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Home » DESSERTS

Strawberry Custard Tart

Published: Jun 18, 2022 by Meymi. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Strawberry custard tart with text overlay.

This strawberry custard tart is so delicious with a simple tart crust, pastry cream filling and fresh strawberries.  You can make this tart easily with my step-by-step tutorial.

Strawberry custard tart on a cake stand.

Strawberry tart and fruit tart are my favorite tarts.  My French pastry cream and my tart crust recipe make a perfect combination with fresh strawberries on top.

There is a chocolate surprise in this tart which is optional but I love it this way a lot.  I made the same in my strawberry cookie cups.  Before I add the pastry cream, I brush the crust with melted chocolate.  

Side view of the strawberry custard tart.

This not only makes it delicious but also avoids the crust to become soggy as chocolate makes a barrier between the crust and the filling.

Ingredients you’ll need

You can find the exact quantities at the bottom of my post, in the recipe card.

Ingredients for strawberry custard tart on a white surface.
  • Strawberries-I use fresh strawberries.
  • Eggs-I use 1 large egg for the crust and 3 egg yolks for the creamy pastry cream.
  • Flour-I use all purpose flour for the tart crust recipe.
  • Sugar-I use granulated sugar for both the crust and the pastry cream.
  • Butter-I use unsalted butter for the crust.
  • Cornstarch-Just a little, thickens the pastry cream.
  • Milk-I use whole milk to make creamy pastry cream.
  • Chocolate-This is optional but I like to cover the crust with chocolate. This is not only delicious this way but also as I mentioned above chocolate works as a barrier between the crust and pastry cream. If you won’t finish the tart immediately, chocolate will avoid the crust become soggy.

Step by step instructions

First I make the tart crust. I make the pastry cream while the tart dough is resting in the fridge. 

You can either make the crust by hand or use a food processor. I share both versions in my tart crust recipe post. You should check my post for all the details.

Here I quickly summarize how I make it by hand. I mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl with a whisk. Then I add the cubed butter and use my pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Instead, you can use your fingertips.

Collage for cutting butter into the flour and sugar mixture with a pastry cutter.

Next I add the egg and gently incorporate into the mixture. Then I make a ball, cover with plastic film and let the dough rest in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Collage that shows adding egg into the flour mixture, stirring and making disc out of it.

While the dough is resting, I make the pastry cream.

You can check my French pastry cream post where I share it in detail.  Today I share it here how I make it with vanilla extract but in my pastry cream post, I also share information about how you can use a vanilla bean.

Simply I bring the milk and half of the sugar to a boil in a saucepan at high heat.  While it is on the stove, I stir half of the sugar with egg yolks and then I add the cornstarch and stir until combined well.

Collage that shows adding sugar to the milk and stirring egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, I remove the saucepan from the heat.  I pour almost ⅓ of the milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent it from curdling. 

Then I pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture and whisk at the same time. Finally, I stir in the vanilla extract and place the saucepan over med-high heat. 

Collage that shows tempering process and adding vanilla extract.

I constantly stir the mixture with a whisk and let it boil for 2 minutes. Next, I pour the pastry cream into a large and shallow bowl so it cools fast. I immediately cover the pastry cream with a plastic film to prevent skin from forming on top.

After it cools at room temperature, I keep it in the fridge to become firm. 

Stirring pastry cream with a whisk.

Now I continue with the tart dough. Please keep in mind that I simply make a brief summary here as I have a whole post including all the details step by step in my tart crust post.

Once firm enough, I start to roll the dough into 11 inch (28 cm).

Then I loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin and gently unroll the dough into the pan. Using a rolling pin back and forth, I cut the excess dough.

Next I gently press the sides with my finger so the dough will go over the pan almost 0.12 inch (3mm). This step is to make sure that once baked, the dough shrinks almost to the place where it was supposed to be before.

Collage that shows tart dough in a tart pan from above and side.

I prick the bottom of the dough with a fork so the bottom doesn’t puff while baking. Then I keep the dough in the freezer for almost 40-60 minutes. Once the dough is firm enough, I bake the dough. It takes almost 25 minutes to bake.

Dough in a tart pan that is pricked by a fork.

Optional step: When the crust completely cools, I remove it from the pan. I melt the chocolate over bain marie; I place chocolate into a small heatproof bowl that sits over a pan of simmering water.   The simmering water doesn’t touch the bowl that is full of chocolate.

I stir the chocolate until melted. Using a pastry brush, I cover the crust surface. Then I keep the crust in the fridge for almost 20 minutes until the chocolate sets.

