Classic French Raspberry Tart (Printable)

Buttery crust and smooth pastry cream topped with ripe raspberries, perfect for light summer desserts.

# Ingredient List:

→ Tart Crust

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

→ Pastry Cream

07 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 large egg yolks
10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Topping

13 - 2 cups fresh raspberries
14 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam (optional for glaze)
15 - 1 teaspoon water

# Directions:

01 - Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk and cold water until dough forms. Shape into disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough on floured surface to fit 9-inch tart pan. Fit dough into pan, trim edges. Prick bottom with fork, line with parchment and pie weights. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, bake 10 more minutes until golden. Cool completely.
03 - Heat milk in saucepan until simmering. Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth. Gradually add hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to saucepan, cook over medium heat, whisk until thickened (2–3 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill until cold.
04 - Spread chilled pastry cream evenly in tart shell. Arrange raspberries in concentric circles over cream.
05 - Warm apricot jam with water until melted. Brush glaze gently over raspberries for shine.
06 - Refrigerate tart for at least 1 hour to set prior to serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust stays impossibly crisp no matter how long the tart sits, which is basically magic.
  • Pastry cream is easier than you think once you stop being afraid of it, and suddenly you can make restaurant-quality desserts at home.
  • Fresh raspberries need almost no adornment, but here they get the stage they deserve.
02 -
  • Never skip the plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream surface—it's the difference between silky cream and a thick skin you'll have to pick off.
  • If your pastry cream looks lumpy, strain it through a fine mesh sieve before chilling, and you'll never know anything went wrong.
  • Wet your knife between cuts and the raspberries won't smush—this small thing feels like cheating but it actually works.
03 -
  • Blind bake your crust long enough that it's truly golden—pale shells absorb moisture and turn soggy, and you'll wonder what went wrong.
  • Keep your pastry cream cold until the very moment you spread it, because warm cream on a warm crust is a soggy disaster waiting to happen.

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