When I tell you this recipe was MONTHS in the making, I am serious (my partner can attest to how long I have been talking about it). I wanted to make a layered tart featuring different flavors that all come together to create the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day or any celebration that deserves a little labor of love.
Pâte Sucrée (Tart):
A pâte sucrée (or sweet tart dough) is a sweet, crispy pastry crust that is perfect for any fruit-based or any sweet tart recipe. I chose this dough as it’s the most structured for the fillings and I felt the most perfect for this sweeter dessert.
Matcha Ganache:
A ganache is a mixture of warm cream and chocolate. In this case, we are combining white chocolate, heavy cream, and premium-grade matcha (Matcha Freak graciously sent me matcha to try and I used it in this recipe).
Vanilla Custard:
Custard is typically a mix of sweet milk cooked with eggs/yolk to thicken it. In this recipe, we are using whole eggs to make the custard thicker and richer in flavor.
Vanilla Whipped Cream:
When deciding how I wanted to decorate the tart, I knew I had to make a homemade whipped cream to top off the dessert. Simply made with heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla – this might be the perfect portion of the recipe to keep for another date.
Ingredients you will need:
This recipe is in 6 parts – the tart, the custard, the ganache, the whipped cream, assembling the fillings, and decorating the top. This recipe took me 2 days to finalize as I wanted to take time to ensure everything was perfect. For this recipe you will need to add these to your grocery list:
- Almond Flour
- All Purpose Flour
- Powdered Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- White Chocolate
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Matcha Powder
- Whole Strawberries
How long does everything last?
Concerning we are working with eggs, once finished, the whole tart will be good for about two days – preferably served immediately. Separately, the tart shell will last for 1 week outside of the fridge, the custard will last 3-4 days in the fridge, the ganache will last one month in the fridge, and the whipped cream will last 3 days in the fridge.
When should I make this recipe?
I made this recipe to celebrate Valentine’s Day but I highly recommend making this for someone who deserves a recipe that you spend some time on. It’s a bit complicated but it’s so worth it in the end.
Recipe Card
Strawberry Matcha Vanilla Custard Tart
Course: DessertCuisine: PastryDifficulty: Advanced6-8
servingsThis strawberry matcha vanilla custard tart is rich in premium matcha flavor and rich in custard and whipped cream. Topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- Pâte Sucrée (Tart)
45g Almond Flour, Toasted + Cooled
285g All Purpose Flour
140g Powdered Sugar
80g Cornstarch
Pinch of Salt
150g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
80g Eggs (About 2, Be Sure to Weigh it)
- Custard
500g Whole Milk
4 Eggs, Room Temperature
100g Granulated Sugar
30g Cornstarch
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
60g Unsalted Butter, Softened and Cubed
- Matcha Ganache
170g White Chocolate
105g Heavy Whipping Cream
9g Matcha Powder
- Whipped Cream
200g Whipping Cream
2 TBS Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Paste
- Toppings:
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries, Halved (a Few With Stems On)
Powdered Sugar
Directions
- Pâte Sucrée (Tart):
- Toast almond flour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and cool.
- Add almond flour, AP flour, icing sugar, corn starch, and salt – mix until combined.
- Add in cubed butter and work with your hands until combined. Add in egg and mix to form a dough.
- Flatten and wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Once chilled, add to a lightly floured working surface and roll the dough out evenly until thin. Flour as needed so the dough doesn’t stick.
- Add dough to a greased tart shell and press into the pan. Roll the excess dough with a rolling pin on top of the pan to remove. Poke holes into the bottom with a fork and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Blind bake at 355 Degrees F for 20 minutes with lined scrunched-up parchment paper and rice. After baking, remove the parchment and rice, cool for 10 minutes, and top with an egg wash. Bake the shell for an additional 10-15 minutes (or until golden).
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cool and remove from the pan.
- Custard:
- In a small pot, heat the milk and vanilla on medium heat until the pot begins to simmer.
- While this begins to heat up, add eggs, sugar, and cornstarch to another bowl, and whisk to combine. Once the milk steams, add this slowly to the egg mixture and whisk frequently until combined. Do this slowly so the eggs don’t curdle.
- Return this mixture to the pot and whisk over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
- Turn off the heat add in the cubed butter and stir until melted and combined.
- Add to a bowl add plastic wrap directly on top and cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Matcha Ganache:
- Pour the heavy cream into a metal bowl and create a double boiler to heat slowly until it begins to steam.
- Pour the cream over the white chocolate and let sit for 3-4 minutes for the chocolate to melt.
- Mix the cream and chocolate mixture until combined. Add in the matcha powder and stir to combine until no clumps remain.
- Place plastic wrap directly on top of the matcha chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
- Whipped Cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, add whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until firm peaks are formed. Add to a piping bag and refrigerate.
- Assemble:
- Add an even layer of the matcha ganache to the bottom of the tart wit
- Top with the pastry custard with a piping bag and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Pipe the whipped cream on the top outer corners of the tart with a large round piping tip and fill the middle with strawberries. Chill the tart for 4 hours or overnight and dust with powdered sugar before serving.