Cardamom Custard Tart (Print version)

Buttery tart shell holds silky cardamom custard, finished with vibrant fresh fruits for a delightful finish.

# What you’ll need:

→ Tart Shell

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 tablespoons ice water

→ Cardamom Custard

07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Topping

14 - 2 cups assorted fresh fruit such as berries, kiwi, mango, or figs
15 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam, optional for glaze

# Steps:

01 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and ice water; pulse just until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a floured surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
02 - Roll out dough and line a 9-inch tart pan. Trim excess and prick the base with a fork. Chill for another 15 minutes.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line shell with parchment and baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights, and bake 10 minutes more until lightly golden. Cool completely.
04 - In a saucepan, heat milk and cardamom pods until steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and infuse for 15 minutes. Strain out cardamom pods.
05 - In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gradually whisk in warm milk.
06 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Pour custard into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature.
07 - Spread cooled cardamom custard evenly into tart shell. Arrange fresh fruit beautifully on top. For a glossy finish, gently heat apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water and brush over fruit.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • The cardamom custard is secretly foolproof: Once you understand the infusion method, you'll realize this technique works for so many desserts, and suddenly you'll be experimenting with rose, chai, and lavender versions.
  • It comes together faster than you'd think: The tart shell chills while you're not paying attention, and the custard takes maybe 10 minutes of actual hands-on time.
  • It's a showstopper that looks like you spent hours: Fresh fruit on top means you get instant color and texture without any extra skill required.
02 -
  • The milk temperature matters more than you'd think: If your milk is too hot when you add it to the egg mixture, the yolks will scramble instead of become silky, so always whisk slowly and gradually while adding warm milk to room-temperature yolks.
  • Cardamom infusion is a game-changer once you get it: Those 15 minutes of steeping transform plain custard into something restaurant-quality, and the timing is flexible because longer steeping just makes it more aromatic, not worse.
03 -
  • Make the tart shell the day before if you're entertaining: Your stress level drops dramatically when the most technical part is already done, and the shell actually tastes better after sitting overnight.
  • Taste your custard for cardamom before it goes in the shell: If you want more spice, you can add a tiny pinch of ground cardamom to the finished custard for extra depth without the bitterness of whole pods.
Go back