If lemon desserts are your thing you are going to love my Lemon Tart recipe! This is my take on the French classic Tarte au Citron, it’s made with a buttery and crumbly tart crust that’s super easy to make and filled with my super fresh and tart lemon curd recipe. The flavor is similar to my lemon bars but it’s elegant and fancy enough to serve up at dinner parties served with some whipped cream and fresh berries. Check out my step by step recipe below including helpful photos and all the tips you need to make the best lemon tart.
What you need to make this recipe
Lemons – make sure to use good quality lemon for best results, I use the zest and juice for an extra fresh and zingy flavor.
Butter – use unsalted butter because it’s used for both the tart crust and lemon curd filling.
Sugar – white granulated sugar is fine, don’t use brown sugar or it’ll affect the color and taste of the filling.
Heavy cream – cream is used to make the tart crust it gives it a richness and helps bind it together.
How to make a lemon tart
1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt together then crumb the cold butter into the flour to resemble rough pea-sized pieces.
2. Once crumbed, pour in a mixture of egg yolk and cream and mix together to form a dough, chill in the fridge.
3. Once chilled, press the dough into a tart pan and freeze for 30 minutes. Bake the tart crust for about 20 minutes until lightly golden in colour.
4. Zest two lemons and squeeze 1/2 juice into a jug or bowl. In a medium bowl combine the eggs and yolks then whisk together and set aside.
5. Add butter, sugar and lemon juice and zest to a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the butter is melted and bubbling.
6. Remove from the heat then slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs whilst constantly stirring.
7. Put the curd back on the heat and stir until thickened, it should be able to coat the back of a wooden spoon (pictured above). Pour into a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and let it cool completely.
8. Once cooled, pour into the tart shell and smooth out. Bake for 10 minutes so the edges are set then refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream and berries.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- A 9-10 inch tart pan works best for this recipe.
- You can make the pastry dough by hand or in a food processor if your hands are too warm, you don’t want to melt the butter.
- The crust can puff a bit after baking. Just use a measuring cup to press the crust back into place and if needed coax the crust back up the side if it sank a bit.
- You can make the tart crust a day or two in advance, just store it in an air-tight container until ready to use.
- Since we are using the zest of the lemon try and use unwaxed, organic lemon.
- Make sure you pour the egg mixture into the hot butter slowly and don’t stop whisking or the eggs will scramble.
- To check that your lemon curd is thick enough, let it coat the back of a spoon then draw a line with your finger. If the line stays without the curd running or dripping it’s ready.
- The lemon curd will thicken more as it cools.
- It’s really important to place plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd as it cools to prevent a skin from forming.
- Don’t overbake the tart it only needs around 10 minutes just until the edges have set.
- Make sure to refrigerate your lemon tart for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, you can make both the lemon curd and the tart crust a few days in advance, simply store them in the fridge until you are ready to use them for your lemon tart.
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Yes, this lemon tart needs to be refrigerated to stay fresh. It will keep well for 4-5 days.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze this lemon tart, you may want to do so in slices so you can defrost just what you need. Make sure to defrost the tart completely in the fridge before serving.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Lemon Tart recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Lemon Tart
Equipment
- Tart pan 9-10 inches
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour (150g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter cold cut into small pieces (113g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 2 tbsp cream (10ml)
- 1 egg yolk
For the Curd
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh (120ml)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest zest of 2 lemons
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup butter (113g)
- 4 eggs
- 2 yolks
Instructions
For the Tart Crust
- Whisk the egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Measure the flour into a large bowl then add the salt, and sugar. Whisk together then add the cubed butter. Work the butter in with a pastry cutter or your clean hands.
- Once you have a crumbly mixture with roughly pea-sized pieces of butter throughout you can drizzle in the yolk cream mixture and mix together with a fork or knife. Transfer The dough onto a piece of plastic, press and fold together, then shape into a disk, wrap and chill for about an hour.
- Roll the dough into a circle then transfer to a 9 or 10 inch tart pan (one with a removable base is preferable). Press into the pan then dock the bottom and trim the edge. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375F then bake for about 20 minutes or until a light golden color, then reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Make the curd while the shell bakes.
For the Lemon Curd
- In a medium bowl combine the eggs and yolks then whisk together and set aside.
- Zest two lemons then squeeze ½ cup of juice then add the zest, juice, butter and sugar to a medium sized pot and place over medium heat. Stir often until the butter is melted and the mixture just starts bubbling then remove from heat and slowly drizzle into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
- Pour back into the pot and place over low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and just starts to bubble, about 170F. Your curd is done once it coats the back of a wooden spoon; you can swipe a finger across and a track will be left in the curd.
- Strain into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap.
- Pour the curd into your tart shell and smooth the surface then bake for 10 minutes or until the edge is just set. Refrigerate for 2 hours then cut and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can make the pastry dough by hand or in a food processor if your hands are too warm, you don't want to melt the butter.
- The crust can puff a bit after baking. Just use a measuring cup to press the crust back into place and if needed coax the crust back up the side if it sank a bit.
- You can make the tart crust a day or two in advance, just store it in an air-tight container until ready to use.
- Since we are using the zest of the lemon try and use unwaxed, organic lemon.
- Make sure you pour the egg mixture into the hot butter slowly and don't stop whisking or the eggs will scramble.
- To check that your lemon curd is thick enough, let it coat the back of a spoon then draw a line with your finger. If the line stays without the curd running or dripping it's ready.
- The lemon curd will thicken more as it cools.
- It's really important to place plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd as it cools to prevent a skin from forming.
- Don't overbake the tart it only needs around 10 minutes just until the edges have set.
- Make sure to refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Storage - will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen.
Love love love !!
Perfection 🙂
I tried making lemon meringue tart once before with a recipe i got online but the pastry shrunk and went flat. The recipe didn’t tell me to bake with pastry weights first, could this be the reason it went flat? Thanks if you could reply.
Hi Paige — It probably has to do with the way you separated your eggs. If any yoke touches the meringue, it’ll be flat. Some advice: Cold eggs are easier to separate; it is easier to crack eggs of a flat surface, and multiple bowls can help. Hope this helps! Best, John.