Covering the tart crust with melted chocolate.

In the mean time, I start to cut the strawberries into pieces. You can decorate your tart as you like. I like to cut the strawberries in half and place them just on the pastry cream filled tart crust with pointed side up straight.

If you like you can decorate with whole strawberries(again stems removed). It is totally a personal preference.

Collage that shows cutting the strawberries.

When the chocolate is almost set, I remove the pastry cream from the fridge and stir with a whisk. As I mention in my pastry cream post, it becomes very firm in the fridge so we need to stir with a whisk to let it come to the ideal consistency. I don’t over whisk and I stop when it is smooth.

I remove the crust from the fridge that is set to assemble the tart.

Collage that shows pastry cream and chocolate covered crust side by side.

You can either use a piping bag to place the pastry cream into the tart crust or simply spoon and spread it. There will be some pastry cream left unless you haven’t had some to taste it right after you made it-just like me.

I start from the edges and place the pointed-sharp side of the strawberries straight to the pastry cream.

Especially if you think you won’t finish the tart the same day, I suggest you brush the strawberries with apricot glaze just like I do in my easy apple tart recipe. Besides adding a shiny look, this glaze will keep them fresh.

You can make the glaze simply cooking the apricot jam with water in a small pan for almost 2 minutes until the mixture is liquid. Then you should strain the jam through a fine-mesh strainer to have a smooth glaze. It is as simple as this.

I hope you enjoy this strawberry custard tart as much I do!

Strawberry tart on a plate.

How to Store

You can store this strawberry tart in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Strawberry recipes you may enjoy!

  • Strawberry Crumble Bars
  • Strawberry Crumble Cake
  • Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie without Yogurt
  • Easy Strawberry Mousse Dessert
  • 2 Ingredient Strawberry Cups

I love hearing from you!  If you try this recipe or my other recipes please leave a comment and give a star rating!

Strawberry custard tart on a plate.

Strawberry Custard Tart

This strawberry custard tart is delicious and easy dessert with simple tart crust, pastry cream filling and fresh strawberries.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 354kcal
Author: Meymi

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe tart crust
  • 1 recipe pastry cream
  • 454 grams (1 pound) fresh strawberries
  • 30 grams (1 oz) bitter-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped (optional)

Apricot glaze (optional)

  • 85 grams (¼ cup) apricot jam
  • 10 grams (2 teaspoons) water
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Instructions

  • First make the tart crust dough and let it rest for 15-20 minutes in the freezer or 1 hour in the fridge. You can find step by step instructions in the link.
  • While the dough is resting, make the pastry cream which will take almost 10 minutes to make.  First let it cool at room temperature and then keep in the fridge.
  • Once the dough rests, remove it from fridge/freezer and roll out the dough, place it into the tart pan, freeze the dough in the pan and then bake.  Each step is detailed in the tart crust recipe post.
  • Optional step: After the tart crust is baked and completely cooled, you can cover the crust with melted chocolate.
    You can melt the chocolate over bain marie by placing chocolate into a heatproof small bowl that sits over a pan of simmering water.   The simmering water shouldn’t touch the bowl that is full of chocolate. 
    Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in the oven: at 210°F (100°C). Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. You should check the oven often and stir when it starts to melt. If there are some pieces not melted, continue melting in the oven and stir again.  
    Using a pastry brush, cover the crust surface. Keep the crust in the fridge for almost 20 minutes until the chocolate sets.
  • Cut the strawberries as you like. You can decorate the tart as you like. For today's post I cut strawberries in half and place them just on the pastry cream filled tart crust with pointed side up straight. If you like you can cut the stem and use the strawberries as a whole while decorating.
  • Remove the pastry cream from the fridge. As mentioned in the linked post, the pastry cream will be firm so you need to stir with a whisk until it is smooth. Don't over whisk.
  • Fill the tart crust with pastry cream. You can either spoon and spread the pastry cream or you can use a piping bag.
  • Decorate the tart with strawberries. I decorate in this post by starting from the edges and place the pointed-sharp side of the strawberries straight to the pastry cream.
  • Optional step: If you won't finish the tart the same day, you can glaze the strawberries with apricot glaze. Place the apricot jam with water into a small pan and cook for almost 2 minutes until the mixture is liquid. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to have a smooth glaze. Let the glaze warm before coating the strawberries with a pastry brush.

Notes

How to store: You can store this strawberry tart in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.6g | Fat: 17.5g | Saturated Fat: 10.2g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 20.6g | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
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