Strawberry Custard Tart

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This strawberry custard tart boasts a buttery crust filled with the dreamiest custard filling that is so smooth and creamy. The custard is topped off with juicy, summer strawberries that are sprinkled with a light dusting of sugar. This tart is one of those desserts that is simply both beautiful and delicious; and makes for an absolutely luscious treat.

A strawberry custard tart with a green cloth napkin on a marble countertop.

My favourite time to enjoy this tart is when the summer harvest brings strawberries that are ripe, sweet, and bursting with flavour.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Tart crust - Try this tender and buttery tart crust recipe to make on your own at home. Or, if you're short on time or simply don't feel like making a homemade crust, you can use a store bought, 9" tart crust.
Heavy cream
Milk - Whole milk or 2% would be best. I used 2% milk.
Vanilla bean - I use the seeds scraped fresh from a vanilla bean in this recipe. The flavour is spectacular and the vanilla flecks make the custard look extra luxe.
Whole nutmeg - Using freshly grated nutmeg is such a nice touch. The aroma is so much more. Try to get a whole nutmeg to grate instead of using pre-ground if possible.
Lemon zest - This adds freshness to the custard with the scent of bright citrus.
Egg yolks - A staple ingredient in custard.
Confectioner's sugar
Strawberries - Ripe, red, and nicely shaped strawberries. Preferably uniform in size and enough to cover the tart with.
Superfine sugar - This incredibly finely ground sugar clings to the berries in a beautiful way.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Vanilla bean - Substitute with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Whole nutmeg - If necessary, substitute with ground nutmeg.
Superfine sugar - Substitute with granulated sugar.

Variations

You can replace the strawberries in this recipe with the berries or fruit of your choice! Check out this tasty grape tart variation that is covered in sweet green grapes, sliced and sprinkled lightly with sugar.

Instructions

For this recipe, we are going to need a partially-baked 9" tart crust to start. You can make your own tart crust or use a store bought one.

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Peel a thick slice of zest from a lemon. Cut open the vanilla bean pod and scrape out the seeds before discarding the pod.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean seeds, the strip of lemon zest, and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg just to a boil.

Meanwhile add the egg yolks and sifted, powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir them together until the mixture begins to lighten in colour.

Slowly pour the hot cream mixture in with the egg yolks and sugar, continuously stirring while you pour. Strain the custard through a sieve into another bowl. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before skimming off any froth from the surface.

Pour the custard into your partially-baked tart crust. If you find it difficult to transfer the liquid-filled tart crust into the oven, just fill it to an easy-to-move level, then top it off with the remaining custard once safely on the middle rack of the oven.

Bake the tart about 40 minutes or so, until the custard is almost completely set with just the slightest jiggle in the centre when you move the pan. If you remove sooner you will end up with a custard pudding-filled crust.

Set the tart on a cooling rack to cool before removing it from the tart pan. Allow it to completely cool before decorating.

Rinse the strawberries and pat them dry. Slice the stem end of the strawberry off, leaving a flat surface for the berry to sit on. Place the strawberries in a ring around the rim of the tart and work your way inwards.

Note: Preferably your strawberries will be roughly even in size. But if they vary, just plan to place the larger ones at the centre of the tart, and the smaller nearer the outside.

Sprinkle some superfine sugar all over the strawberries to finish off the tart. Your delicious strawberry custard tart is ready to enjoy.

Overhead of a strawberry custard tart beside a bowl of superfine sugar.

Equipment

To make this strawberry custard tart you will need the following:

Kitchen scale or measuring cup set
Medium saucepan
Mixing bowls
Sieve
Sifter
Microplane zester - This tool is helpful for grating the nutmeg in this recipe.

Storage

You can make this custard tart ahead of time and store it well wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I recommend that you wait to decorate with strawberries and sugar until the day you plan to enjoy it.

FAQ

Can you make a custard tart ahead of time?

Yes, the custard tart can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, however, cut berries should only be kept in the fridge for up to a couple days. If you make the tart ahead of time, I recommend that you wait to decorate with the berries and sugar until the day you plan to enjoy it.

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