Gluten-Free Fruit Tart With Vanilla Pastry Cream

This gluten-free fruit tart is made with sweet shortcrust pastry, rich and creamy vanilla custard, and a vibrant mix of fresh berries. It’s a simple yet elegant treat for any occasion.

Course Dessert

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 3

Total Time 3 35

Servings people

Calories 277kcal

Author Rebecca Taig

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Tart Crust

9-inch gluten-free shortcrust pastry

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (50g) sugar
3 tablespoons (30g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (42g) cold unsalted butter

Fruit Topping (3 cups of fruit)

7-8 medium sized strawberries, vertically sliced into thirds
16 blackberries
16 raspberries
½ cup blueberries

Fruit Glaze (Optional)

¼ cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Gluten-Free Tart Crust

Prepare the crust. Bake the gluten-free tart crust according to instructions. Set the crust aside to cool while making the vanilla pastry cream.

Make The Vanilla Pasty Cream

Heat the milk and cream. Add the heavy cream and milk to a medium-sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until it just starts to steam with bubbles along the edges, then remove the saucepan from heat.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, on high speed, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch for 2-3 minutes. The texture should be light and fluffy with a pale lemony color. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Turn off the mixer and grab the saucepan.
Temper the eggs. Turn the mixer to low speed, and slowly pour the steamed milk into the bowl. You want to add this very slowly to ensure the egg yolks don’t scramble. If whisking by hand, pour a slow stream and whisk continuously.
Add everything to the saucepan. Once all the milk is added, return the mixture to the saucepan and place on the stove over medium-high heat.
Thicken the pastry cream. Whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes until the pastry cream has thickened and is slowly boiling. The custard should reach around 190°F. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and cold butter. Cook for another 30 seconds, whisking constantly, then turn off the burner.
Chill the custard. If you are worried about pieces of cooked egg, you can run the custard through a fine mesh strainer. Pour the custard into a glass bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes at room temperature. If the butter splits give the custard a quick stir to blend it back in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the top surface to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 3 hours (or up to 24 hours before serving).

Assembled The Fruit Tart

Add the cream to the tart shell. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. (This custard is thicker than your average custard so it will stay firm and intact when sliced.)
Add the fruit and glaze. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small bowl, microwave the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water until warm, around 15-20 seconds. If the jam has chunks of fruit, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. This will help preserve the fruit and give it a beautiful glossy shine. Serve the fruit tart right away or chill until ready to serve.

Notes

Tips:

If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving.
The tart can be assembled and chilled for up to 24 hours before serving but is best served the same day it is assembled.

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