Custard Tart

The custard tart is something so simple, but so delicious and delicate, that it has become a classic of pastry.

Its preparation includes a crunchy base, a creamy filling, a biscuit base and some intense custard on top, so that everything is baked with a delicious caramel created by the heat.

The custards can be made with the envelope preparation and that way it would be delicious, but you can try better to make them at home, just as the grandmothers did to give it its own and traditional flavor.

If you do not want to prepare a custard, you can choose to make a pastry cream. In any case, your custard cake will be spectacular.

If you are not “fond” of custards, custards or pastry creams, you can always choose to make the base and make a mousse or chocolate cream, for example.

You must also take care of the baking, so that it is uniform like the original recipe for the custard tart and your dessert is a triumph.

Let’s see how to make this custard cake :

Custard Tart

Data:

• Preparation time: 25 minutes
• Cook time : 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Skill level: Moderately easy
• Servings: Serves 8 people

Nutrition per serving

• Kilocalories: 593
• Proteins: 9 g
• Carbohydrates: 53 g
• Fat: 40 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 29 g
• Salt: 0.33 g

Ingredients

For the base:

• 140 g butter chilled and chopped
• 250 g flour
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 100 g icing sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tablespoon of whole milk

For the pastry cream or custard

• 250 ml heavy cream or condensed milk
• 250 ml milk
• 1 vanilla bean, divided
• 1 strip of lemon peel
• Nutmeg
• 8 egg yolks
• 100 g icing sugar 

Preparation 

To make the preparation of the dough or base

1. Rub the butter into the flour with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar, the egg and the milk and mix until it forms a dough.
3. On a lightly floured surface, put the dough and use it to line a 20 cm tart pan, leaving 2 cm of dough hanging over the edge.
4. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 180ºC. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Next, remove the grain and continue cooking for about 20 more minutes, until the base is a sponge cake.
7. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 140ºC. 

Preparation of the pastry cream or custard

1. Bring the heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean, lemon zest and a small rack of nutmeg to a boil.
2. Beat the yolks with the sugar until the color is clear.
3. Then pour the hot milk and cream on top.
4. Beat the custard in a jar for a few minutes, then skim off any foam.

Mounting

1. Carefully pour the cream into the base of the cake.
2. Grate some more of the nutmeg on top.
3. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, trim edges, then allow to cool completely before serving in slices with a little more nutmeg if desired.