A Simple, Homemade Lemon Tart
Making up for the dreary weather we’ve been having recently with this bright and sunny lemon tart. It’s pure sunshine with a crisp, buttery crust cradling a silky-smooth lemon curd filling that’s equally tangy and sweet. Top it off with a fluffy cloud of homemade whipped cream and just try to keep yourself from going back for a second slice. Resistance/willpower… a skill I’m yet to master 🥴 I used to find tarts to be intimidating, but they are honestly simple to make and not much different than a pie. The most difficult part is having patience, as it will have to chill in the fridge overnight before serving, so keep that in mind if you’re making it for an event. On that note, it’s perfect for making in advance!
My recipe includes three well-balanced layers:
Pâte sucrée crust: Tender, sweet, and buttery pastry that holds up well against the creamy filling. It’s sweeter than traditional pie crust and tastes similar to a shortbread cookie. It would be delicious on its own, but of course we’re going to be filling it with… A rich, tangy lemon filling: A delightful balance of sweetness and tanginess that sets up just firm enough to neatly slice. This is essentially the same filling used in my lemon bars. Optional whipped cream topping: Adds a light, creamy finish that tempers the tartness of the lemon. This can be piped or dolloped to suit your preferred presentation style. I piped it prettily for pictures, but in reality I typically just plop a large spoonful on top of my slice before enjoying.
What You Need
Use high-quality ingredients ensures a vibrant, delicious, and beautifully textured lemon tart. Specifically, you will need:
Butter. Use unsalted butter and make sure it’s super cold before you add it to the crust (you can even place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes beforehand). If you can find it and want to spring for it, European butter works very nicely here! Eggs. We’ll use eggs in both the crust and the filling. For the crust, make sure your egg is chilled before adding it. For the filling, we’ll use two whole eggs and a few extra yolks. If you’d like to use your leftover egg whites instead of throwing them away, you can use them to make meringue cookies, French macarons, or a batch of marshmallow frosting. You could even use it to make a meringue to top off the pie (like you would a lemon meringue pie), but I prefer to use whipped cream instead. Lemons. Squeeze your own lemons! The bottled stuff just doesn’t come close flavor-wise (I had a few family members who insisted it didn’t make a difference, but a taste-test left me vindicated, and Bon Appetit also validates my claim, discussing the oxidation of the bottled stuff and whatnot) . This is critical, and I only guarantee tasty results if you follow this rule 😉 Powdered sugar. We’ll use a bit of powdered sugar in the crust for tender, shortbread-esque results. Vanilla extract. I don’t use any vanilla in the filling as it undermined the lemon flavor rather than flattered it, but a splash in the crust and the whipped cream on top does accent the filling nicely.
SAM’S TIP: It is important to keep your tart crust ingredients as cold as possible! If they get too warm, the sides of your tart could collapse while baking. A food processor is my preferred tool for preparing the crust for this reason (a food processor works quickly and you don’t need to use your hands, which can warm the ingredients), but you could alternatively use a pastry cutter instead. This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Lemon Tart
Make the tart crust (pâte sucrée)
Bake the crust
Prepare the Filling
Whipped Cream
SAM’S TIP: While you can always just spread the whipped cream on top of your lemon tart, I like to use the Ateco 848 piping tip (linked in the recipe card below) to create a pretty piped design. Once finished, you can decorate your lemon tart with fresh berries, mint sprigs, or even edible flowers. Do you prefer to decorate yours, or keep it plain (if you go all-out with the decorating, make sure you tag me on Instagram so I can see it!)? Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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