How to Make a Strawberry Tart With Pastry Cream

You want a fresh, impressive dessert that’s easier than it looks. A classic strawberry tart with pastry cream gives you glossy fruit, silky filling, and a crisp shell that pulls dinner guests close. You’ll learn how to make the sweet pastry cream, blind-bake a shortcrust tart shell, and arrange strawberries so the tart looks pin-worthy.

This guide walks you through each step with exact measurements, times, and helpful tips so you can make a strawberry tart with pastry cream today.

What You'll Need (ingredients and tools for strawberry tart recipe)

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Ingredients (for a 9-inch tart shell):

• For the crust: 200 g all-purpose flour, 100 g cold unsalted butter (cubed), 50 g powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, pinch of salt.
• For pastry cream: 500 ml whole milk, 120 g granulated sugar, 4 large egg yolks, 40 g cornstarch, 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla pod, 30 g butter.
• Topping: 400–500 g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled; apricot jam glaze (optional).

Tools:

• 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
• Rolling pin, whisk, saucepan, heatproof bowl
• Fine mesh sieve, plastic wrap, pastry brush

Quick tips:

• Chill the dough 30 minutes before rolling.
• Use room-temperature eggs for smoother pastry cream.

Preparing Your Ingredients (making pastry cream and tart dough)

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Make the pastry cream first so it cools while you bake. Heat 500 ml milk with half the sugar until it’s steaming, not boiling. Whisk 4 egg yolks with 40 g cornstarch and remaining sugar until pale.

• Temper the eggs by adding a ladle of hot milk, whisking constantly.
• Pour the tempered mix back into the saucepan. Cook on medium, whisking until it thickens and bubbles (about 1–2 minutes after thickening).
• Remove from heat. Whisk in 30 g butter and vanilla. Sieve into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

For the crust:

1. Pulse 200 g flour with 100 g cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add 50 g powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until it forms a dough.
3. Flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Common mistake: overworking dough makes it tough. Stop once it holds together.

Step-by-Step Instructions (assemble, bake, and fill the tart)

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1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
2. Roll chilled dough to 3 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Gently press into a 9-inch tart pan and trim edges.
3. Blind-bake:
   • Prick base with a fork.
   • Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
   • Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 8–10 more minutes until golden. Cool completely.
4. Fill cooled shell with chilled pastry cream. Smooth with an offset spatula.
5. Slice 400–500 g strawberries and arrange them over the cream:
   • Fan slices outward from center for a classic look.
   • Or halve berries and place in concentric circles for speed.

Pro tricks:

• Warm a little apricot jam and brush it over the fruit for shine.
• Use a piping bag to pipe pastry cream for a neater edge.

Decorating, Serving, and Storage Tips

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Serving:

• Chill 30 minutes before serving so the pastry cream firms slightly.
• Serve within 24 hours for best texture.

Storage:

• Refrigerate covered for up to 48 hours. Fresh berries soften after that.
• To make ahead: bake tart shell and keep in an airtight container for 1–2 days. Make pastry cream and assemble the day you serve.

Troubleshooting:

• Runny pastry cream: cook longer until it thickly coats the spoon. Cool quickly in an ice bath.
• Soggy bottom: blind-bake thoroughly and cool completely before filling.

Variations:

• Swap strawberries for mixed berries.
• Add lemon zest to the pastry cream for a bright note.

You’ve got the recipe, timing, and styling notes to create a picture-perfect strawberry tart with pastry cream. Pin this guide for your next dinner or picnic and try the fan arrangement for a show-stopping finish. Which tip will you try first? Save this for later and share with friends who love baking.