Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Glazed Fresh Strawberries Recipe
This luscious Strawberry Tart features a buttery, crisp tart crust filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with fresh halved strawberries glazed with a sweet strawberry sauce. The rich, creamy custard is infused with real vanilla beans and perfectly complemented by a glossy fruit glaze made from fresh strawberries and gelatin, resulting in an elegant and refreshing dessert that requires chilling time to set beautifully.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 9 hours (including chilling and resting times)
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- Make tart crust using your preferred recipe, prepared and chilled at least 3 hours prior
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 1¾ cups whole milk (415 ml)
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g)
Strawberry Sauce and Topping
- 12 oz strawberries, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66 g)
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ tsp gelatin powder
- 1 tbsp water (for blooming gelatin)
- 16 oz strawberries, halved (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Tart Crust. Make your favorite tart crust recipe at least 3 hours before assembling, as the dough needs to rest in the fridge before rolling out and baking.
- Heat Milk and Vanilla. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and combine both seeds and pod with milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium until nearly simmering, just as bubbles emerge, then remove from heat. If using vanilla extract, heat milk alone and add extract later.
- Whisk Egg Mixture. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth.
- Temper Eggs. Gradually pour about ¼ cup hot milk into egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent curdling, slowly incorporating all milk.
- Cook Custard. Strain the combined mixture back into the saucepan, removing vanilla pods, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until custard thickens into a smooth pudding-like texture.
- Finish Pastry Cream. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract if used, then mix in butter until fully combined. Cover custard surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Make Strawberry Sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine roughly chopped strawberries, sugar, and ¼ cup water. Cook for 10–12 minutes until softened. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to extract roughly 1 cup liquid.
- Bloom and Add Gelatin. Sprinkle gelatin powder over 1 tbsp cold water and let stand for 5–10 minutes. Warm gelatin gently in microwave until dissolved and whisk into warm strawberry liquid. Cool mixture until pourable but not set.
- Assemble Tart. Spread chilled pastry cream evenly in the baked and cooled tart crust. Arrange halved strawberries, cut side down, over the cream.
- Glaze Strawberries. Spoon the warm strawberry glaze evenly over the strawberries, ensuring full coverage for a shiny finish.
- Chill to Set. Refrigerate the assembled tart for at least 6 hours or overnight to allow the glaze to set completely before serving.
Notes
- The tart crust must be prepared and rested in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to ensure proper texture.
- If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, add it after cooking the custard to retain flavor.
- Temper eggs carefully by gradually adding hot milk while whisking to prevent scrambling.
- Strained strawberry pulp can be saved and served with ice cream or yogurt.
- Chilling time is essential for the glaze to set and produce a glossy finish.
- Pastry cream can be made a day ahead to save time on assembly day.
