this delicious strawberry custard tart. First, you will make and rest the buttery shortbread crust, then blind-bake it while you make the filling. Once the filling is done, the strawberries are arranged on top of the tart and then brushed with an apricot jam glaze.
Instructions for pastry
STEP 1: Cream butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well combined and homogenous.
STEP 2: Add the eggs and vanilla. First, add the whole egg to the creamed mixture with the food processor running, and pulse until combined. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse again.
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour and salt and add this flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture all at once. Pulse until a smooth dough forms, do not overmix.
STEP 4: Chill dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, cover it in a sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.
STEP 5: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and brush a round tart tin with melted butter.
STEP 6: Roll dough. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ½ cm ( ¼ inch) using a rolling pin.
STEP 7: Prepare tart shell. Place the rolled pastry over the pie dish and press it up the sides of the tart pan using your fingertips. Trim off the excess pastry with a sharp knife. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP 8: Blind bake. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the pastry and fill this with uncooked rice or pie weights. Blind bake the tart shell in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until a light golden brown. Set aside.
Instructions for homemade custard
STEP 1: Whisk yolks and sugar. Add the egg yolks and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
STEP 2: Add flour. Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture and whisk again.
STEP 3: Heat milk and vanilla. Add the milk, seeds from the vanilla bean, and the vanilla bean to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, and heat the mixture until just before boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the hot milk mixture into a jug.
STEP 4: Temper eggs. While whisking continuously add a little of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk until smooth. Pour the remaining milk in a steady stream into the egg mixture while still whisking continuously.
STEP 5: Thicken. Strain the custard mixture through a sieve and into a clean saucepan set over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, and comes to a boil. Remove the custard from the heat and continue whisking until the custard is smooth.
STEP 6: Add butter. Add the cubed butter to the custard and whisk continuously until melted and incorporated.
STEP 7: Chill. Spoon the custard into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the custard, this prevents a skin from forming. Chill the custard in the fridge until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Instructions for assembly
STEP 1 Assemble. Carefully remove the tart crust from its tin and place it onto a serving plate. Spoon the custard into the tart shell and smooth it over with the back of a spoon.
STEP 2: Slice strawberries. Wash and trim the tops off of the strawberries and then cut them in half.
STEP 3: Decorate. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the surface of the tart. Starting from the outside and working inward.
STEP 4: Glaze. Place the apricot jam and water into a small saucepan set over medium heat, and warm the jam until the mixture loosens. Use a pastry brush to brush the jam over the strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: this recipe is best when eaten the day it is made, this is because the custard softens the pastry over time. You can prepare the tart shell and custard a day or two in advance but only assemble the tart on the day you would like to serve it.
Variations
This strawberry custard tart can be decorated with a variety of fresh fruits, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries will work well. You could also choose to decorate it with a mixture of berries!
For a tropical twist, you can also decorate this tart with slices of mangoes or kiwis.
You can also use this recipe to make individual strawberry custard tarts, follow the recipe as outlined just use 10 - 12 mini tart cases instead of one large tin.
Equipment
You don't need any fancy equipment for this recipe, just a medium saucepan, large mixing bowl, whisk, and 22cm tart tin with a removable bottom.
The tart tin I used is 22cm in diameter, this pastry recipe does make extra dough. Choose to store this in the freezer until the next time you make a tart or use this recipe for Jam Sandwich Cookies to use up the remaining dough.
Storage
This tart is best eaten the day it is made. If there is any leftover tart, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Top tips
For the best results, follow my top tips below when baking this strawberry tart.
- Check the true temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
- Resting the pastry is important, so be sure to follow the recipe.
- If you are struggling to roll out the pastry dough, let it chill for a little longer. Cool firm dough is so much easier to work with.
- Make sure you have thickened the custard on the stove sufficiently. You want the custard to hold its shape once cut.
FAQ
Blind baking is the process of prebaking tart shells before filling them. To ensure the pastry cases remain hollow the pastry is lined with parchment paper and filled with baking beans or rice - which act as weights. The weight of the beans or rice helps prevent the pastry from rising during baking.
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren't sure if you have the same eggs - weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
This is because it wasn't thickened enough on the stovetop. For this recipe, you want a thick custard that will hold its shape in the pastry shell when you serve the tart. It should fall off the whisk in blobs, rather than run off the whisk.
More Tart Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
This delicious strawberry custard tart is my favorite way to highlight delicious strawberries! And I promise you'll impress whoever you serve this to! If you are looking for more strawberry desserts, try out this Apple and Strawberry Crumble or this recipe for a Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling.
If you try out this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and star review below - I love hearing from all of you!
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Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Custard Tart
Equipment
- 1x 22cm (9 inch) tart tin
Ingredients
Pastry Shell
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 100 g castor sugar
- 1 egg extra-large
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 350 g cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Custard Filling
- 6 egg yolks
- 120 g castor sugar
- 50 g cake flour
- 500 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 50 g unsalted butter cubed
Decoration
- 200 g fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoon apricot jam
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
Pastry Shell
- Add the butter and sugar to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well combined and homogenous.
- First, add the whole egg to the creamed mixture with the food processor running, and pulse until combined. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse again.
- Sift together the flour and salt and add this flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture all at once. Pulse until a smooth dough forms, do not overmix.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, cover it in a sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and brush a round tart tin with melted butter.
- Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ½ cm ( ¼ inch) using a rolling pin.
- Place the rolled pastry over the pie dish and press it up the sides of the tart pan using your fingertips. Trim off the excess pastry with a sharp knife. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper over the pastry and fill this with uncooked rice or pie weights. Blind bake the tart shell in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until a light golden brown. Set aside.
Custard Filling
- Add the egg yolks and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture and whisk again.
- Add the milk, seeds from the vanilla bean, and the vanilla bean to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, and heat the mixture until just before boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the hot milk mixture into a jug.
- While whisking continuously add a little of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk until smooth. Pour the remaining milk in a steady stream into the egg mixture while still whisking continuously.
- Strain the custard mixture through a sieve and into a clean saucepan set over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, and comes to a boil. Remove the custard from the heat and continue whisking until the custard is smooth.
- Add the cubed butter to the custard and whisk continuously until melted and incorporated.
- Spoon the custard into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the custard, this prevents a skin from forming. Chill the custard in the fridge until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Assembly
- Carefully remove the tart crust from its tin and place it onto a serving plate. Spoon the custard into the tart shell and smooth it over with the back of a spoon.
- Wash and trim the tops off of the strawberries and then cut them in half.
- Arrange the sliced strawberries over the surface of the tart. Starting from the outside and working inward.
- Place the apricot jam and water into a small saucepan set over medium heat, and warm the jam until the mixture loosens. Use a pastry brush to brush the jam over the strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Lee says
Great recipe, and I loved the pastry