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Rhubarb Cream Tart

Rhubarb tart with a buttery shell, vanilla pastry cream, and roasted rhubarb on top. This French pastry-style cream tart bakes the crust, thickens the custard, then chills for clean slices and a set filling.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup butter, cold Use cold butter for a tender, flaky crust.
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp cold water
For pastry cream
  • 2 cup milk
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For rhubarb
  • 3 cup fresh rhubarb, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Bake the tart crust
  1. Mix the all-purpose flour and powdered sugar, then cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Press the dough into a tart pan, working it evenly into the bottom and up the sides.
  2. Whisk the egg yolk with the cold water, then pour it into the crust dough and mix just until it holds together. Bake the crust at 375°F for 20 minutes, until set and lightly golden.
Make vanilla pastry cream
  1. Heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch until smooth, then temper with the hot milk by streaming it in while whisking.
  2. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract, then keep whisking for 30 seconds to fully combine.
  3. Cool the pastry cream by covering it with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin. Spread the cream into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top.
Roast rhubarb and assemble
  1. Toss the fresh rhubarb pieces with the sugar and honey until evenly coated. Roast on a sheet pan at 400°F for 15 minutes, until tender and glossy.
  2. Cool the roasted rhubarb completely, then arrange it artfully on top of the vanilla cream. Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours before serving for clean slices.

Notes

For the neatest slices, chill the tart until the pastry cream is fully set and firm; loosen the sides gently before slicing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (no freezing for best texture). If you want a lighter profile, use low-fat milk for the pastry cream while keeping tempering and cooking the custard until truly thick.