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Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

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Strawberry tart is one of my favorite tarts and I make it a lot on strawberry season. A crispy and buttery golden short crust pastry filled with classic vanilla pastry cream that is topped with tons of fresh strawberries – what’s not to like? 😉

If you have some strawberries lying around the kitchen, you should make this classic strawberry tart. It’s so delicious and everyone who loves strawberries will LOVE this tart. It’s a great dessert for the weekend and a wonderful treat in general.

Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Photo: Natalie Levin



Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

For the dough:

  • 100 grams (1 stick) cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 100 grams (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 25 grams (2 tbsp.) cornstarch
  • 50 grams (5 tbsp.) sugar powder
  • 25 grams (1/4 cup) almond meal
  • 1 medium egg yolk
  • 1 tsp. rum or brandy (can substitute with milk as well)

For the vanilla pastry cream:

  • 300 ml. (1 ¼ cups) milk
  • Seeds from ½ a vanilla bean
  • 80 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
  • 3 medium egg yolks
  • 40 grams (4 tbsp.) cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp. rum or brandy (optional)
  • 50 grams (1/2 stick) soft butter

For decoration:

  • 200-300 grams fresh strawberries (sliced)

For the glaze:

  • 2-3 tbsp. strawberry jam (lightly heated)
  1. Dough: place butter, flour, cornstarch, sugar powder and almond meal in a food processor with a steel blade and blend until you get a crumbly mixture that resembles damp sand in texture.
  2. Add yolk and rum and continue to blend until large chunks of dough form. If the dough does not unite – add another 1 teaspoon of cold water.
  3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten it to a disc shape and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. On a floured work surface, roll the dough about 3-4 mm thick, and place it in the pan. It’s important to create a straight angle between the edges of the pan to the base so that the sides will remain high while baking and won’t shrink.
  5. Pierce the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes in the freezer.
  6. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees.
  7. Cover the crust with heat-proof plastic wrap or parchment paper and fill with baking weights.
  8. Bake the crust for 12-14 minutes. Remove the weights and plastic wrap and continue to bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the crust is completely golden.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
  10. Vanilla pastry cream: in a medium saucepan, put milk and vanilla seeds and heat to a boiling point.
  11. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and rum into a uniform mixture.
  12. Once the milk reaches boiling point, add approximately 1/3 of the boiling milk mixture to the yolk mixture while vigorously whisking (it is very important to mix the whole time).
  13. Return the mixture to the pot with the remaining milk and continue to stir on low heat, while whisking constantly, until a thick, uniform pastry cream is formed.
  14. Add butter and stir until it is absorbed into the cream.
  15. Transfer the cream to a wide container and cover the surface with plastic wrap.
  16. Cool the cream in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until completely cold.
  17. Transfer the cold cream to a bowl whisk it until it returns to the original creamy texture.
  18. Assemble the tart: fill the crust with vanilla pastry cream and flatten the top.
  19. Arrange the sliced ​​strawberries over the cream and gently brush them with a little strawberry jam.
  • The tart is at its best on the day of preparation, but it can be kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
  • Instead of strawberries you can use any other fruit you like. Berries, cherries or any other fresh fruit will work fine here.
  • It is possible to prepare the crust 2-3 days in advance and keep in a closed container until assembly.

Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Photo: Natalie Levin